Daniel 9 Cross References - NSB

¹ In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), of the lineage of the Medes. He was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. ² It was the first year of his reign. I, Daniel, understood from The Books (Holy Scriptures) the number of the years in the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet. It was seventy years since the destruction of Jerusalem. ³ I looked to Jehovah God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. ⁴ And I prayed to Jehovah my God, and made confession, and said, »Oh, Jehovah, the great and fear-inspiring (awesome) God, who keeps his covenant and loving kindness for those who love him and keep his commandments. ⁵ »We have sinned. We have dealt perversely. We have acted wickedly and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. ⁶ »We have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ »O Jehovah, righteousness belongs to you! Shame belongs to us this day! To the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. ⁸ »O Jehovah, to us belongs shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ »To Jehovah our God belong mercies and forgiveness. We have rebelled against him. ¹⁰ »We have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. ¹¹ »Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law and turned aside, that they should not obey your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out upon us. It is the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God. We have sinned against you. ¹² »He confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who ruled us. He brought a great evil on us. Nothing under heaven has been done like what was done to Jerusalem. ¹³ »As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly requested the favor of Jehovah our God. We should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth. ¹⁴ »Therefore Jehovah watched over the evil and brought it upon us. Jehovah our God is righteous in all his works. We have not obeyed his voice. ¹⁵ »And now, O Jehovah our God, you brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made a name for yourself that day. We have sinned! We have done wickedly. ¹⁶ »O Jehovah, according to all your righteousness, let your anger, I pray you, be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all those who are round about us. ¹⁷ »Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for Jehovah’s sake. ¹⁸ »O my God, incline your ear, and hear! Open your eyes, and behold our desolations and the city that is called by your name. We do not present our supplications before you because of our righteous merits, but according to your many mercies. ¹⁹ »O Jehovah, hear; O Jehovah, forgive; O Jehovah, pay attention and act! Do not delay for your own sake, O my God! Because your city and your people are called by your name.« ²⁰ While I was speaking, in prayer, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God; ²¹ While I was speaking in prayer, the spirit person [who looked like a man] Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, was inspired to come quickly and touch me. It was about the time of the evening offering. ²² He instructed me: »O Daniel,« he said, »I have now come to give you wisdom (insight) and understanding. ²³ »At the beginning of your supplications the commandment went forth. I came to report to you for you are greatly loved. Consider the matter, and understand the vision. ²⁴ »Seventy weeks (seventy sets of seven time periods) are decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish transgression and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. ²⁵ »Know and discern, that from the utterance of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One (Messiah), the Leader: there shall be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again with a public square and moat, even in terrible times. ²⁶ »And after the sixty-two weeks the anointed one will be cut off (destroyed) (killed) and shall have nothing. The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be by the flood of war and desolations. ²⁷ »He will make a firm covenant with many for one week (time period of seven). In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offerings to cease. The one that makes desolate will come upon the wing of abominations. At the end that which is decreed will be poured out upon the one lying desolate.«

²¹ Daniel continued to the first year of king Cyrus.

³¹ Darius the Mede received the kingdom. He was sixty-two years old.

²⁸ So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

¹ »I stood up to confirm and strengthen Darius the Mede in his first year.

²¹ This fulfilled the word of Jehovah that was spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath until seventy years were complete.

¹ It was the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia. In order that the word of Jehovah (YHWH) given by the mouth of Jeremiah might come true, Jehovah moved the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. He made a public statement through all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying:

³ Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary. ⁴ Your adversaries have roared in the middle of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs. ⁵ They behaved like men wielding axes cutting through a thicket of trees. ⁶ They strike down all its carved work with hatchet and hammers. ⁷ They have burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling-place of your name.

¹ ([Psalm of Asaph]) O God, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you. They have dishonored (defiled) your holy temple. They have left Jerusalem in ruins. ² They have given the dead bodies of your servants to the birds for food. They have given the flesh of your godly ones to the animals.

²⁴ Your laws are my delight and counsel.

⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for your laws are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged, since I have observed your precepts.

¹¹ Then I said: »How long, O Jehovah? And He answered: »Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, until the houses are deserted and the land is utterly desolate. ¹² »Until Jehovah has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

¹⁰ The ruined city lies desolate. The entrance to every house is barred and none may enter. ¹¹ In the streets they cry out for wine. Joy turns to gloom and rejoicing is banished from the earth. ¹² The city is left in ruins; its gate is battered to pieces.

¹⁰ Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is a wasteland.

³⁴ »I will cause the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem. The land will become a ruin.«

¹¹ »This whole land will be ruined and become a wasteland. These nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.«’ ¹² »‘When the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their crimes,’ declares Jehovah. ‘I will turn Babylon into a permanent wasteland.

¹⁸ Jerusalem and the cities of Judah as well as its kings and officials drank from it. When they drank from it, they became wastelands and ruins, something ridiculed and cursed, until today.

⁶ If you continue to disobey I will do to this Temple what I did to Shiloh, and all the nations of the world will use the name of this city as a curse.’«’«

¹⁸ »Years ago when Hezekiah was king of Judah, a prophet named Micah from the town of Moresheth said: ‘Jehovah of Hosts says, »Jerusalem will be plowed under and left in ruins. Thorns will cover the mountain where the Temple now stands.«’

⁷ »All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until Babylon is defeated. Then many nations and great kings will make him their slave.

¹⁰ »This is what Jehovah says: ‘When Babylon's seventy years are over I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place.

¹ She sits alone. She was a town full of people! Once great among the nations she has become like a widow! She who was a princess among the countries has come under the yoke of forced labor!

¹⁵ After I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision I sought to understand it. Behold, there appeared before me a man standing. ¹⁶ I heard a man's voice from the banks of the Ulai River. He called to Gabriel: »Make this man understand the vision of the time of the end.«

¹² It is your fault that Zion will be plowed like a field. Jerusalem will become heaps of ruin, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

⁵ »Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying: ‘For the past seventy years did you fast for me when you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months?

¹⁵ »When you see the disgusting abomination of desolation (unclean thing) spoken about through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that reads understand),

¹⁴ »When you see the unclean thing that makes desolation standing where he ought not (let the reader use discernment), then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains.

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip: »Please tell me of whom is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?«

¹³ Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.

¹⁵ From childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to make you wise to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ God inspired all Scripture! It is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. (Greek: theopneustos: God-breathed) ¹⁷ Thus the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work.

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation the prophets inquired and searched diligently! They prophesied about the grace that should come to you: ¹¹ searching what time or what manner of time the spirit of Christ that was in them did point to, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them. ¹² God revealed to the prophets that the things they spoke were not for their own benefit but for yours. The Holy Spirit was sent from heaven to make known to you what the prophets spoke. Those who spread the good news to you did this. These are things even the angels want to look into.

¹⁹ We have the word of prophecy made sure (steadfast) (firm)! You do well that you pay attention [to God’s Word] as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the daystar rises, in your hearts. ²⁰ Know this first that no prophecy of scripture is for private interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy ever came by the will of man! Men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

³ Happy is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and obey the things written in it: for the time is near.

²¹ Then I gave orders for a time of going without food, there by the Ahava River, so that we might make ourselves low before our God in prayer, requesting from him a safe journey for us and for our little ones and for all our substance.

⁵ I humbled myself before God at the evening offering. I got up, with signs of grief, and fell on my knees with my hands stretched out to Jehovah my God,

⁶ Then Ezra got up from before the house of God and went into the room of Jehohanan, the son of Eliashib. When he arrived there, he took no food or drink, for he was sorrowing for the sin of those who had come back.

⁴ After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven. ⁵ I said: »O Jehovah (YHWH), the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be respected, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws: ⁶ »Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father’s people and I are sinners. ⁷ »We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses. ⁸ »Keep in mind, O Jehovah, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying: ‘If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples: ⁹ »If you come back to me and obey my orders, even if you have been forced out and are living in the farthest horizons, I will gather you from there, and bring you to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.’ ¹⁰ »These are your servants and your people, whom you have made yours by your great power and by your strong hand. ¹¹ »O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man.« Now I was the king's wine-servant.

¹ Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel came together, taking no food and putting sackcloth and dust on their bodies.

¹ When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes in anguish. Then he dressed in sackcloth, covered his head with ashes, and walked through the city, wailing loudly and bitterly, ² until he came to the entrance of the palace. He did not go in because no one wearing sackcloth was allowed inside. ³ Throughout all the provinces, wherever the king's proclamation was made known, there was loud mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, wailed, and most of them put on sackcloth and lay in ashes.

¹⁶ »Go assemble all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me. Take no food or drink night or day for three days. My women and I will do the same. Then I will go in to the king even though it is against the law. If death is to be my fate, then let it come.«

¹³ But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting. My prayer returned unanswered.

¹⁰ When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach. ¹¹ When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.

¹³ You will arise and have compassion on Zion. It is time to be gracious to her for the appointed time has come. ¹⁴ Your servants find pleasure in her stones and feel pity for her dust. ¹⁵ So the nations will respect the name of Jehovah and all the kings of the earth will honor you. ¹⁶ For Jehovah has built up Zion. He has appeared in His glory. ¹⁷ He has respected the prayer of the destitute and has not despised their prayer.

¹² In that day Jehovah God of Hosts called to weeping and mourning, to baldness and putting on sackcloth.

¹⁰ »This is what Jehovah says: ‘When Babylon's seventy years are over I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place. ¹¹ ‘I know the plans (intentions) (thoughts) that I have for you, says Jehovah. They are plans (intentions) for peace and not disaster. They are intentions to give you a future filled with hope. ¹² ‘Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me and I will hear you. ¹³ ‘When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me,

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

³⁷ »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will also let the people of Israel ask me to make them as numerous as sheep.

¹⁰ Daniel knew that the decree was signed. He went into his house. His windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, like he did before.

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. ³ I ate no pleasant bread; neither flesh nor wine entered my mouth. I did not anoint myself at all until three whole weeks were completed.

¹³ »Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth you ministers of my God! The meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from the House of your God.

¹² »Even now,« said Jehovah, »turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning!

⁶ The news reached the king of Nineveh. He left his throne, and took off his robe and covered himself with sackcloth. Then he sat in ashes. ⁷ He made proclamation and published it in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: »Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not eat, nor drink water. ⁸ »Let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast. Let them sincerely call on God! Let them turn away each one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. ⁹ »Who knows whether God will turn back and change his mind, and turn away from his fierce anger that we will not perish?«

³⁷ She had been a widow eighty-four years. She never left the temple. She worshipped and fasted with supplications day and night.

³⁰ Cornelius replied, »Four days ago I was praying at this hour. It was the ninth hour and I prayed in my house. A man dressed in bright clothing stood before me.

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

¹⁶ Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man helps much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man of like passions with us. He prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ¹⁸ He prayed again; and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

⁶ »I show mercy (loving kindness) to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.

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

⁴⁰ »‘However if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors and the treacherous things they did to oppose me, ⁴¹ »‘I will oppose them and bring them into the lands of their enemies. Then, if they humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept their guilt, ⁴² »‘I will remember my promise to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. I will also remember the land.

¹⁸ »Jehovah is patient, forever loving; He forgives wrongdoing and disobedience. He never lets the guilty go unpunished. In fact he punishes children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation. ¹⁹ »By your great love, please forgive these people’s sins, as you have forgiven them from the time they left Egypt until now.«

¹⁰ »‘I show loving kindness to thousands of generations who love me and obey my commandments.

⁹ »Keep in mind that Jehovah your God is the only true God. He is the faithful God. He keeps his promise and is merciful to thousands of generations of those who love him and obey his commandments.

²¹ »Do not be terrified of them. Jehovah your God is with you. He is great and awesome God.

²³ and prayed: »Jehovah God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You keep your covenant with your people and show them your love when they live in wholehearted obedience to you.

⁴⁷ »If they come to their senses and are sorry for what they have done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying: We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked. ⁴⁸ »If they change their attitude toward you in the land of their enemies where they are captives, if they pray to you toward the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built for your name, ⁴⁹ then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. Do what is right for them.

¹⁴ »However, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, I will hear their prayer from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country.

⁵ I said: »O Jehovah (YHWH), the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be respected, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws:

² The seed of Israel made themselves separate from all the men of other nations. They publicly requested forgiveness for their sins and the wrongdoing of their fathers. ³ For a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they read from the book of the Law of their God. For a fourth part of the day they requested forgiveness and worshipped Jehovah their God.

³² »Now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to be respected, who keeps faith and mercy, do not let his trouble seem small to you. It has come on us, and on our kings and our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria till this day.

