1 Samuel 23 Cross References - NSB

²⁹ From there David went to stay in the fortified camps of En Gedi. ¹ David heard that the Philistines attacked the town of Keilah. They robbed the threshing floors of the newly harvested grain. ² He asked Jehovah: »Shall I go and attack the Philistines?« Jehovah answered: »Yes, Attack them and save Keilah.« ³ David’s men said to him: »We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah. It will be worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces!« ⁴ David consulted Jehovah once again, and Jehovah said to him: »Go attack Keilah! I will give you victory over the Philistines.« ⁵ David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They drove off their livestock, and overwhelmingly defeated them. So David rescued the people who lived in Keilah. ⁶ When Ahimelech’s son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephod with him. ⁷ When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said: »God has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has a gate with a double door held shut by a bar.« ⁸ So Saul called all the troops to go to war. They wanted to blockade Keilah, where David and his men were. ⁹ David learned that Saul was planning to harm him. He told the priest Abiathar: »Bring the ephod!« ¹⁰ Then David said: »Jehovah God of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. ¹¹ »Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? Jehovah God of Israel, please tell me.« Jehovah answered: »He will come.« ¹² »Will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?« David asked. Jehovah answered: »They will hand you over.« ¹³ David and his men, about six hundred in all, left Keilah. They went wherever they could go. Then Saul was told: »David has escaped from Keilah! So he gave up the campaign.« ¹⁴ David lived in fortified camps in the desert. He lived in fortified camps in the mountains of the desert of Ziph. Saul was always searching for him. But God did not let him capture David. ¹⁵ David was afraid because Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. ¹⁶ Jonathan went to see David. God helped him encourage David. ¹⁷ »Do not be afraid,« Jonathan said. »My father Saul will never get his hands on you. In fact, you are going to be the next king of Israel. I will be your highest official. Even my father knows it is true.« ¹⁸ They both promised Jehovah that they would always be loyal to each other. Then Jonathan went home while David stayed at Horesh. ¹⁹ Some people from the town of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah. They said: »Your Majesty, David has a hideout not far from us! It is near Horesh. It is somewhere on Mount Hachilah south of Jeshimon. ²⁰ »We know how much you want to capture him. Come to our territory and we will make sure you catch him.« ²¹ Saul answered: »May Jehovah bless you for being so kind to me! ²² »Go and make sure once more. Find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. ²³ »Find out exactly the places where he hides. Be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you. If he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah.« ²⁴ So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon. They were in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. ²⁵ Saul and his men set out to look for David. David heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this he went after David. ²⁶ Saul and his men were on one side of the hill. They were separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. ²⁷ Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul: »Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country!« ²⁸ Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill.

⁷ They turned back and came to En-mishpat (Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

²⁴ »Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city. Would you also destroy the place and not spare it because the righteous people are there?

¹⁴ Abraham named that place »Jehovah Will Provide.« It is still said today: »It will be provided on the mountain of Jehovah.«

³ »The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert.

⁹ »The enemy said: ‘I will pursue them! I will catch them! I will divide the loot! I will take all I want! I will use my sword! I will take all they have!’«

³⁰ Put the Urim and Thummim into the breast piece for decision-making. They, too, will be over Aaron’s heart when he comes into Jehovah’s presence. In this way when he is in Jehovah’s presence, Aaron will always be carrying over his heart the means for determining Jehovah’s decisions for the Israelites. ³¹ »Make the robe that is worn with the ephod entirely of violet material.

¹⁶ then this is what I will do to you: I will terrorize you with disease and fever. You will suffer from eye problems and depression. You will plant your crops and get nothing because your enemies will eat them.

³⁶ And when it stopped, he would say: »RETURN, O JEHOVAH, to the countless thousands of Israel!«

²¹ »He will depend on Eleazar the priest, who will learn my will by using the Urim and Thummim. In this way Eleazar will direct Joshua and the whole congregation of Israel in all their affairs.«

²⁸ »‘Joshua will lead Israel across the Jordan to take the land. So help him. Encourage him and strengthen him. Tell him what he must do.’

³³ »A foreign nation will take all the crops that you have worked so hard to grow. You will receive nothing but constant oppression and harsh treatment.

⁵¹ »They will eat the offspring of your animals and the crops from your fields until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, no new wine, no olive oil, no calves from your herds, and no lambs or kids from your flocks. They will continue to do this until you are completely desolate.