⁵ I confessed my sins to you, and I did not cover up my guilt. I decided to confess them to you, O Jehovah. Then you forgave all my sins.

¹³ ‘Admit that you have done wrong! You have rebelled against Jehovah your God. You have given yourself to foreign gods under every large tree. You have not obeyed me,’ says Jehovah.

¹⁷ ‘Ah Lord Jehovah! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for you. ¹⁸ »You show loving kindness to thousands, but repay the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them. O great and mighty God. Jehovah of Hosts is his name. ¹⁹ »You are great in counsel and mighty in deed. Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men. You give to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

⁵ »We have sinned. We have dealt perversely. We have acted wickedly and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. ⁶ »We have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ »O Jehovah, righteousness belongs to you! Shame belongs to us this day! To the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. ⁸ »O Jehovah, to us belongs shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ »To Jehovah our God belong mercies and forgiveness. We have rebelled against him. ¹⁰ »We have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. ¹¹ »Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law and turned aside, that they should not obey your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out upon us. It is the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God. We have sinned against you. ¹² »He confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who ruled us. He brought a great evil on us. Nothing under heaven has been done like what was done to Jerusalem.

¹⁸ Who is a God like you who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? You do not keep your anger forever, because you delight in loving-kindness (unchanging love). ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us. You will tread our iniquities under foot. You will throw all our sins into the depths of the sea. ²⁰ You will give truth to Jacob, and show loving-kindness (unchanging love) to Abraham. For you have sworn this to our fathers from the days of old.

² Jehovah (YHWH) is a zealous God requiring exclusive devotion (tolerates no rivals). Jehovah takes vengeance (punishment) against his adversaries. He reserves (maintains) wrath (indignation) (displeasure) against his enemies. ³ Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power! He will by no means reprieve the guilty (leave them unpunished). Jehovah has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm. The clouds are the dust of his feet. ⁴ He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry. He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel become dry and the flower of Lebanon withers. ⁵ The mountains quake because of him, and the hills melt. The earth trembles (shakes) (heaves) at his presence, yes, the world, and all that dwells in it. ⁶ Who can stand before his indignation (displeasure)? Who can resist (withstand) (endure) the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken to pieces by him. ⁷ Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble! He knows (protects) (takes care of) those who take refuge in him.

⁷² »He shows mercy towards our fathers and remembers his holy covenant.

²⁸ We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

¹² The man who endures under trial is blessed. For when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.

⁵ Listen, my dearly beloved brothers! Did God choose poor people in the world to be rich in faith and to receive the kingdom he promised to those who love him?

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

² This is how we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

⁴⁷ »If they come to their senses and are sorry for what they have done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying: We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked. ⁴⁸ »If they change their attitude toward you in the land of their enemies where they are captives, if they pray to you toward the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built for your name, ⁴⁹ then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. Do what is right for them. ⁵⁰ »Forgive your people, who have sinned against you. Forgive all their wrongs when they rebelled against you. Cause those who captured them to have mercy on them.

³⁷ »If they come to their senses, are sorry for what they’ve done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying: We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked. ³⁸ »If they change their attitude toward you in the land where they are captives. If they pray to you toward the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and the Temple I have built for your name, ³⁹ then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. Do what is right for them. Forgive your people, who have sinned against you.

⁶ I said, »O my God, shame keeps me from lifting up my face (praying) to you (being in your presence), my God: for our sins have increased higher than our heads and our evil-doing has come up to heaven.

⁶ »Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father’s people and I are sinners. ⁷ »We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses. ⁸ »Keep in mind, O Jehovah, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying: ‘If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples:

³³ »You have been in the right in everything that happened to us. You have been true to us, but we have done evil! ³⁴ »Our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not obeyed your Law or given attention to your orders and your witness, with which you gave witness against them.

²¹ I have kept the ways of Jehovah and I have not wickedly turned away from my God.

⁶ We have sinned like our fathers! We have committed iniquity and have behaved wickedly.

¹⁰² I have not turned aside from your ordinances just as you have instructed me.

⁶ We are all like sheep. We have gone astray! Each of us has turned to his own way. Jehovah has caused the iniquity (sin) of all of us to be laid on him.

¹³ We rebelled and denied Jehovah. We turned away from our God. We spoke about oppression and revolt. We conceived and uttered lies in our hearts.

⁵ You greeted the one who gladly does right and remembers your ways. You were angry because we sinned. We continued to sin for a long time. Can we still be saved? ⁶ All of us have become unclean, and all our righteous acts are like permanently stained rags. All of us wither like leaves, and our sins carry us away like the wind. ⁷ No one calls on your name or tries to hold on to you. You have hidden your face from us. You allowed us be ruined by our sins.

²⁵ »We must lie down in our shame and let our humiliation cover us. Ever since we were young, we and our fathers have sinned against Jehovah our God. We have not obeyed Jehovah our God.«

⁷ Do something, Jehovah, for the sake of your name, even though our iniquities testify against us. We have been unfaithful (like apostates) and have sinned against you.

²⁰ »See, O Jehovah, I am in trouble. The inmost parts of my body are deeply moved. My heart is turned in me for I have been rebellious. Outside the children are put to the sword, and in the house there is death.

⁹ »Then those who escape will remember me among the nations where they are taken captive. I was hurt by their adulterous hearts, which turned away from me, and by their eyes, which lusted after idols. They will hate themselves for the evil and disgusting things that they have done.

¹¹ »Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law and turned aside, that they should not obey your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out upon us. It is the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God. We have sinned against you.

¹⁵ »And now, O Jehovah our God, you brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made a name for yourself that day. We have sinned! We have done wickedly.

² When Jehovah first spoke through Hosea, Jehovah said to Hosea, »Go and marry an adulterous wife and have children with her for the land commits flagrant adultery. They have abandoned Jehovah.«

⁷ »Like your fathers before you, you have turned away from my laws and have not obeyed them. Return to me and I will return to you,« said Jehovah of Hosts. »But you ask, ‘how will we return to you?’

¹² Be careful, brothers and sisters, that none of you develop a wicked heart lacking faith and turning away (departing) from the living God.

¹³ Jehovah sent his messengers and prophets to warn Israel and Judah: »Abandon your evil ways and obey my commands. The commandments contained in the Law I gave to your ancestors. I handed them on to you through my servants the prophets.« ¹⁴ They would not obey. They were stubborn like their ancestors. They did not trust in Jehovah their God.

¹⁰ Jehovah spoke to Manasseh and his people. But they would not pay attention.

¹⁵ Jehovah the God of their ancestors repeatedly sent messages through his prophets because he wanted to spare his people and his dwelling place. ¹⁶ They mocked God’s messengers. They despised his words, and made fun of his prophets until Jehovah became angry with his people. He could no longer heal them.

⁷ »From the days of our fathers till this day we have been great sinners. Because of our sins, the kings of the lands captured us. We were given to the sword and to prison and to loss of goods and to shame of face, as it is this day.

³⁴ »Our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not obeyed your Law or given attention to your orders and your witness, with which you gave witness against them.

¹⁰ They say to the seers: »Do not see the future.« They say to those who have visions: ‘Do not have visions that tell us what is right. Tell us what we want to hear. Prophesy illusions. ¹¹ »‘Get out of our way! Stop blocking our path! Get the Holy One of Israel out of our sight.’«

¹⁶ Jehovah says: »Stand by the way [of life] and see and ask for the ancient paths. Walk in the good way and you will find rest.« But you said: »We will not walk in it!« ¹⁷ »‘I set watchmen over you. I said: ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said: ‘We will not listen!’«

¹³ »For the reason that you did all these things,« says Jehovah, »I spoke to you. I rose up early and spoke. But you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer.

²⁵ »Since the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all my servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. ²⁶ »Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear. Instead they stiffened their neck (became stubborn). They did more evil than their fathers.

³ »Jehovah continued to speak his word to me for twenty-three years. This covered the time from when Josiah, son of Amon, was in his thirteenth year as king of Judah until today. I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. ⁴ »Jehovah has sent all his servants the prophets to you. Yet, you have not listened or paid attention to them.« ⁵ The prophets said: »Turn from your evil ways and the evil you have done, and live in the land that Jehovah permanently gave to you and your ancestors. ⁶ »Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them. Do not make me furious about the idols your hands have shaped. Then I will not harm you.« ⁷ »‘You have not listened to me,’ declares Jehovah. ‘You have made me furious about the idols your hands have shaped. You have brought harm upon yourselves.’

⁵ »‘»You are to pay attention to the words of my servants, the prophets, whom I kept sending to you. You have never obeyed what they said.

¹⁹ ‘They did not listen to me,’ says Jehovah. ‘I sent them my servants the prophets again and again, but they refused to listen,’ says Jehovah.

³² The people of Israel and Judah have made me furious because they are evil. The people, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, and the Judeans and those who live in Jerusalem ³³ have turned their backs, not their faces to me. I taught them again and again, but they refused to listen and learn.

⁴ »‘I kept sending you my servants the prophets, who told you not to do this terrible thing that I hate. ⁵ »‘But you would not listen or pay any attention. You would not give up your evil practice of sacrificing to other gods.

¹⁶ »We refuse to listen to what you have told us in the name of Jehovah.

¹⁰ »We have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

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

⁸ And the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah: ⁹ »Jehovah of Hosts has spoken: Every man should execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion to his brother! ¹⁰ »Do not oppress the widow. Do not oppress the fatherless. Do not oppress the stranger and do not oppress the poor. And you should not devise evil in your heart against your brother. ¹¹ »They refused to pay heed, turned a stubborn shoulder (resisted), and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. ¹² »They made their hearts hard like flint and would not listen to the law, and the words that Jehovah of Hosts sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Great anger came from Jehovah of Hosts!«

³⁴ »When the time for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the workmen, to get the fruit. ³⁵ »The workmen attacked his servants, striking one with a stone and killing the other. ³⁶ »He sent other servants more in number than the first. They did the same to them. ³⁷ »Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘Certainly they will respect my son.’ ³⁸ »When the workmen saw the son, they said, ‘Let us put him to death and take his heritage, for someday he will own this property.’ ³⁹ »They took him out of the vineyard and killed him. ⁴⁰ »When the lord of the vineyard returns, what will he do to the workmen?«

³⁷ »Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone the messengers who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But you were not willing!

¹⁰ »At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters to collect fruit of the vineyard. The renters beat him, and sent him away empty. ¹¹ »He sent another servant who was also treated shamefully, beaten and sent away empty. ¹² »A third servant was sent. They wounded him and threw him out.

⁵¹ »You obstinate men who are uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did. ⁵² »Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They killed those who announced in advance the coming of the righteous one whom you have betrayed and murdered.

²⁷ »The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not know Jesus. They fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath when they condemned Jesus.

¹⁵ They killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They did not please God and are contrary to all men. ¹⁶ They hindered us from speaking to the nations so that they may be saved. The result was that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.

³³ »‘I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted. ³⁴ »‘Then the land will enjoy its time to honor Jehovah while it lies deserted. You will be in your enemies' land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time to honor Jehovah.

²⁷ »Jehovah will scatter you among the nations. You will become few in number among the heathen, where Jehovah will lead you.

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

⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He led the Israelites away to Assyria. He stationed them in Halah and Habor on the Gozan River, and in the towns of the Medes. ⁷ The wrath (intense anger) of Jehovah came on Israel because they had done evil against Jehovah their God, who took them out of the land of Egypt from under the yoke of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods.

⁶ I said, »O my God, shame keeps me from lifting up my face (praying) to you (being in your presence), my God: for our sins have increased higher than our heads and our evil-doing has come up to heaven. ⁷ »From the days of our fathers till this day we have been great sinners. Because of our sins, the kings of the lands captured us. We were given to the sword and to prison and to loss of goods and to shame of face, as it is this day.

¹³ »After all this and because of our evil-doing and our great sin, and seeing that the punishment that you, O God, have given us, is less than the measure of our sins, and that you have kept from death those of us who are here;

³³ »You have been in the right in everything that happened to us. You have been true to us, but we have done evil!

¹⁵ All day long my disgrace is in front of me. Shame covers my face.

⁴ I have sinned against you, especially you. I have done what you consider evil in your sight. So you hand down justice when you speak, and you are blameless when you judge.

¹⁴ Rescue (deliver) me from the bloodguilt of murder O God of my salvation. Let my tongue sing joyfully about your righteousness!

¹³⁷ You are righteous, O Jehovah. Your judgments are upright.

¹¹ Then it will happen in that day that Jehovah will again recover the second time with his hand the remnant of his people. They will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

¹⁶ The makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced. They will go off into disgrace together.

²⁶ »As a thief feels ashamed when he is caught, so the nation of Israel will feel ashamed. Their kings, princes, priests, and prophets will also feel ashamed. ²⁷ »You call wood your father. You call stone your mother. You turned your backs, not your faces, to me. But when you are in trouble, you ask me to come and rescue you.

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

⁹ »‘»I will make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth. They will be a disgrace and an example. They will become something ridiculed and cursed wherever I scatter them.

⁶³ ‘»I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.’ The Lord Jehovah has spoken.«

³¹ »‘Then you will remember your evil ways and the bad things that you did. You will hate yourselves for all these wicked and disgusting things.

⁸ »O Jehovah, to us belongs shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.

¹⁴ »Therefore Jehovah watched over the evil and brought it upon us. Jehovah our God is righteous in all his works. We have not obeyed his voice.

⁹ I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations! Like grain is sifted in a sieve, yet the least kernel will not fall on the earth.

⁴⁰ The other rebuked him saying: »Do you not respect God, seeing you are also condemned? ⁴¹ »We are indeed justly condemned for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.«

⁵ Devout Jews from every nation under heaven were dwelling at Jerusalem. ⁶ When they heard this sound a crowd came together in confusion, because men heard them speak in their own language. ⁷ And they were all amazed and marveled. They said to each other: »Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans?« ⁸ »How do we each hear them in our own language? ⁹ »Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, ¹⁰ »Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ »Cretes and Arabians, we hear them speak in our language the wonderful works of God.«

²¹ You are now ashamed of the fruit you had at that time. For the results of these things is death.

²⁰ O Jehovah, we recognize our wickedness and the wrongs done by our ancestors. We have sinned against you.

⁷ Jerusalem remembers in her days of sorrow and of her wanderings, all the desired things that were hers in the past. When her people were captive to the power of her adversary she had no helper. Her attackers desired her and made fun of her in her destruction. ⁸ Great is the sin of Jerusalem! For this cause she has become an unclean thing. Those who gave her honor are looking down on her. They see her shame. Now truly, sighing out grief, she turns back.

¹⁸ »Jehovah is upright. I have rebelled against him. Listen all you people and see my pain. My virgins and my young men are taken away as prisoners.

⁴² For we have done wrong. We have rebelled against your law. We have not received your forgiveness.

¹⁶ The crown has been taken from our head. Sorrow is ours, for we are sinners.

⁶ »We have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ »O Jehovah, righteousness belongs to you! Shame belongs to us this day! To the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.

¹⁷ »They would not obey you and gave no thought to the wonders you did among them. They became stubborn and turning away from you. They appointed a leader over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt. However, you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up. ¹⁸ »Even when they made for themselves a bull out of metal, and said: ‘This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry.’ ¹⁹ »Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still went before them by day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to go.

²⁶ »But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority. They turned their backs on your law, and murdered your prophets. These prophets gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you. They did much to make you angry. ²⁷ »So you gave them up into the hands of their enemies who were cruel to them. In the time of their trouble, when they prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven. In your great mercy you gave them saviors, who made them free from the hands of their enemies. ²⁸ »When they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their enemies who ruled over them. When they came back and prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation.

³¹ »Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace (loving-kindness) and mercy.

¹² Loving-kindness belongs to you, O Jehovah. You reward a person based on what he has done.

⁵ You, O Jehovah, are good and forgiving, full of loving kindness toward everyone who calls out to you.

¹⁵ But you, O Jehovah, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.

⁴³ He rescued them many times, but they continued to plot rebellion against him and to sink deeper because of their sin. ⁴⁴ He saw that they were suffering when he heard their cry for help. ⁴⁵ He remembered his promise to them. In keeping with his rich mercy, he changed his plans.

⁴ But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be reverenced.

⁷ O Israel hope in Jehovah! For with Jehovah there is loving kindness. With him is abundant redemption.

⁸ Jehovah is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in loving-kindness. ⁹ Jehovah is good to all and his mercies are over all his works.

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

⁷ I will acknowledge Jehovah’s acts of loving-kindness, and sing the praises of Jehovah, because of everything that Jehovah has done for us. He has done many good things for the nation of Israel because of his compassion and the abundance of his loving-kindness.

²² We have not come to destruction because of Jehovah’s loving kindness. His mercies are without end. ²³ They are new every morning. Your faithfulness is abundant.

⁸ ‘»»They defied me and refused to listen. They did not throw away their disgusting idols or give up the Egyptian gods. I was ready to let them feel the full force of my anger there in Egypt. ⁹ »‘»But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name. In the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt.

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

⁵ »We have sinned. We have dealt perversely. We have acted wickedly and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances.

⁷ »O Jehovah, righteousness belongs to you! Shame belongs to us this day! To the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.

² He prayed to Jehovah: »I pray to you, O Jehovah, was this what I said, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish. Because I knew that you are a gracious God. You are merciful, slow to anger, abundant in loving kindness, and one who takes pity over calamity (tragedy) (catastrophe) (disaster).

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

⁶ This is to the praise of the glory of his kindness, with which he freely honored us, the loved ones. ⁷ In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. ⁸ He made this undeserved kindness abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence (insight).

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. For by grace (loving-kindness) you have been saved. ⁶ God raised us up with him and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So in the ages to come he, with Christ Jesus, might show the exceeding (surpassing) (exceptional) riches of his grace with kindness toward us.

¹³ Jehovah sent his messengers and prophets to warn Israel and Judah: »Abandon your evil ways and obey my commands. The commandments contained in the Law I gave to your ancestors. I handed them on to you through my servants the prophets.« ¹⁴ They would not obey. They were stubborn like their ancestors. They did not trust in Jehovah their God. ¹⁵ They refused to obey his instructions. They did not keep the covenant he made with their ancestors. They disregarded his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They followed the customs of the surrounding nations, disobeying Jehovah’s command not to imitate them.

¹² They did not obey the voice of Jehovah their God. In fact they went against his agreement, even against everything ordered by Moses, the servant of Jehovah. They did not listen to or obey Jehovah.

¹⁰ »And now, O our God, what are we to say after this? For we have not obeyed your laws, ¹¹ ‘»Which you gave to your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land where you are going, you should take for a heritage. It is an unclean land, because of the evil lives of the peoples of the land and their disgusting ways, which have made the land unclean from end to end.’

¹³ »You came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws, good rules and orders. ¹⁴ »They received word of your holy Sabbath from you. You gave them orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant. ¹⁵ »They received bread from heaven when they were in need, and you made water come out of the rock for their drink, and gave them orders to go in and take for their heritage the land that your hand give them. ¹⁶ »But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks stiff, and paid no attention to your orders. ¹⁷ »They would not obey you and gave no thought to the wonders you did among them. They became stubborn and turning away from you. They appointed a leader over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt. However, you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up.

⁶ »We have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

¹ Long ago on many occasions and in many ways God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.

¹⁴ »‘If you will not listen to me and obey all these commandments, ¹⁵ if you reject my laws and look at my rules with disgust, if you reject my promise by disobeying my commandments, 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. ¹⁷ »‘I will condemn you so that you will go down in defeat in front of your enemies. Those who hate you will be your rulers. You will run away even when no one is chasing you. ¹⁸ »‘If you still will not listen to me, I will discipline you seven times for your sins. ¹⁹ »‘I will crush your arrogance. You will have no rain, and your land will be as hard as cement. ²⁰ »‘Your strength will be spent uselessly. Your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit. ²¹ »‘If you act with hostility against me and are unwilling to obey me I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. ²² »‘I will send wild animals among you. They will rob you of your children. They will destroy your cattle, and make you so few that your roads will be deserted. ²³ »‘If this discipline does not help and you still resist, ²⁴ »‘I will resist you. I will punish you seven times for your sins. ²⁵ »‘I will bring war on you to get revenge for my promise you rejected. When you gather in your cities, I will send plagues on you and you will fall under the control of your enemy. ²⁶ »‘I will destroy your food supply. Ten women will need only one oven to prepare your food. You will eat and go away hungry. ²⁷ »‘If in spite of this you do not listen to me and still resist me, ²⁸ »‘I will resist you with great fury. I will discipline you seven times for your sins. ²⁹ »‘You will eat the bodies of your sons and daughters. ³⁰ »‘I will destroy your worship sites. I will cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on top of your dead idols. I will view you with disgust. ³¹ »‘I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices. ³² »‘I will make your land so deserted that your enemies will be shocked as they settle in it. ³³ »‘I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted. ³⁴ »‘Then the land will enjoy its time to honor Jehovah while it lies deserted. You will be in your enemies' land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time to honor Jehovah. ³⁵ »‘All the days it lies deserted, it will celebrate the time to honor Jehovah it never celebrated while you lived there. ³⁶ »‘I will fill those who are left in the land of their enemies with despair. The sound of a windblown leaf will make them run. They will run away and fall, but no one will be chasing them. ³⁷ »‘They will stumble over each other. Yet no one will be after them. They will not be able to stand up to their enemies. ³⁸ »‘They will be destroyed among the nations. The land of their enemies will devour them. ³⁹ »‘Those who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ⁴⁰ »‘However if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors and the treacherous things they did to oppose me, ⁴¹ »‘I will oppose them and bring them into the lands of their enemies. Then, if they humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept their guilt, ⁴² »‘I will remember my promise to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. I will also remember the land. ⁴³ »‘The land, abandoned by them, will enjoy its time to honor Jehovah while it lies deserted without them. They must accept their guilt because they rejected my rules and looked at my laws with disgust. ⁴⁴ »‘Even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or look at them with disgust. I will not reject or cancel my promise to them, because I am Jehovah their God. ⁴⁵ »‘For their well being, I will remember the promise to their ancestors. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God while nations looked on. I am Jehovah!’« ⁴⁶ These are the laws, rules, and instructions Jehovah gave to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai.

¹⁵ »‘Cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image. It is an abomination to Jehovah! It is the secret work of the hands of the craftsman. All the people will answer: Amen. ¹⁶ »‘Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or mother. All the people will say: Amen. ¹⁷ »‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor's boundary mark. All the people will say: Amen. ¹⁸ »‘Cursed is the man who misleads a blind person on the road. And all the people answer: Amen. ¹⁹ »‘Cursed is he who withholds justice due an alien, orphan, and widow. The people all say: Amen. ²⁰ »‘Cursed is the man who has sexual activities with his father's wife, because he has violated his father’s rights.’ And all the people say: ‘Amen.’ ²¹ »‘Cursed is he who has sex with any animal. All the people will say: Amen. ²² »‘Cursed is he who has sexual activities with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother. All the people answer: Amen. ²³ »‘Cursed is he who indulges in sex with his mother-in-law. And all the people say: Amen. ²⁴ »‘Cursed is he who beats his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people will say: ‘Amen.’ ²⁵ »‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to punish an innocent person.’ All the people will say: ‘Amen.’ ²⁶ »‘Cursed is he who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law by obeying them.’ And all the people will say: ‘Amen.’