³⁶ »Jehovah will bring his people justice. He will have compassion on his servants. He sees that their power is gone, and only the imprisoned and abandoned remain.

⁶ »Any Levite who wants to may come from any town in Israel to the one place of worship.

¹⁴ The men sampled their provisions but did not ask for counsel from Jehovah.

²⁴ Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

⁴⁴ Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:

⁵⁵ Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

⁶² Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages.

⁷ »Then you shall rise up from the ambush, and seize the city: for Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand.

¹ After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked Jehovah (YHWH), saying: »Who will go first to fight against the Canaanites for us?«

⁷ Jehovah said: »I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Use the three hundred men who lapped the water. Tell everyone else to go home.«

⁴ They camped on the land and destroyed the crops as far south as Gaza. They took all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys, and left nothing for the Israelites to live on.

¹¹ The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him.

³⁹ Then Gideon said to God: »Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet.«

⁸ He attacked them fiercely and killed many of them. After that he stayed in the cave in the cliff at Etam.

² The people of Gaza discovered that Samson was there. They surrounded the place and waited for him all night long at the city gate. They were quiet all night, thinking: »We will wait until daybreak and kill him.« ³ However Samson stayed in bed until midnight. He got up and took hold of the city gate and pulled it up, doors, posts, lock, and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them far off to the top of the hill overlooking Hebron.

² He said to his mother: »When someone stole those eleven hundred pieces of silver from you, you put a curse on the robber. I heard you do it. Look, I have the money. I am the one who took it.« His mother said: »Jehovah blesses you.«

¹² Michal lowered David through a window. He ran away to escape.

¹² »As Jehovah God of Israel is my witness,« Jonathan continued, »I will find out in the next two or three days how my father feels about you. If he does feel kindly toward you I will send someone to tell you. ¹³ »If my father plans to harm you and I do not send you away safely, may Jehovah harm me even more. Jehovah should be with you just as he used to be with my father. ¹⁴ »Someday Jehovah will wipe out all of your enemies. Then if I am still alive, please be as kind to me as Jehovah has been. But if I am dead, be kind to my family. ¹⁵ »Show the same kind of loyalty to my family as long as you live. When Jehovah has completely destroyed all your enemies, ¹⁶ »May our promise to each other still be unbroken. If it is broken, Jehovah will punish you.« ¹⁷ Once again Jonathan made David promise to love him. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.

³¹ »As long as Jesse’s son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man!«

³⁸ »Do not just stand there! Hurry up! »The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

¹ Saul returned from fighting the Philistines. He declared: »I have heard that David is in the desert around En-Gedi.«

⁴ They whispered to David: »Jehovah told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day Jehovah was talking about.« David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul’s robe and Saul did not notice. ⁵ Later David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. ⁶ He told his men: »Stop talking foolishly. We are not going to attack Saul. He is my king. I pray that Jehovah will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king.«

²⁰ »I know now you will be the next king. You will be a powerful king too.

² There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. He sheared his sheep in Carmel.

¹³ David ordered: »Everyone get your swords!« They strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp. The other four hundred followed David.

¹ Some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul, they said: »David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert.«

³ Saul camped by the road at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon. David camped in the desert. He discovered that Saul come to the desert after him.

⁸ Abishai said to David: »God put your enemy in your power tonight. Let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground. I will do it with just one blow. I will not have to strike twice!« ⁹ But David said: »Do not harm him! Jehovah will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king.«

¹ David thought to himself: »One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is escape to Philistia. Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. Then I will be safe.«

⁶ So he asked Jehovah what to do. But Jehovah did not answer him. He did not answer by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets.

⁶ The people in their bitterness said David should be stoned. This caused him great distress. They were thinking of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in Jehovah his God. ⁷ David told Abiathar the priest: »Please bring me the priestly ephod.« So Abiathar brought David the ephod. ⁸ David asked Jehovah: »Should I pursue these troops? Will I catch up with them?« »Pursue them!« Jehovah told him: »You will certainly catch up with them and rescue the captives.« ⁹ So David and his six hundred men went to the Besor Valley, where some were left behind. ¹⁰ David and four hundred men went in pursuit. Two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley stayed behind.