¹⁵ »If you do not obey Jehovah your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: ¹⁶ »Cursed will you be in the city, and cursed will you be in the country. ¹⁷ »Your basket and your kneading bowl will be cursed. ¹⁸ »Cursed will be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. ¹⁹ »Jehovah will curse everything you do! ²⁰ »If you do evil and reject Jehovah, he will bring on you trouble, confusion, and rebuke in everything you do. Soon you will be quickly and completely destroyed. ²¹ »He will plague you with disease after disease on you until there is not one of you left in the land. ²² »Jehovah will strike you with infectious diseases, with swelling and fever. He will send drought and scorching winds to destroy your crops. These disasters will be with you until you die. ²³ »The sky above will look like copper and the ground below will be as hard as iron. ²⁴ Jehovah will send dust storms and sandstorms on you from the sky until you are destroyed. ²⁵ »Jehovah will cause you to be stricken before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and flee seven ways from them. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. ²⁶ »Your body will be food to all birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth. And no man shall frighten them away. ²⁷ »Jehovah will strike you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. ²⁸ »You will become insane and go blind. Jehovah will make you so confused, ²⁹ that even in bright sunshine you will have to feel your way around like a blind person. You will tell day from night! For the rest of your life, people will beat and rob you. No one will be able to stop them. ³⁰ »A man will be engaged to a woman, but before they can get married, enemy soldiers will rape her. Some of you will build houses, but never get to live in them. If you plant a vineyard, you will not be around long enough to enjoy the first harvest. ³¹ »Your cattle will be killed while you watch. You will not get to eat any of the meat. Your donkeys and sheep will be stolen. No one will be around to force your enemies to give them back. ³² »Your sons and daughters will be dragged off to a foreign country. And you will stand there helpless. Even if you watch for them until you go blind, you will never see them again. 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. ³⁴ »You will lose your mind (experience insanity) because of all the suffering. ³⁵ »Jehovah will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils. From the sole of your foot to the crown of your head they will not heal. ³⁶ »Jehovah will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods made of wood and stone. ³⁷ »You will become a thing of revulsion. All the nations where Jehovah will send you will make an example of you and laugh at you. ³⁸ »You will plant many crops in your fields, but harvest little for locusts will destroy your crops. ³⁹ »You will plant vineyards and tend them but will not drink the wine from them. Worms will eat them. ⁴⁰ »You will have olive trees throughout all your coasts, but you shall not anoint with the oil, for your olive shall drop off its fruit. ⁴¹ »Even your infant sons and daughters will be taken as prisoners of war. ⁴² »Locusts will take over all your trees and the fruit of your land. ⁴³ »The alien who is living among you will be lifted up higher and higher over you, while you go down lower and lower. ⁴⁴ »They will be able to make loans to you, but you won't be able to make loans to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail. ⁴⁵ »All these disasters will come on you. They will be with you until you are destroyed. This is because you did not obey Jehovah your God and keep all the laws that he gave you. ⁴⁶ »Everyone will look at you and your descendants and realize that Jehovah has placed you under a curse for a very long time. ⁴⁷ »You did not serve Jehovah your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things. ⁴⁸ »You will serve your enemies whom Jehovah will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. ⁴⁹ »Jehovah will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you will not understand, ⁵⁰ a nation of fierce countenance who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. 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. ⁵² »They will blockade all your cities until the high, fortified walls you trust come down everywhere in your land. They will blockade all the cities everywhere in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you. ⁵³ »Because of the hardships your enemies will make you suffer during the blockade, you will eat the flesh of your own children, the sons and daughters, whom Jehovah your God has given you. ⁵⁴ »The kindest and most sensitive man among you will become stingy toward his brother, the wife he loves, and the children he still has left. ⁵⁵ »He will give none of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all that he has left. These are hardships your enemies will make you suffer during the blockade of all your cities. ⁵⁶ »The kindest and most sensitive woman among you, so sensitive and tender that she would not even step on an ant, will become stingy toward the husband she loves or toward her own son or daughter. ⁵⁷ »She will not share with them the afterbirth from her body and the children she gives birth to. She will secretly eat them out of dire necessity. These are hardships your enemies will make you suffer during the blockade of your cities. ⁵⁸ »You might not faithfully obey every word of the teachings that are written in this book. You might not respect this glorious and awe inspiring name: JEHOVAH your God. ⁵⁹ »If so, Jehovah will strike you and your descendants with unimaginable plagues. They will be terrible continuing plagues. They will be severe and lingering diseases. ⁶⁰ »He will bring all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded. They will cling to you. ⁶¹ »Jehovah will also bring you every kind of sickness and plague not written in this Book of the Law. They will continue until you are dead. ⁶² »You were at one time as numerous as the stars in the sky. But only a few of you will be left. This is because you did not obey Jehovah your God. ⁶³ »Jehovah was very glad to make you prosperous and numerous. Now Jehovah will be more than glad to destroy you and wipe you out. You will be torn out of the land you are about to enter and possess. ⁶⁴ »Jehovah will scatter you among all the people of the world. He will scatter you from one end of the earth to the other. There you will serve gods made of wood and stone that neither you nor your ancestors ever knew. ⁶⁵ »You will find no peace among those nations. There will be no place to call your own. There Jehovah will give you an unsettled mind, failing eyesight, and despair. ⁶⁶ »Your life will always be in danger. Day and night you will be filled with terror. You will live in constant fear of death. ⁶⁷ »Your hearts will pound with fear at everything you see. Every morning you will wish for evening. Every evening you will wish for morning. ⁶⁸ »Jehovah will send you back to Egypt in ships, even though he said that you would never have to go there again. There you will try to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves. But no one will want to buy you.

²⁰ Jehovah will never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of Jehovah and / His jealousy will burn against that man. Every curse which is written in this book will rest on him. Jehovah will blot out his name from under heaven. ²¹ »Jehovah will destroy you by piling on you all the curses that are written in this book of Law. You will be forgotten forever. ²² »The next generation of your children and foreigners who come from distant countries will see the plagues that have happened in this land and the diseases Jehovah sent here. ²³ »All its land is brimstone and salt. It is a burning waste, unsown and unproductive. No grass grows on it. Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Jehovah overthrew in his anger and in his wrath. ²⁴ »All the nations will say: Why has Jehovah done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' ²⁵ »Then men will say: ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. ²⁶ »‘They served other gods and worshiped them. These are gods whom they have not known and whom he had not allotted to them. ²⁷ »‘Jehovah became angry against this land and brought on it all the curses described in this book. ²⁸ »‘His fierce anger and fury caused Jehovah to uproot these people from their land and deported them to another country. This is where they still are today.’ ²⁹ »Some secret things are hidden. They belong to Jehovah our God. The things that have been revealed in these teachings belong to us and to our children forever. We must obey every word of this Law.

¹⁷ »If your hearts turn away, and you do not listen, you might be tempted to bow down to other gods and worship them. ¹⁸ »If you do, I tell you today that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live for a long time in the land that you are about to possess when you cross the Jordan River. ¹⁹ »I call on heaven and earth as witnesses today that I have offered you life or death, blessings or curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants will live.

¹⁷ »‘My anger will be kindled against them in that day. I will abandon them and hide my face from them. They will be consumed by many evils and troubles. They will say in that day: ‘Is it because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ ¹⁸ »I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil they will do. They will turn to other gods.

¹⁹ »Jehovah saw this and rejected them. His own sons and daughters made him angry. ²⁰ »He said: ‘I will turn away from them and find out what will happen to them. They are a devious and perverse generation. They are children who have no faith. ²¹ »They made him furious because they worshiped foreign gods. They angered him because they worshiped worthless idols. So I will use those who are not my people to make them jealous and a nation of godless fools to make them angry. ²² My anger has started a fire that will burn into the depths of the grave. It will consume the earth and its crops and set the foundations of the mountains on fire. ²³ »I will heap distress on them! I will use my arrows on them. ²⁴ »They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague and bitter destruction. I will send teeth of wild animals on them, with the venom of crawling things (reptiles) of the dust. ²⁵ »Outside the sword will bereave. Inside terror shall destroy both young man and virgin, babies and old man with gray hair. ²⁶ »I would have said: ‘I will cut them to pieces. I will remove the memory of them from men.’ ²⁷ »I did not want their enemies to make me angry. I did not want their opponents to misunderstand and say: We won this victory! Jehovah did not do all this! ²⁸ »My people have lost their good sense. They do not understand. ²⁹ They fail to see why they were defeated. They cannot understand what happened. ³⁰ »Why were a thousand defeated by one? Why ten thousand by only two? Jehovah their God abandoned them! Their mighty God gave them up. ³¹ »Their rock is not like our rock! Their enemies know that their own gods are weak, not mighty like Israel's God. ³² »Their vine is like the vine of Sodom. Their fields are like Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of anger. Their clusters are bitter. ³³ »Their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of asps (cobras). ³⁴ »Is this not laid up in store with me and sealed up among my treasures? ³⁵ »Vengeance and retribution belong to me. (Vengeance is mine, I will repay.) Their foot shall slide in time, for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things to come on them come quickly. 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. ³⁷ »He will say: ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge? ³⁸ »Who ate the fat of their sacrifices? Who drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you. Let them be your hiding place! ³⁹ »See now that I, even I, am he. There is no god besides me! It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heals. There is no one who can deliver from my hand. ⁴⁰ »Indeed, I lift up my hand to heaven, and say: As I live forever, ⁴¹ »I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on justice! I will render vengeance on my adversaries. I will repay those who hate me. ⁴² »I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword will devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the longhaired leaders of the enemy.

¹⁸ Jehovah was very angry with Israel. He removed them from his sight. Only the tribe of Judah kept its place. ¹⁹ But even Judah did not obey the commands of Jehovah their God. They were guided by the rules Israel made. ²⁰ So Jehovah would have nothing to do with all the offspring of Israel. He caused trouble for them. He gave them up into the hands of their attackers, till he had sent them away from before his face. ²¹ He tore Israel from the house of David and made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Jeroboam drove them away from the laws of Jehovah and made them do a great sin. ²² The children of Israel walked in all the sins Jeroboam committed. They did not depart from these sins. ²³ Jehovah removed Israel from his sight as he said he would through all his servants the prophets. Israel was taken away from their land to Assyria, to this day.

⁴ Woe to the sinful nation, people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, sons who are corrupt! They have forsaken Jehovah! They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have turned away from him. ⁵ Why do you still want to be beaten? Why do you continue to rebel? Your whole head is infected. Your whole heart is sick. ⁶ From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head there is no healthy spot left on your body. You have only bruises, sores, and fresh wounds. They have not been cleansed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.

⁵ »The people of Jerusalem turned away from me without ever returning. They still cling to deceit. They refuse to return. ⁶ »I paid attention and listened, but they were not honest. They do not turn away from their wickedness. They do not ask: ‘What have we done?’ They go their own ways like horses charging into battle.’« ⁷ »Even storks know when it is time to return. Mourning doves, swallows (swifts), and cranes know when it is time to migrate. But my people do not know that I, Jehovah, am urging them to return. ⁸ »How can you say you are wise and that you have Jehovah’s Laws? The scribes have used their pens to spread falsehoods. ⁹ »Wise people are put to shame, confused, and trapped. They have rejected the word of Jehovah. They do not really have any wisdom. ¹⁰ »So I will give their wives to other men. I will give their fields to new owners. From the least even to the greatest everyone is greedy for gain. From the prophet even to the priest everyone is deceitful.

²⁶ »I will punish Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. I will punish all who shave the hair on their foreheads or live in the desert. Even though all these nations are uncircumcised, all Israel has uncircumcised hearts.«

²⁶ ‘»Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the profane. They have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. They hide their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. ²⁷ ‘»Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. ²⁸ ‘»Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them. They see false visions and divine lies for them. They say: »This is what the Lord Jehovah says, when Jehovah has not spoken.« ²⁹ ‘»The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.’ ³⁰ ‘»I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. ³¹ ‘»Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them! I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath (intense anger). / Their way I have brought upon their heads,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

⁹ ‘Give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice. Help me know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?«

¹⁷ »He leads counselors away stripped and makes fools of judges.

¹⁰ Listen you kings, be wise (show discernment) and be warned you rulers of the earth.

² »How long are you going to judge unjustly? How long are you going to show partiality to the wicked? ³ »Defend the weak and fatherless. Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor.

¹¹ Praise him you kings of the earth and its people, officials and all judges on the earth.

¹⁶ »By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

²⁶ »‘I make the word of my servant come true. I accomplish the purpose of my messengers. I say of Jerusalem, 'She will be inhabited!’ And I say to the cities of Judah, 'You will be rebuilt! I will make your ruins raise up.’

² »Jehovah, the God of Israel, said: ‘You have seen the destruction I brought on Jerusalem and all the other cities of Judah. Even now they are still in ruins, and no one lives in them. ³ »‘This is because their people had done evil and had made me angry. They offered sacrifices to other gods and served gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever worshiped. ⁴ »‘I kept sending you my servants the prophets, who told you not to do this terrible thing that I hate. ⁵ »‘But you would not listen or pay any attention. You would not give up your evil practice of sacrificing to other gods. ⁶ »‘I poured out my anger and fury on the towns of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. I set them on fire. They were left in ruins and became a horrifying sight, as they are today.’«

¹² »Come to me all you who go by, keep your eyes on me! See if there is any pain like the pain of my wound. For Jehovah has sent it to me in the day of his burning anger.

¹³ What example am I to give you? What comparison am I to make for you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What am I to make equal to you, so that I may give you comfort, O virgin daughter of Zion? Your destruction is great like the sea. Who is able to make you well?

¹⁷ Jehovah accomplished his purpose. He accomplished what he said he would with the orders he gave in the days that are past. He tore down and shows no compassion. He causes your enemies to rejoice. He lifted up the horn (power) of your adversaries.

⁶ The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overturned suddenly without a hand lifted to help her.

⁹ ‘»Because of all your abominations, I will do among you what I have not done before, and the like of which I will never do again.