¹⁹ David asked Jehovah: »Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?« Jehovah answered David: »Attack! I will certainly deliver the Philistines to you.«

²³ Once again David consulted Jehovah. Jehovah answered David: »Do not attack them from here. Go around and get ready to attack them from the other side, near the balsam trees.

³ Ahiah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, Jehovah’s priest in Shiloh, who was wearing an ephod were with him. The people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

¹⁸ Then Saul said to Ahijah: »Bring the Ark of God here.« At that time it was with the Israelites.

³⁶ Saul said: »Let us attack the Philistines again while it is still dark. We can fight them all night. Let us kill them and take everything they own!« The people answered: »We will do whatever you want.« Ahijah the priest said: »Wait! Let us ask God what we should do.« ³⁷ Saul asked God: »Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win?« This time God did not answer.

³ Jonathan made a covenant with David. He loved him as himself.

⁴² Jonathan said to David: »God be with you. Jehovah will make sure that you and I, and your descendants and mine, will keep the sacred promise we have made to each other for as long as we live.« Then David left and Jonathan went back to town.

² A lot of other people joined him too. Some were in trouble. Others were angry or in debt. David was soon the leader of four hundred men.

⁷ He said to his officials: »Listen to me men of Benjamin! Will Jesse’s son give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all officers over a regiment or a battalion of soldiers? ⁸ »All of you are plotting against me. No one informed me when my son entered into a loyalty pledge with Jesse’s son. No one felt sorry for me. And no one informed me that my son has encouraged my servant David to ambush me, as he is doing now.«

⁸ »All of you are plotting against me. No one informed me when my son entered into a loyalty pledge with Jesse’s son. No one felt sorry for me. And no one informed me that my son has encouraged my servant David to ambush me, as he is doing now.«

¹⁹ He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. Using his sword, he killed men and women, children and infants, cows, donkeys, and sheep. ²⁰ Ahimelech, Ahitub’s son had one son who escaped. His name was Abiathar. He fled to David.

⁴ David consulted Jehovah once again, and Jehovah said to him: »Go attack Keilah! I will give you victory over the Philistines.«

⁶ When Ahimelech’s son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephod with him. ⁷ When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said: »God has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has a gate with a double door held shut by a bar.« ⁸ So Saul called all the troops to go to war. They wanted to blockade Keilah, where David and his men were. ⁹ David learned that Saul was planning to harm him. He told the priest Abiathar: »Bring the ephod!« ¹⁰ Then David said: »Jehovah God of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. ¹¹ »Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? Jehovah God of Israel, please tell me.« Jehovah answered: »He will come.« ¹² »Will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?« David asked. Jehovah answered: »They will hand you over.«

¹² »Will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?« David asked. Jehovah answered: »They will hand you over.«

¹⁴ David lived in fortified camps in the desert. He lived in fortified camps in the mountains of the desert of Ziph. Saul was always searching for him. But God did not let him capture David. ¹⁵ David was afraid because Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph.

²⁰ »We know how much you want to capture him. Come to our territory and we will make sure you catch him.«

²³ »Find out exactly the places where he hides. Be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you. If he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah.«

²⁶ Saul and his men were on one side of the hill. They were separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them.

²⁸ Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill.

²¹ Abner told David: »I must go now so that I can gather all Israel for you, Your Majesty. They will make an agreement with you. You will rule over all that your heart desires.« Then David dismissed Abner, who left peacefully.

¹ One day, David thought: »I wonder if any of Saul’s family is still alive. If they are I will be kind to them. This is because I made a promise to Jonathan.«

¹⁴ David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem: »We must run away quickly, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave right away or he will catch up to us and bring ruin upon us when he massacres the city.«

²⁰ »In fact you came to us just yesterday. Should I make you wander around with me when I do not even know where I am going? Go back and take your countrymen with you. May Jehovah always show you kindness.«

¹¹ »My advice is to gather all Israel’s troops from Dan to Beersheba. They are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Lead them into battle yourself. ¹² »Find him and attack him! We will fall on him as dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. ¹³ »If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city and drag it into a valley. Not even a pebble will be found there.«

²¹ After they left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan came up out of the cistern. Then they reported to King David. They told him what Ahithophel planned against him. They said: »Hurry up and cross the river.« ²² So David and his men crossed the Jordan. By daybreak they had all gone across.

⁷ David made a promise to Jonathan with Jehovah as his witness. He spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.