⁶ »They see falsehood and lying divination. They are saying: ‘Jehovah declares,’ when Jehovah has not sent them. Yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word.

² »It is a day of darkness and gloom! It is a day of clouds and thick darkness! The dawn spreads upon the mountains. This great and mighty people have never seen anything like this. Nor will it be like this again even to the years of many generations.

² »Of all the families of the earth I have chosen (known) only you. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.

⁶ »I commanded my servants the prophets to obey my words and my statutes. They disregarded them and suffered greatly. Then they repented and admitted that I, Jehovah of Hosts, corrected them as they deserved according to their deeds.’«

⁸ He said: »I had a vision in the night. I saw someone riding a red horse. He stopped among some myrtle trees in a valley, and behind him were other horses, red, speckled, and white.«

¹⁸ »I solemnly tell you, heaven and earth would pass away before one small letter (detail) will pass away from the Law. All things must be accomplished.

²¹ »There will be great tribulation. It will be greater than any has ever been from the beginning of the world until now.

¹⁹ »The tribulation in these days will be greater then there has ever been from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never shall be.

²² »These are days of vengeance! All things written will be fulfilled.

⁸ Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcised for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers.

⁴ »To this very day Jehovah has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

¹³ »The godless in heart harbor resentment. Even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.

⁴ Restore us, O God of our salvation. Put an end to your anger against us.

¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may observe wonderful things from your law.

²⁷ Make me understand the way of your precepts that I may meditate on your miracles.

⁷³ Your hands made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

¹³ The people did not turn back to him who struck them, or seek Jehovah of Hosts.

⁹ »The things I predicted have now come true. Now I will tell you of new things even before they begin to happen.«

⁷ No one calls on your name or tries to hold on to you. You have hidden your face from us. You allowed us be ruined by our sins.

³⁰ »I have punished your children without results. They did not respond to correction. You killed my prophets like a raging lion.

³ Jehovah looks for faithfulness. He struck you, but you paid no attention. He crushed you, but you refused to learn. You were stubborn and would not turn from your sins.

¹⁸ »I hear the people of Israel say in grief, ‘Jehovah, we were like an untamed animal, but you taught us to obey. Bring us back for we are ready to return to you, Jehovah our God.

²⁷ »I will see to it that you will not prosper, but will be destroyed. All of you will die! You will die in war or of disease, until not one of you is left.

¹⁵ All who go by make a noise with their hands at you. They make hisses, shaking their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. They say: »Is this the town that was the crown of everything beautiful, the joy of all the earth?« ¹⁶ All your enemies are opening their mouths wide against you. They hiss and whistle through their teeth and say: »We have made a meal of her. Certainly this is the day we have been looking for. It has come and we see it.« ¹⁷ Jehovah accomplished his purpose. He accomplished what he said he would with the orders he gave in the days that are past. He tore down and shows no compassion. He causes your enemies to rejoice. He lifted up the horn (power) of your adversaries.

²¹ Make us come back to you, O Jehovah, and let us be restored. Make our days new again as in the past.

⁷ »They are all as hot as an oven. They consume their rulers like a fire. All their kings die in battle, and none of them calls to me.

¹⁰ »Israel, your arrogance testifies against you. Even after all this, you do not return to Jehovah your God or look to him for help.

¹⁴ »And they do not cry to me from their heart when they wail on their beds. For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble, but they turn away from me.

⁴⁵ He opened their minds that they might understand the scriptures.

⁴⁵ »It is written in the prophets: Jehovah shall teach them all. Every one who hears the Father and has learned comes to me. (Jeremiah 31:34)

³² »You will know the truth and the truth will make you free!«

³⁵ »So if he called them ‘god-like ones,’ those to whom the word of God came, and the Scriptures may not be annulled,

¹⁷ May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit (mental disposition) of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. ¹⁸ Have the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know the hope of his calling, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the holy ones,

²¹ You learned him and were taught by him just as truth is in Jesus.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God. He gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him.

²⁸ »I watched over them to uproot them and tear them down, to ruin and hurt them. Now I will watch over them to build them up. I will plant them,« says Jehovah.

¹ Jehovah said to Moses: »Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will show him my power. He will let my people go! I will show him my power, and he will throw them out of his country.«

⁶ »Tell the sons of Israel: ‘I am Jehovah. I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians. I will free you from slavery! I will rescue you with my powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment.’

¹⁶ »I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you my power and in order to proclaim my name through all the earth.

¹ Jehovah said to Moses: ² »Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon. ³ »The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert. ⁴ »I will make him stubborn. He will pursue you. My victory over the king and his army will bring me honor. Then the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah!« The Israelites did as they were told. ⁵ The king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped. He and his officials changed their minds and said: »What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!« ⁶ The king got his war chariot and army ready. ⁷ He commanded his officers in charge of his six hundred best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites. ⁸ Jehovah made the king so stubborn that he went after them. The Israelites proudly went on their way. ⁹ The king’s horses and chariots and soldiers caught up with them while they were camping by the Red Sea near Pi-Hahiroth and Baal-Zephon. ¹⁰ The Israelites saw the king coming with his army. They were frightened and begged Jehovah for help. ¹¹ They also complained to Moses: Was there not enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? ¹² »Did we not say in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.« ¹³ But Moses said to the people: »Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of Jehovah. He will accomplish this for you today. The Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. ¹⁴ »Jehovah will fight for you while you keep silent.« ¹⁵ Jehovah said to Moses: »Why are you crying out to me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.

¹⁸ »Then the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.«

¹¹ »But Moses pleaded with Jehovah his God. »Jehovah,« he said, »why are you so angry with your people? These are your people whom you brought out of Egypt using your great power and mighty hand!

⁵¹ »They are your own people. You brought them out of Egypt from the middle of an iron smelter.

¹⁰ »These are your servants and your people, whom you have made yours by your great power and by your strong hand.

¹⁰ »You did signs and wonders on Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land. You saw how cruel they were to them. So you made a name for yourself as it is today.

⁸ Nevertheless he saved them for the sake of his name that he might make his power known.

¹³ »Instead of the thornbush the pine tree will grow. Instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for Jehovah’s fame. It will be for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.«

¹⁰ »I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.

²⁰ »You set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even to this day both in Israel and among mankind you have made a name for yourself. ²¹ »You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt using signs and wonders. You did this with a strong hand, with an outstretched arm and with great terror. ²² »You gave them this land. You swore to their forefathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey. ²³ »They came in and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your Law. They have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do. Therefore you made this calamity come upon them.

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

²¹ »Father, the son said: ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am not fit to be called your son.’

¹³ »But the tax collector stood far away and would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast, saying: God, be merciful to me a sinner.

¹⁰ God delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver us. We have set our hope on him. He will deliver us!

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

³⁹ »‘Those who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ⁴⁰ »‘However if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors and the treacherous things they did to oppose me,

⁷ »Jehovah takes away and He gives riches. He brings low and lifts up high.

⁷ »I will have Israel cut off from the land I gave them. I will abandon this house even though I have made it holy for myself. I will put you out of my sight. Israel will be a public example, and a word of shame among all peoples. ⁸ This house will become a mass of broken walls. Everyone who goes by will be overcome with wonder at it and make whistling sounds. They will say: Why has Jehovah done this to this land and to this house? ⁹ »‘The answer will be: ‘Because they turned away from Jehovah their God. The one who took their fathers out of the land of Egypt. They took for themselves other gods and gave them worship and became their servants: that is why Jehovah has sent this evil on them.’«

⁸ »You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what you said; for righteousness is yours.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) I have taken refuge in you, O Jehovah. Never let me be put to shame. Deliver me because of your righteousness.

¹³ Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

² You are righteous, help me and rescue me. Listen to me and save me!

⁴ We have become a disgrace to our neighbors, an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us.

¹ ([Psalm of Korah]) His foundation is in the holy mountains. ² Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. ³ Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.

⁶ We have sinned like our fathers! We have committed iniquity and have behaved wickedly. ⁷ Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders. They did not remember your abundant kindnesses. But they rebelled by the Red Sea. ⁸ Nevertheless he saved them for the sake of his name that he might make his power known. ⁹ So he rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up, and he led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness. ¹⁰ He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. ¹¹ The waters covered their adversaries and not one of them was left. ¹² Then they believed his words. They sang His praise. ¹³ They quickly forgot his works and they did not wait for his counsel. ¹⁴ They had an unreasonable desire for food in the wilderness. In the desert they tested God. ¹⁵ He gave them what they asked for. He also gave them a degenerative disease. ¹⁶ In the camp certain men became envious of Moses. They also became envious of Aaron, Jehovah’s holy one. ¹⁷ The ground split open and swallowed Dathan. It buried Abiram's followers. ¹⁸ A fire broke out among their followers. Flames burned up wicked people. ¹⁹ At Mount Horeb they made a statue of a calf. They worshiped an idol made of metal. ²⁰ They traded their glorious God for the statue of a bull that eats grass. ²¹ They forgot the God of their salvation, the one who did spectacular things in Egypt, ²² miracles in the land of Ham, and terrifying things at the Red Sea. ²³ God said he was going to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, stood in his way to prevent him from exterminating them. ²⁴ They refused to enter the pleasant land. They did not believe what he said. ²⁵ They complained in their tents. They did not obey Jehovah. ²⁶ Raising his hand, he swore that he would kill them in the wilderness, ²⁷ kill their descendants among the nations, and scatter them throughout various lands. ²⁸ They joined in worshiping the god Baal while they were at Peor. They ate what was sacrificed to the dead. ²⁹ They infuriated God by what they did, and a plague broke out among them. ³⁰ Phinehas stood between God and the people, and the plague was stopped. ³¹ Because of this, Phinehas was considered righteous forever, throughout every generation. ³² They made God angry by the water at Meribah. Things turned out badly for Moses because of what they did. ³³ They made him bitter so that he spoke recklessly. ³⁴ They did not destroy the people as Jehovah had told them. ³⁵ Instead, they intermarried with other nations. They learned to do what other nations did. ³⁶ They worshiped their idols, which became a trap for them. ³⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ³⁸ They shed innocent blood, the blood of their own sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land became polluted with blood. ³⁹ They became filthy because of what they did. They behaved like prostitutes. ⁴⁰ Jehovah burned with anger against his own people. He was disgusted with those who belonged to him. ⁴¹ He handed them over to other nations, and those who hated them ruled them. ⁴² Their enemies oppressed them and made them subject to their power. ⁴³ He rescued them many times, but they continued to plot rebellion against him and to sink deeper because of their sin. ⁴⁴ He saw that they were suffering when he heard their cry for help. ⁴⁵ He remembered his promise to them. In keeping with his rich mercy, he changed his plans. ⁴⁶ He let them find compassion from all those who held them captive. ⁴⁷ Rescue us, O Jehovah our God, and gather us from the nations so that we may give thanks to your holy name and make your praise our glory. ⁴⁸ Thanks be to Jehovah the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say amen. Praise Jehovah!

¹ ([Psalm of David]) Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in your faithfulness. Answer me in your righteousness!

⁹ Do not be too angry, Jehovah. Do not remember our sin forever. Now look, we are all your people. ¹⁰ Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is a wasteland. ¹¹ Our holy and beautiful Temple where our ancestors praised you has been burned to the ground. All that we valued has been ruined.

¹⁸ »‘I will chase them with wars, famines, and plagues. I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms on the earth. They will become something cursed, ridiculed, and hissed at, and they will be a disgrace among all the nations where I scatter them.

³² The people of Israel and Judah have made me furious because they are evil. The people, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, and the Judeans and those who live in Jerusalem

⁸ Great is the sin of Jerusalem! For this cause she has become an unclean thing. Those who gave her honor are looking down on her. They see her shame. Now truly, sighing out grief, she turns back. ⁹ In her skirts were her unclean ways. She did not think of the future. Her fall has been a wonder. She has no comforter: »See her sorrow, O Jehovah, for the enemy is lifted up.«

¹⁵ All who go by make a noise with their hands at you. They make hisses, shaking their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. They say: »Is this the town that was the crown of everything beautiful, the joy of all the earth?« ¹⁶ All your enemies are opening their mouths wide against you. They hiss and whistle through their teeth and say: »We have made a meal of her. Certainly this is the day we have been looking for. It has come and we see it.«

¹⁴ ‘»I will turn you into a wasteland and an object of ridicule among the nations around you and in the presence of everyone who passes by you.

²⁰ While I was speaking, in prayer, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God;

¹⁷ »You will know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy and no strangers will pass through (invade) her any more.