¹⁸ Elisha continued: »This is an easy thing for Jehovah to do. He will also give you victory over the Moabites.

¹⁰ »By the life of Jehovah your God, there is not a nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent in search of you. When they said: He is not here; he made them take an oath that they had not seen you.

¹¹ So the elders and nobles in authority in his town did as Jezebel said in the letter she sent them. ¹² They gave orders for a day of public sorrow and put Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ The two good-for-nothing persons came in and took their seats before him and gave witness against Naboth, in front of the people. They said: »Naboth has been cursing God and the king.« Then they took him outside the town and had him stoned to death. ¹⁴ Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying: »Naboth has been stoned and is dead.«

⁵ So the officer in charge of the palace and the official in charge of the city, together with the leading citizens and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: »We are your servants, and we are ready to do anything you say. But we will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think best.« ⁶ Jehu wrote them another letter: »If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.« The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care and were being brought up by the leading citizens of Samaria. ⁷ As soon as Jehu's letter arrived, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

⁹ Sennacherib heard that King Tirhakah of Sudan was coming to fight him. Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying:

¹⁰ David inquired of God: »Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?« Jehovah answered him: »Go, I will hand them over to you.«

¹³ Once more the Philistines raided the valley.

² Some men reported to Jehoshaphat: »A large crowd is coming against you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from Edom. The crowd is already in Hazazon Tamar (En Gedi).«

¹² »You are our God. Will you judge them? We do not have the strength to face this large crowd that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, so we are looking to you.«

¹⁸ Then I gave them an account of how the hand of my God was on me, helping me. I told them of the king's words he said to me. They said: »Let us get to work on the building.« So they made their hands strong for the good work.

¹⁷ Then came the Levites and Rehum the son of Bani. By his side was working Hashabiah, ruler of half the division of Keilah, for his division. ¹⁸ After him were working their brothers, Bavvai, the son of Henadad, ruler of half the division of Keilah.

⁶ But it was not enough for him to attack Mordecai only. They made clear to him who Mordecai's people were. So Haman made it his purpose to put an end to all the Jews, even Mordecai's people, through all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

³ »Look, you have instructed many people. When hands were weak, you made them strong. ⁴ »When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words. When knees were weak, you gave them strength.

¹¹ »He sets on high the lowly people. He lifts those who mourn to safety. ¹² »He keeps shrewd (crafty) (cunning) people from carrying out their plans so that they cannot do anything successfully. ¹³ »He catches the wise with their own craftiness. The plans of schemers are quickly halted.

¹³ »He catches the wise with their own craftiness. The plans of schemers are quickly halted. ¹⁴ »They meet in darkness in the daytime! In bright sunlight they grope as if it were night. ¹⁵ »He saves people from the sword (slander) of their mouth. He saves the needy from the power of the mighty.

⁵ »I could strengthen you with my mouth. The solace of my lips would relieve your pain.

⁵ »The success of the wicked is brief and the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

³ The wicked person boasts about his selfish desires. He blesses the covetous, which Jehovah abhors.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) I have taken refuge in Jehovah. How can you say to me: »Flee to your mountain like a bird?«

¹ ([Psalm of David]) I have taken refuge in Jehovah. How can you say to me: »Flee to your mountain like a bird?« ² Wicked people bend their bows. They set their arrows against the strings to shoot in the dark at people who are upright in heart. ³ What can a righteous person do when the foundations of life are destroyed?

⁹ Hide me from wicked people who violently attack me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.

¹¹ They have surrounded me. They have focused their attention on throwing me to the ground.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) Jehovah is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the stronghold of my life. Who is there to be afraid of? ² Evildoers accosted me to tear me to pieces. My opponents and enemies stumbled and fell. ³ Even though an army sets up camp against me, my heart will not be afraid. Even though a war breaks out against me, I will trust in Jehovah.

⁸ You have not handed me over to the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.

²² When I was panic-stricken, I said: I have been cut off from your sight. But you heard my pleas for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

⁷ You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyous songs of salvation. ⁸ Jehovah says: »I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.

¹² Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls from Bashan have encircled me.

¹⁶ Dogs have surrounded me. A mob has encircled me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

¹ ([Sons of Korah]) God is our refuge and strength, a ready help in times of trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.