⁴ »I brought you out of the land of Egypt. I redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. ⁵ »O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him. Remember from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.«

³ Jehovah of Hosts said: »I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the city of truth and the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, the holy mountain.«

³¹ »You witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² »Fill up the (guilt) measure of your fathers.

⁴⁷ »Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸ »Therefore you are witnesses and consent to the works of your fathers. They killed them and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ »It is for this reason the wisdom of God said, ‘I send to them prophets and apostles and they will persecute and kill some of them.’ ⁵⁰ »The blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation. ⁵¹ »This includes the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. I tell you it will be required of this generation.

⁶ It is a righteous thing for God to repay with affliction (great suffering and distress) those who afflict you.

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

²³ »Tell Aaron and his sons: ‘This is how you will bless the Israelites. Say to them: ²⁴ »‘»Jehovah will bless you and watch over you.«’« ²⁵ »‘»Jehovah will smile on you and be kind to you. ²⁶ »‘»Jehovah will look on you with favor and give you peace!

⁶ Many are saying: »Who will show us good?« Lift up the light of your countenance (face) (presence) upon us, O Jehovah!

¹ May God be merciful to us and bless us. May he cause his face to shine on us.

¹ ([Psalm of Asaph]) Oh, give ear (listen), Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!

³ O God, restore us and cause your face to shine (smile on us) (show us favor) that we will be saved.

⁷ O God, commander of armies, restore us and smile on us so that we may be saved.

¹⁹ O Jehovah God, commander of armies, restore us, and cause your face to shine (smile) on us so that we may be saved.

¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.

¹⁸ The mountain of Zion is a waste. So jackals go there.

¹⁹ »O Jehovah, hear; O Jehovah, forgive; O Jehovah, pay attention and act! Do not delay for your own sake, O my God! Because your city and your people are called by your name.«

²⁴ »Until now you have not asked a single thing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

²⁰ All the promises of God in him are yes. Also in his is the Amen, to the glory of God through us.

²³ The city did not need the sun or the moon to shine on it. For the glory of God and of the Lamb was its light.

⁷ Jehovah said: »I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt. I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them.

²⁹ »Watch over this Temple day and night. For this is the place where you have chosen to be worshiped. Hear me when I face this Temple and pray.

¹⁶ »Turn your ear (listen) (pay attention) to me, O Jehovah, and listen. Open your eyes, Jehovah, and see. Listen to the message Sennacherib sent to defy the living God.

⁶ I have called on you because you answer me, O God. Turn your ear toward me. Listen to what I have to say. ⁷ Reveal your miraculous deeds of loving-kindness, O Savior of those who find refuge by your side from those who attack them.

¹⁴ O God, commander of armies, come back! Look from heaven and see! Come to help this vine. ¹⁵ Take care of what your right hand planted, the son you strengthened for yourself. ¹⁶ The vine has been cut down and burned. Let them be destroyed by the threatening look on your face. ¹⁷ Let your power rest on the man you have chosen, the son of man you strengthened for yourself. ¹⁸ Then we will never turn away from you. Give us life again, and we will call on your name. ¹⁹ O Jehovah God, commander of armies, restore us, and cause your face to shine (smile) on us so that we may be saved.

¹⁷ »Give ear, O Jehovah, and hear! Open your eyes, O Jehovah, and see! Listen to all the words Sennacherib said to insult the living God.

¹⁵ Look down and see from heaven, from your holy and beautiful dwelling. Where is your determination (zeal) and might? Where is the longing of your heart and your compassion? Do not hold back. ¹⁶ You are our Father. Even though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not pay attention to us, O Jehovah, you are our Father. Your name is our Defender From Everlasting. ¹⁷ O Jehovah, why do you let us wander from your ways and become so stubborn that we are unable to respect you? Return for the sake of your servants. They are the tribes that belong to you. ¹⁸ Your holy people possessed the land for a little while. Our enemies have trampled on your holy place. ¹⁹ We have become like those whom you never ruled, like those who are not called by your name.

⁶ All of us have become unclean, and all our righteous acts are like permanently stained rags. All of us wither like leaves, and our sins carry us away like the wind.

¹² Despite these things, Jehovah, will you restrain yourself? Will you be silent and make us suffer beyond measure?

¹⁰ »Then come and stand before me in this house. It is called by my name. You say, ‘We are safe to do all these abominations.’ ¹¹ »Has this house, called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,« declares Jehovah. ¹² »But go to my place in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell from the beginning, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

⁹ Why are you like someone taken by surprise, like a mighty man who cannot help? You, O Jehovah, are among us. We are called by your name. Do not leave us!

¹⁶ »You spoke to me, and I listened to every word. I belong to you, Lord Jehovah. Your words filled my heart with joy and happiness.

²⁹ »‘I am going to bring disaster on the city that is named after me. Do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished! I am declaring war on all those who live on earth,’ declares Jehovah of Hosts.

⁷ »Maybe their prayers will come into Jehovah’s presence, and they will turn from their evil ways. Jehovah has threatened these people with his terrifying anger and fury.«

²⁰ »Your Majesty, please listen, and accept my plea for mercy. Do not return me to the scribe Jonathan's house, or I will die there.«

³² »‘I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah. ‘Be ashamed and disgraced because of your ways, people of Israel.’

² To the congregation of God at Corinth. To you, who are sanctified in Christ Jesus. You who are called to be holy ones, with all whom in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. He is both their Lord and ours.

¹⁹ »By your great love, please forgive these people’s sins, as you have forgiven them from the time they left Egypt until now.«

³⁰ »Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people. In your home in heaven hear us and forgive us. ³¹ »When a person is accused of wronging another and is brought to your altar in this Temple to take an oath that he is innocent, ³² »O Jehovah, listen in heaven and judge your servants. Punish the guilty one, as he deserves. Justify the one who is innocent. ³³ »When your people Israel have sinned against you their enemies defeat them. They can turn to you and come to this Temple, humbly praying to you for forgiveness. ³⁴ Listen to them in heaven. Forgive the sins of your people and bring them back to the land that you gave to their ancestors. ³⁵ »When you hold back the rain because your people have sinned against you. And when they repent in this Temple, humbly praying to you, ³⁶ listen to them in heaven. Forgive the sins of the king and of the people of Israel, and teach them to do what is right. Then, O Jehovah, send rain on this land of yours, which you gave to your people as a permanent possession. ³⁷ »When there is famine in the land or an epidemic or scorching winds or swarms of locusts, or when their enemies attack your people, or when disease or sickness among them destroys the crops, ³⁸ listen to their prayers. If any of your people Israel, out of heartfelt sorrow, stretch out their hands in prayer toward this Temple, ³⁹ hear their prayer. Listen to them in your home in heaven, help them and forgive them. You alone know the thoughts of the human heart. Deal with each person, as he deserves,

²¹ »Hear the plea for mercy that your people Israel and I pray toward this place. Hear us in heaven, the place where you live. Hear and forgive.

²⁵ then hear them in heaven, forgive the sins of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land that you gave to them and their ancestors. ²⁶ »When the sky is shut and there is no rain because they are sinning against you and they pray toward this place, praise your name, and turn away from their sin because you made them suffer, ²⁷ then hear them in heaven. Forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the proper way to live. Then send rain on the land, which you gave to your people as an inheritance. ²⁸ »There may be famine in the land. Plant diseases, heat waves, funguses, locusts, or grasshoppers may destroy crops. Enemies may blockade Israel’s city gates. During every plague or sickness ²⁹ hear every prayer for mercy made by one person or by all the people in Israel, all who know suffering or pain, who stretch out their hands toward this Temple. ³⁰ »Hear them in heaven, where you live. Forgive them and give people the proper reply. You know what is in their hearts, because you alone can read hearts.

³⁹ then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. Do what is right for them. Forgive your people, who have sinned against you.

²³ Wake up! Why are you sleeping, O Jehovah? Awake! Do not reject us forever! ²⁴ Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our suffering and misery? ²⁵ We are bowing in the dust. Our bodies cling to the ground. ²⁶ Arise! Help us! Rescue us because of your loving kindness!

⁹ We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet. There is no one who knows how long. ¹⁰ How long, God, will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever? ¹¹ Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them!

⁵ How long, O Jehovah? Will you remain angry forever? Will your fury (zeal) continue to burn like fire? ⁶ Pour your fury (anger) on the nations that do not know you, on the kingdoms that have not called you.

⁸ Do not hold the crimes of our ancestors against us. Reach out to us soon with your compassion, because we are helpless. ⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Rescue us, and provide atonement for our sins for the honor of your name. ¹⁰ Why should the nations be allowed to say: Where is their God? Let us watch as the nations learn that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.

⁵ Will you be angry with us forever? Will you ever let go of your anger in the generations to come? ⁶ Will you not restore our lives again so that your people may find joy in you?

¹³ You will arise and have compassion on Zion. It is time to be gracious to her for the appointed time has come. ¹⁴ Your servants find pleasure in her stones and feel pity for her dust. ¹⁵ So the nations will respect the name of Jehovah and all the kings of the earth will honor you. ¹⁶ For Jehovah has built up Zion. He has appeared in His glory.

¹ Do not give glory to us, O Jehovah. Do not give glory to us. Give glory to your name because of your loving kindness and faithfulness. ² Why should other nations say: »Where is their God?«

⁹ Do not be too angry, Jehovah. Do not remember our sin forever. Now look, we are all your people. ¹⁰ Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is a wasteland. ¹¹ Our holy and beautiful Temple where our ancestors praised you has been burned to the ground. All that we valued has been ruined. ¹² Despite these things, Jehovah, will you restrain yourself? Will you be silent and make us suffer beyond measure?

²⁰ O Jehovah, we recognize our wickedness and the wrongs done by our ancestors. We have sinned against you. ²¹ For the sake of your name, do not despise us. Do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your promise to us. Do not break it.

⁹ »‘»But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name. In the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt.

¹⁴ ‘»»I acted so that my name would not be dishonored among the nations who had watched me bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

²² ‘»»But I withdrew my hand (assistance) and acted for the sake of my name. That way it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

²² »So tell the people of Israel, ‘the Lord Jehovah says: »I am about to do something, people of Israel. I will not do this for your sake but for the sake of my holy name, which you have dishonored among the nations wherever you have gone.«’

²⁵ »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Now I will bring back Jacob's captives and have compassion for the whole nation of Israel. I will stand up for (show exclusive devotion for) my holy name.

¹⁸ »O my God, incline your ear, and hear! Open your eyes, and behold our desolations and the city that is called by your name. We do not present our supplications before you because of our righteous merits, but according to your many mercies.

² It happened when they quit eating the grass of the land. I said, »O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I entreat you: how shall Jacob stand? Since he is so small.«

⁸ »I tell you even if he will not rise and give you what you need because he is your friend, he will arise and give you what you need because you keep asking.

⁶ This is to the praise of the glory of his kindness, with which he freely honored us, the loved ones.

¹² We who were first to hope in Christ should serve to the praise of his glory.

¹⁰ It is the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the congregation and the rules and authorities in the heavenly places.

⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp. ⁶ Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

¹⁸ Jehovah is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

²⁰ There is no man on earth who is righteous and does not sin.

⁵ »Woe to me!« I cried. »I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips (a sinner) and I live among a people of unclean (filthy) lips (speech) (language). My eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.«

⁷ »I will bring them to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar. My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.«

⁹ »‘Then you will call, and Jehovah will answer! You will cry and he will say: ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

⁶ »I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. Whoever calls on Jehovah, do not allow yourselves any rest, ⁷ and do not give him any rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it an object of praise throughout the earth.«

²⁴ »Before they call I will answer! While they are still speaking I will hear.

³ I looked to Jehovah God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. ⁴ And I prayed to Jehovah my God, and made confession, and said, »Oh, Jehovah, the great and fear-inspiring (awesome) God, who keeps his covenant and loving kindness for those who love him and keep his commandments.

¹⁶ »O Jehovah, according to all your righteousness, let your anger, I pray you, be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all those who are round about us.

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.

³¹ When they prayed, the place where they assembled together was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

³⁰ Cornelius replied, »Four days ago I was praying at this hour. It was the ninth hour and I prayed in my house. A man dressed in bright clothing stood before me. ³¹ »He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer is heard and your gifts of mercy are noticed in the sight of God.

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

² We all stumble in many things. If any do not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to restrain (control) the whole body.

² Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

¹⁰ He carried me away in spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy city Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

³⁹ »Offer one lamb in the morning and offer the other lamb at twilight.

³⁶ Then at the time of the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, »Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be seen this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things by your order.