¹⁰ My enemies talk about me. They watch me as they plot to take my life. ¹¹ They say: »God has abandoned him. Pursue him and grab him because there is no one to rescue him.«

³² The wicked spies upon the righteous and seeks to kill him. ³³ Jehovah will not leave him in his hand or let him be condemned when he is judged.

¹⁵ »Call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.«

¹ ([Psalm of David]) Save me, O God, by your name, and judge me by your strength. ² Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. ³ For strangers have risen up against me. And oppressors seek after my life. They have not kept God in their presence.

³ For strangers have risen up against me. And oppressors seek after my life. They have not kept God in their presence.

³ For strangers have risen up against me. And oppressors seek after my life. They have not kept God in their presence. ⁴ Behold, God is my helper: Jehovah is with those who preserve my life.

⁴ Behold, God is my helper: Jehovah is with those who preserve my life. ⁵ He will repay my enemies for their evil: consume (destroy) them in your truth. ⁶ I will freely sacrifice to you. O Jehovah, I will praise your name for it is good. ⁷ For he has delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye has seen his defeat of my enemies.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) I wait silently for my God. My salvation comes from him.

¹ He who lives under the shelter of the Most High will remain in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say to Jehovah: »You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.«

¹¹ They were around me on every side; but I destroyed them by the power of Jehovah! ¹² They swarmed around me like bees, but they burned out as quickly as a brush fire; by the power of Jehovah I destroyed them. ¹³ I was fiercely attacked and was being defeated, but Jehovah helped me.

¹⁰ The wicked sees this and becomes angry. He angrily grits his teeth and disappears. The hope of the wicked will perish (be destroyed).

³ The ropes of death became tangled around me. The fear of the grave took hold of me. I experienced pain and agony.

⁸ It is better to trust in Jehovah than to depend on people.

¹⁶ For their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

⁵ Trust in Jehovah with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge (recognize) Him and He will make your paths straight.

¹⁶ They do not sleep unless they have done evil. Their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) Rescue me from evil people, O Jehovah. Keep me safe from violent people. ² They plan evil things in their hearts. They start conflicts (fights) (wars) every day. ³ They make their tongues as sharp as a snake's fang. Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes. ⁴ Protect me from the hands of wicked people, O Jehovah. Keep me safe from violent people. They try to trip me. ⁵ Arrogant people have laid a trap for me. They have spread out a net with ropes. They have set traps for me along the road. ⁶ I said to Jehovah: You are my God. O Jehovah, open your ears to hear my plea for pity. ⁷ O Lord Jehovah [Almighty], the strong one who saves me, you have covered my head in the day of battle. ⁸ O Jehovah, do not give wicked people what they want. Do not let their evil plans succeed, or they will become arrogant. ⁹ Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with their own threats.

²³ The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is intense anger.

²⁶ Respect for Jehovah builds strong confidence. Your children will have a place of refuge.

²¹ Many intentions are in men’s hearts. Only counsel from Jehovah will stand.

³⁰ There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Jehovah!

⁹ As oil and perfume delight the heart so the sweetness of a man's friend delights his heart.

¹⁷ Just as iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion and a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over the helpless people.

¹² If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants are wicked.

²⁶ Many seek favor from the ruler; but every man's judgment comes from Jehovah.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. ¹⁰ If they fall, the one will lift up his companion. Woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him. ¹¹ If two lies down together they keep warm. How can one be warm alone? ¹² One can be overpowered by another, two can withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹⁴ There was a little city with a small population. A great king moved against it. He built great bulwarks against it and attacked it. ¹⁵ Now there was found in it a poor wise man. By his wisdom he delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that same poor man.

¹⁴ »My beloved is to me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi.«

¹⁵ You are in for trouble, if you try to hide your plans from Jehovah! You think what you do in the dark cannot be seen. So you ask: »Who sees us, who knows us?«

³ Strengthen the tired hands and the knees that tremble with weakness. ⁴ Tell the discouraged ones with anxious heart: »Be strong and do not be afraid! God is coming to your rescue! He is coming to punish your enemies.«

¹⁷ »Weapons forged against you will not prevail! You will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah and this is their vindication from me,« declares Jehovah.

¹⁰ »‘Do not fear for I am with you! Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’

¹⁴ »Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I will help you. This is the declaration of Jehovah, your Redeemer, and the Holy One of Israel.

⁵ »Listen to the word of Jehovah, all who tremble at his word. Your brothers, who hate you, exclude you because of my name. They say: Let Jehovah show his glory and then we will see your joy. But they will be put to shame.

²³ O Jehovah, I know that humans are not able to govern their own lives. Humans cannot administer their own steps.

¹⁸ Jehovah revealed their plot to me so that I would understand. He showed me what they were doing. ¹⁹ I was like an unquestioning lamb brought to the slaughter. I did not know that they were plotting against me. They were saying: »Let us destroy the tree with its fruit. Let us cut Jeremiah off from this world of the living so that we will not be reminded of him anymore.«

⁵ Jehovah says: »Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people, how can you race against horses? If you cannot even stand up in open country, how will you manage in the thicket by the Jordan?«

³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I will tell you grand and impressive things, things you do not know.’«

²⁶ The king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But Jehovah had hidden Baruch and Jeremiah.

²² ‘»You have discouraged righteous people with your lies, even though I had not brought them any grief. You encouraged wicked people not to turn from their wicked ways to save their lives.

¹⁰ »From En Gedi to En Eglaim people will be standing on the shore of the sea with their fishing nets spread out. As many kinds of fish will be there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea.

¹¹ The leaders judge for a bribe, and the priests teach for wages! The prophets predict for money yet they rely on Jehovah when they say: »Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? No evil will come upon us.«

² »You Bethlehem Ephrathah who are little to be among the thousands of Judah. Out of you one will come to me who is to be ruler in Israel! His origin is from of old, from everlasting (days of antiquity) (ancient times).

¹⁵ »You will sow and not reap. You will tread the olives, but will not be anointed with oil! And you will grow the grapes but you will not drink the wine.

⁷ »Ask and it will be given you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened for you. ⁸ »Everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds, and everyone who knocks will have it opened.

¹ It was just two days until the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread. The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might quietly capture and kill him.

¹⁰ Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might betray Jesus to them. ¹¹ They were glad to hear it and promised to give him money. He looked for ways how he might conveniently deliver Jesus to them.

³² »Do not fear little flock for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

⁴³ »The time is coming when your enemies will surround you and blockade you with a rampart (wall) on all sides. They will close in on you. ⁴⁴ »They will knock you and your children down to the ground. They will not leave one stone upon another. What’s more you do not know when this visit will take place.«

³² »I prayed for you that your faith would not fail. Once you have turned again strengthen your brothers.«

⁴³ An angel came to him and gave him strength.

² Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus went there frequently with his disciples. ³ Judas brought a band of armed men and police from the chief priests and Pharisees there with lights and with weapons.

²⁴ Saul learned about their plot against him. They watched the gates day and night to kill him.

³⁹ »But if it is from God, you cannot overthrow it; otherwise you may find yourselves fighting against God.«

⁶ They knew about it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the country around them.

¹⁶ Hearing about the ambush, Paul’s sister’s son entered the barracks and reported to Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said: »Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.« ¹⁸ The officer took him to the commander, and said: »The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to say to you.«

¹⁶ When we arrived at Rome they allowed Paul to have a house for himself and the armed man who kept watch over him.

³¹ What shall we then say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

¹⁵ »Their feet are swift to shed blood.« (Proverbs 1:15) ¹⁶ »Destruction and misery are in their ways.« (Isaiah 59:7)

²⁴ When I take my journey to Spain, I will come to you. I trust to see you in my journey, and to be escorted on my way by you, after I have been satisfied with your company.

⁸ We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction that began in Asia. We were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty strength.

¹ You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace (loving-kindness) that is in Christ Jesus.

¹¹ and also persecutions and sufferings. The things that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. Out of them the Lord delivered me.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the people of the nations might hear. I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion (Satan the Devil) (great danger) (1 Peter 5:8) (Psalm 22:21) (1 Thessalonians 2:18). ¹⁸ The Lord will deliver me from every evil work. He will save me to his heavenly kingdom. To him is the glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. All things are uncovered and laid bare before him. We must account to him. (Romans 2:16; 14:12)

¹² Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees. ¹³ Make straight paths for your feet. Let that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed.

⁶ So that with good confidence (courage) we say: »Jehovah is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do to me?« (Psalm 56:11)

¹⁶ But the earth rescued the woman, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the flood that the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

⁹ They advanced over the broad plain of the earth, and encircled the camp of the holy ones, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven and devoured (consumed) them.