⁴ Then everyone who respected the word of the God of Israel were overcome with grief because of the sin of those who came back. They gathered with me until the evening offering. ⁵ I humbled myself before God at the evening offering. I got up, with signs of grief, and fell on my knees with my hands stretched out to Jehovah my God,

²⁰ Bless Jehovah you angels of his, you who excel in strength, who obey his command, and listen to the voice of his Word.

⁴ You make the winds your messengers, the flaming fire your ministers.

² Above him were seraphs, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand. With tongs he seized it from the altar. ⁷ He touched my mouth with it and said: »See! This has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away and your sin forgiven (pardoned) (atoned for).«

¹¹ That is what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out and pointed upward. Each creature had two wings with which they touched each other. The other two wings covered their bodies.

¹⁴ The living creatures ran back and forth like lightning.

¹⁶ I heard a man's voice from the banks of the Ulai River. He called to Gabriel: »Make this man understand the vision of the time of the end.«

¹⁸ He spoke to me while I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground. He touched me, and set me upright.

¹⁰ A hand touched me and set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

¹⁶ Then one who looked like a human touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth, and spoke to him: »O my lord, by reason of the vision I have convulsions and I have no strength.

¹⁸ Then the one with the human appearance touched me and he strengthened me.

⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, »Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?« Which (translated) means: »My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?«

¹⁹ The angel answered: »I am Gabriel, whose place is before God. I have been sent to give you this good news.

¹ Peter and John went up to the temple at the hour of prayer. It was the ninth hour.

³ About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw a vision. An angel of God came to him and said, »Cornelius.«

⁹ The next day they journeyed to the city. As they drew near, Peter went to the housetop to pray. It was about the sixth hour.

⁷ Suddenly God’s angel came to him. A light shined in the prison. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up saying: »Get up quickly.« And his chains fell off of his hands.

⁷ Of the angels he says: »He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.« (Psalm 104:4)

¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for those who will be heirs of salvation?

²⁴ »Seventy weeks (seventy sets of seven time periods) are decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish transgression and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. ²⁵ »Know and discern, that from the utterance of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One (Messiah), the Leader: there shall be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again with a public square and moat, even in terrible times. ²⁶ »And after the sixty-two weeks the anointed one will be cut off (destroyed) (killed) and shall have nothing. The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be by the flood of war and desolations. ²⁷ »He will make a firm covenant with many for one week (time period of seven). In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offerings to cease. The one that makes desolate will come upon the wing of abominations. At the end that which is decreed will be poured out upon the one lying desolate.«

²¹ »But I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one standing firmly with me against these, but Michael your prince.«

⁹ I asked him, »Sir, what do these horses mean?« He answered: »I will show you what they mean.«

¹⁴ The angel said: »Call out, say, this is what Jehovah of Hosts has said: ‘I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with intense ardor.

⁴ Then I asked the angel: »What are these, my lord?« ⁵ The angel answered: »These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

¹ After this I saw a door opened in heaven: and the first voice that I heard was talking to me like a trumpet. It said: »Come up here and I will show you things from the future.«

¹⁰ »I belong to my beloved. His desire is toward me.

¹⁶ »Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow. You will, however, not mourn and you will not weep, and your tears will not come.

¹² »‘They will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. They will throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water.’

¹¹ He said to me: »O Daniel, you are greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you. Stand upright for I have been sent to you.« When he spoke these words I stood trembling. ¹² Then he said: »Do not fear Daniel! From the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your prayer.

¹⁹ He said, »O man greatly beloved, do not fear, peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong.« And when he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, »Let my lord speak for you have strengthened me.«

²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said: »Greetings highly favored one. God is with you.«

¹⁵ Moses killed it and took some of the blood. Using his finger he put it on the projections at the corners of the altar, in order to dedicate it. He then poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. In this way he dedicated it and purified it.

⁸ »‘Count seven times seven years (seven sabbaths of years), a total of forty-nine years.

³⁴ »‘You explored the land for forty days. So for forty years, one year for each day, you will suffer for your sins and know what it means for me to be against you.’

²⁴ The priests killed the goats and poured their blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people. The king commanded that burnt offerings and sin offerings be made for all Israel.

⁶ »I have installed (anointed) (established) my king on Zion, my holy mountain.«

⁷ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your fellows.

⁶ »Lift up your eyes to the heavens. Look at the earth below. The heavens will vanish like smoke and the earth will wear out like a garment. Its inhabitants die like flies (gnats). But my salvation will last forever! My righteousness will never fail.

⁸ »The moth will eat them up like a garment. The worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever! My salvation will last through all generations.«

¹⁰ It was Jehovah’s will to allow him to be crushed. Even though Jehovah makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After his suffering he will see the light and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many. He will bear their iniquities.

¹ Jehovah says: »Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, because Jehovah has anointed me to announce good news to the lowly and meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.

⁵ »The days are coming,« declares Jehovah, »when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch. He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ »In His days Judah will be saved. Israel will dwell securely. This is his name by which he will be called, Jehovah Is Our Righteousness.

²² The punishment of your evil doing is complete, O daughter of Zion; never again will he take you away as a prisoner. He has turned his attention to your error, O daughter of Edom. He has uncovered your sin.

⁶ »After you have finished this lie down again. This time lie on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you forty days, a day for each year.

¹² »Son of man, sing a funeral song for the ruler of Tyre. Tell him: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »‘»You were the perfect example, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

²¹ »She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus (»Jehovah (YHWH) is salvation«), because he will save his people from their sins.«

¹³ »For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

²⁴ »What do you want with us Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God!«

³⁵ The angel replied: »Holy Spirit would come to you and the power of the Most High will envelope you. Because of this the newborn will be called the Son of God.«

¹⁸ »The Spirit of Jehovah is upon me. He anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are bruised. ¹⁹ »To proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah.« (Isaiah 61:1) ²⁰ He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ »Today,« he said, »you heard this scripture fulfilled.«

²⁵ He said to them: »You are foolish men. You are slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ »Did the Christ need to suffer these things and enter into his glory?« ²⁷ He explained to them all the Scriptures about the things concerning him. He spoke about Moses and all the prophets.

⁴⁴ He said: »These are my words that I spoke to you, while I was yet with you. All things must be fulfilled. They are things that are written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, concerning me.« ⁴⁵ He opened their minds that they might understand the scriptures.

⁴¹ He found his brother Simon first. He said to him: »We have found the Messiah (Christ).«

³⁴ »For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. God does not give the spirit by measure.

²⁸ He knew that it was over. In order that the scripture might be accomplished, he said: »I thirst.« ²⁹ A vessel full of vinegar was setting there. They put a sponge full of vinegar upon a hyssop branch and brought it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus received the vinegar, he said, »it is finished.« He bowed his head, and he stopped breathing.

¹⁴ »You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and requested a murderer to be released to you.

²² »Moses said to the fathers, ‘Jehovah will raise up for your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to all the things he speaks to you.’ (Deuteronomy 18:18)

²¹ But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets. ²² God makes people righteous through their active faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all.

¹⁰ While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son. Being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

³⁰ It is because of him you are united with Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

¹⁸ All things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ. He gave the ministry of reconciliation to us. ¹⁹ God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ. He was not imputing their trespasses against them, for he had committed the word of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making entreaty through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ that you be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made the one who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. That way we might become the righteousness of God in him.

⁹ I want to be united with him. I no longer want a righteousness of my own that is gained by obeying the law. The righteousness from God is by faith in Christ.

²⁰ And all things are reconciled through him. He made peace through the blood of his atonement (of the stake). He reconciles all things, whether things upon the earth, or things in heaven.

¹⁴ He blotted out the bond written in ordinances. It was against us and was contrary to us. He has taken it out of the way. He nailed it to the stake.

⁸ But he says to the Son: »God is your throne forever and ever. (Your throne, Oh God-like one, is forever.) A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. (Psalm 45:6, 7) ⁹ »You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.«

¹⁷ This means that he had to become like his »brothers« in every way, in order to be their faithful and merciful High Priest in his service to God, in order to offer a propitiatory sacrifice (pay atonement) (to make reconciliation) for the sins of the people.

²⁶ Such a high priest as this was suitable for us. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and higher than the heavens.

¹¹ Christ came as the high priest of the good things that are now here. He also went into a much better tent that is not made by humans and does not belong to this creation. ¹² He went once and forever into the Most Holy Place having eternal salvation. It is not with the blood of goats and young bulls, but with his blood. ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes from the burning of a young cow, sprinkled on the unclean made them outwardly clean. ¹⁴ The blood of Christ did even more. Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself without blemish to God and cleansed your conscience from dead works. Now we can serve (worship) the living God.

²⁶ Otherwise he would have to suffer often from the founding of the world. He has presented himself once at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

¹⁴ With one offering he has perfected those who are sanctified forever.

¹ Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ:

⁸ He who sins is of the devil. For the devil sinned from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was made known (manifested), that he might destroy the works of the devil.

⁷ »To the angel of the congregation in Philadelphia write: He says these things. He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens.

⁶ Then I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven. He had everlasting good news to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

²⁵ The king said to Zadok: »Take the Ark of the Covenant back to the city. If Jehovah is pleased with me he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays.

²⁴ So the work of the house of God at Jerusalem was stopped, till the second year of the rule of Darius, king of Persia.

¹ Then Darius the king gave an order and a search was made in the house of the records. This is where the things of value were stored in Babylon. ² In the great house of the king in the land of Media, at Achmetha they came across a roll. This statement was put on record: ³ »In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made an order: In connection with the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be constructed as the place where they make offerings. Let them brake ground for the foundation. Let it be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide, ⁴ »with three lines of large stones and one line of new wood supports. Let the necessary money be given out of the king's storehouse. ⁵ »And let the gold and silver vessels from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple at Jerusalem to Babylon, be given back and taken again to the Temple at Jerusalem, every one in its place, and put them in the house of God. ⁶ »Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and your people the Apharsachites across the river, keep far from that place: ⁷ »Let the work of this house of God continue. Let the ruler of the Jews and their responsible men construct this house of God in its place. ⁸ »Further, I give orders as to what you are to do for the responsible men of the Jews in connection with the building of this house of God: That from the king's wealth, that is, from the taxes got together in the land over the river, the money needed is to be given to these men readily, so that their work may not be stopped. ⁹ »When they need young bulls and sheep and lambs, for burned offerings to the God of heaven and grain, salt, wine, and oil, whatever the priests in Jerusalem say is necessary, is to be given to them day by day regularly: ¹⁰ »That they may make offerings of a sweet smell to the God of heaven, with prayers for the life of the king and of his sons. ¹¹ »I further give orders that if anyone makes any change in this word; one of the supports is to be pulled out of his house. He is to be lifted up and fixed to it and his house is to be destroyed. ¹² »May the God who has made it a resting-place for his name send destruction on all kings and peoples whose hands are outstretched to make any change in this or to do damage to this house of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given this order. Let it be done with all care.« ¹³ Then Tattenai, the ruler across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and their people, because of the order given by King Darius, did as he said with all care. ¹⁴ The responsible men of the Jews went on with their building and progressed rapidly. The teaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, helped them. They went on building till it was complete. They kept the word of the God of Israel, and the orders of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia. ¹⁵ The construction of this house was complete on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the rule of Darius the king.

¹ Now after these things, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

⁸ He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king's rule.

¹¹ This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and the scribe-copyist, who put into writing the words of the orders of Jehovah and of his rules for Israel: ¹² »Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, all peace; ¹³ »It is my order that all the people of Israel, including their priests and Levites in my kingdom, who are ready and have a desire to go to Jerusalem, are to go with you. ¹⁴ »The king and his seven wise men send you to get knowledge about Judah and Jerusalem. The Law of your God orders you. ¹⁵ »You are to take with you the silver and gold freely offered by the king and his wise men to the God of Israel, who’s Temple is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ »As well as all the silver and gold which you get from the land of Babylon, together with the offering of the people and of the priests, freely given for the house of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ »Use this money to buy bulls, sheep, and lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, to be offered on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ »Whatever seems right to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, that do, as may be pleasing to your God. ¹⁹ »The vessels that have been given to you for the uses of the house of your God, you are to give to the God of Jerusalem. ²⁰ »Whatever is needed for the house of your God, and which you may have to give, take it from the king's storehouse. ²¹ »And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, now give orders to all keepers of the king's money across the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may have need of from you, is to be done with all care, ²² »Up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred measures of grain, a hundred measures of wine, and a hundred measures of oil, and salt without measure. ²³ »Whatever the God of heaven orders let it be done completely for the house of the God of heaven. Let there not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. ²⁴ »In addition, we make it clear to you, that it will be against the law to put any tax or payment in goods or forced payment on any of the priests or Levites, the music-makers, doorkeepers, Nethinim, or any servants of this house of God. ²⁵ »And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your God which is in you, are to put rulers and judges to have authority over all the people across the river who have knowledge of the laws of your God. You are to teach any who have no knowledge of them. ²⁶ »If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, take care that punishment is given to him. This is by death or by driving him from his country or by taking away his goods or by putting him in prison.«

¹ In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him. I served the wine to the king. Never before had I been sad when the king was present. ² The king said to me: »Why is your face sad, seeing that you are not ill? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.« Then I was full of fear. ³ I said to the king: »May the king live a very long time. My face should look sad for the town where my fathers are buried is devastated. It has been destroyed by fire.« ⁴ The king asked: »What is your desire?« So I made prayer to the God of heaven. ⁵ I said to the king: »If it is the king's will, and if your servant has your approval, send me to Judah, to the town where the bodies of my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.« ⁶ The queen sat by him when the king said: »How long will your journey take? When will you come back? So the king was pleased to send me, and I gave him a fixed time. ⁷ Further, I said to the king: »If it is the king's pleasure, let letters be given to me for the rulers across the river so that they may let me go through till I come to Judah. ⁸ »I need a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's park, so that he may give me wood to make boards for the doors of the tower of the house, and for the wall of the town, and for the house which is to be mine.« The king gave me this, for the hand of my God was on me.

¹ The high priest Eliashib worked with his brother priest to rebuild the Sheep Gateway. They made it holy and put its doors in position. They sanctified everything as far as the tower of Hammeah including to the tower of Hananel.

⁸ All of them conspired to come and launch an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.

¹⁶ From that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal wardresses. The leaders were in back of the men of Judah. ¹⁷ Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part. Everyone worked with one hand and with his spear in the other. ¹⁸ Every builder was working with his sword at his side. By my side was a man for sounding the warning horn.

¹⁵ The wall was complete on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. It took fifty-two days.

¹⁰ My enemies talk about me. They watch me as they plot to take my life.

⁶ For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

⁴ Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the nations.

¹¹ It magnified itself, even to the prince of the host. It took the continual burnt offering from him and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

²⁵ »Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will boast about himself in his heart. In their security they will destroy many. He will even stand up against the prince of princes; but he will be destroyed without human power.

²³ »At the beginning of your supplications the commandment went forth. I came to report to you for you are greatly loved. Consider the matter, and understand the vision.

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).

²³ »He that was sown upon the good ground hears the word, and understands it. He bears fruit, producing sometimes a hundredfold, sometimes sixty, and sometimes thirty.«

²⁵ The woman responded: »I know that Christ the Messiah is coming. When he comes he will tell us all things.«

¹⁵ »You killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead. We witnessed this!

³¹ »God exalted him to his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

³⁰ Philip ran to him, heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said: »Do you understand what you are reading?«

¹⁶ Make the most of your time (redeem or ransom back time), because the days are evil.

⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, and the firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood.

¹⁶ He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, »King of Kings« and »Lord of Lords«!

¹⁵ My power is dried up like pieces of broken pottery. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me down in the dust of death.

⁷ »That is why Jehovah is going to bring against them the raging and powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates River, that is, the king of Assyria with all his power. It will overflow all its channels and go over all its banks.

⁸ He was oppressed, judged and taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? He was removed from the land of the living. He was destroyed because of the transgression of my people.

⁷ Who is this, rising like the Nile River, like streams that flow swiftly?

²⁷ »He will make a firm covenant with many for one week (time period of seven). In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offerings to cease. The one that makes desolate will come upon the wing of abominations. At the end that which is decreed will be poured out upon the one lying desolate.«

¹⁰ »And his sons will be warlike and will assemble a multitude of great forces, which will come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they will return and fight, even to his fortress.

¹⁷ »And he will be determined to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions. He will perform them. He will give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she will not stand or be on his side.

⁹ Jehovah said: »Name him Loammi for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

⁸ »Will the land not tremble for this, and every one who dwells there mourn? I will rise up like the river. It will be troubled and sink again, like the River of Egypt.

⁵ »For the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, is he who touches the land and it melts. All who live there will mourn. It will rise up like the River Nile, and will subside again, like the River of Egypt.

⁸ He will exterminate adversaries with an over flowing flood and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

² »The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

⁷ »The king was angry, and sent his armies to put the evil servants to death and to destroy their town with fire.

³⁸ »Behold, your house is left desolate.

² He said to them: »Do you see these things? I tell you, not one stone will be left upon another. They will all be thrown down.«

⁶ »You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do not be troubled, for this must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁷ »Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many places. ⁸ »These things are the beginning of birth pains (Greek: odin': in the throws of pain, such as childbirth). ⁹ »People will cause you tribulation, and kill you. You will be hated by all the nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ »Many will stumble and betray and hate one another. ¹¹ »Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² »Wickedness and lawlessness will increase. The love of many will grow cold. ¹³ »The person who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ »The good news of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world for a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.

¹² He said: »Elijah does come first and restores all things. It is written that the Son of man should suffer and be treated with contempt?

² Jesus said: »See these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another. They will all be thrown down.«

⁷ »When you hear of wars and rumors (reports) of wars do not be troubled. These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

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.«

⁶ »Concerning these things you see, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.«

²⁴ »They will be killed by the edge of the sword. Some will be led captive into all the nations. The people of the nations will tread down Jerusalem until the time of the Nations is fulfilled.

²⁶ »Did the Christ need to suffer these things and enter into his glory?«

⁴⁶ He said: »It is written that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day.

⁵¹ He did not say this from his own understanding. As high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. ⁵² He would die for the nation. He would also gather together the children of God that are scattered abroad.

³² »When I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men to myself.« ³³ He said this indicating the type of death he would experience. ³⁴ The crowd answered him: »We have heard from the law that the Christ lives forever. Why do you say the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?«

³⁰ »I will speak no more with you. The prince of the world comes. He has no hold on me!

¹³ They brought false witnesses, which said: »This man will not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. ¹⁴ »We heard him say: ‘This Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.’«

²¹ He made the one who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. That way we might become the righteousness of God in him.

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It is written; »Cursed is everyone who is hung on a stake.«

²¹ For this you were called because Christ also suffered for you. He left you an example (a copy for imitation) (a model) that you should follow in his steps.

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

¹⁸ Because Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

²⁶ »I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that you will soon utterly perish from off the land you possess the other side of the Jordan. You will not prolong your days upon it, but will be destroyed. ²⁷ »Jehovah will scatter you among the nations. You will become few in number among the heathen, where Jehovah will lead you. ²⁸ »You will serve gods that are the work of men's hands. Made of wood and stone. They cannot see, hear, eat or smell.

¹⁸ »Make sure that no man, woman, family, or tribe standing here today turns from Jehovah our God to serve the gods of other nations. This would be like a root that grows to be a bitter and poisonous plant. ¹⁹ »Be sure there is no one here today who hears these solemn demands and yet convinces himself that all will be well with him. He would go stubbornly on his own way. That would destroy all of you, good and evil alike.

¹⁷ »If your hearts turn away, and you do not listen, you might be tempted to bow down to other gods and worship them. ¹⁸ »If you do, I tell you today that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live for a long time in the land that you are about to possess when you cross the Jordan River.

²⁸ »Assemble all the elders of your tribes and your officers in front of me. As they listen, I will speak these words and call on heaven and earth to testify against them. ²⁹ »I know that after I die you will become thoroughly corrupt and turn from the way I have commanded you to live. In the days to come disasters will happen to you because you will make Jehovah furious by doing what he considers evil.«

¹⁹ »Jehovah saw this and rejected them. His own sons and daughters made him angry. ²⁰ »He said: ‘I will turn away from them and find out what will happen to them. They are a devious and perverse generation. They are children who have no faith. ²¹ »They made him furious because they worshiped foreign gods. They angered him because they worshiped worthless idols. So I will use those who are not my people to make them jealous and a nation of godless fools to make them angry. ²² My anger has started a fire that will burn into the depths of the grave. It will consume the earth and its crops and set the foundations of the mountains on fire. ²³ »I will heap distress on them! I will use my arrows on them. ²⁴ »They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague and bitter destruction. I will send teeth of wild animals on them, with the venom of crawling things (reptiles) of the dust. ²⁵ »Outside the sword will bereave. Inside terror shall destroy both young man and virgin, babies and old man with gray hair. ²⁶ »I would have said: ‘I will cut them to pieces. I will remove the memory of them from men.’ ²⁷ »I did not want their enemies to make me angry. I did not want their opponents to misunderstand and say: We won this victory! Jehovah did not do all this! ²⁸ »My people have lost their good sense. They do not understand. ²⁹ They fail to see why they were defeated. They cannot understand what happened. ³⁰ »Why were a thousand defeated by one? Why ten thousand by only two? Jehovah their God abandoned them! Their mighty God gave them up. ³¹ »Their rock is not like our rock! Their enemies know that their own gods are weak, not mighty like Israel's God. ³² »Their vine is like the vine of Sodom. Their fields are like Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of anger. Their clusters are bitter. ³³ »Their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of asps (cobras). ³⁴ »Is this not laid up in store with me and sealed up among my treasures? ³⁵ »Vengeance and retribution belong to me. (Vengeance is mine, I will repay.) Their foot shall slide in time, for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things to come on them come quickly. 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. ³⁷ »He will say: ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge? ³⁸ »Who ate the fat of their sacrifices? Who drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you. Let them be your hiding place! ³⁹ »See now that I, even I, am he. There is no god besides me! It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heals. There is no one who can deliver from my hand. ⁴⁰ »Indeed, I lift up my hand to heaven, and say: As I live forever, ⁴¹ »I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on justice! I will render vengeance on my adversaries. I will repay those who hate me. ⁴² »I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword will devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the longhaired leaders of the enemy. ⁴³ »Rejoice you nations with his people. He will avenge the blood of his servants. He will render vengeance on his adversaries, and will atone for his land and his people.« ⁴⁴ Then Moses came, along with Joshua son of Nun, and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.

²² Let their table before them become a snare. Let it become retribution and a trap. ²³ Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see. Let their backs be continually bent. ²⁴ Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them. ²⁵ Let their habitation be desolate and let no one live in their tents. ²⁶ For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt. ²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime. Do not let them come into your righteousness. ²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.

²² Your people, O Israel, are like the sand of the sea. Yet only a remnant within them will return. Overwhelming and righteous destruction has been decreed. ²³ The Sovereign Lord Jehovah of Hosts, will carry out the complete destruction decreed upon the whole land.

²² Do not be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard from the Sovereign Lord Jehovah of Hosts that destruction is determined (decreed) upon the whole earth.

⁶ »I, Jehovah, have called you and have given you power to see that justice is done on earth. I will make a covenant with all peoples and bring light (truth) (light of instruction) (Psalm 27:1) to the nations through you.

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

³ Give ear and come to me; listen to me, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

³¹ »The time is coming,« proclaims Jehovah, »when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. ³² »It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, although I was a husband to them,« says Jehovah. ³³ »This is the covenant (agreement) that I will make with Israel after those days,« declares Jehovah. »I will put my teachings (Law) inside them. I will write those teachings (Law) on their hearts (inner man) (mind) (will) (conscience) (understanding). I will be their God, and they will be my people.« ³⁴ »No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying: ‘Know Jehovah.’ »All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,« declares Jehovah. »I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold (remember) their sins against them.«

⁴⁰ »I will make an eternal promise to them that I will never stop blessing them. I will make them respect me so that they will never turn away from me. ⁴¹ »I will enjoy blessing them. With all my heart and all my being I will faithfully plant them in this land.’« ⁴² »This is what Jehovah says: ‘As I brought all these disasters on these people, so I will bring on them all these blessings that I have promised them.

⁶⁰ ‘»I will honor the covenant I made with you when you were young. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. ⁶¹ ‘»You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you.’ ⁶² ‘»I will renew my covenant with you, and you will know that I am Jehovah. ⁶³ ‘»I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.’ The Lord Jehovah has spoken.«

¹³ Then I heard a holy one speak and another holy one said to it: »How long will the vision be concerning the continual burnt-offering and the transgression that makes desolate to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?«

³⁶ »The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god. He will speak horrable (atrocious) things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the indignation is accomplished for that which is determined will be done.

¹¹ »From the time that the continual burnt offering will be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.

²⁸ »This is (represents) (means) (exemplifies) my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

⁵¹ The veil (curtain) of the temple was ripped in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks split.

²⁰ »When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies you will know that desolation is near.

¹⁵ But the two are not the same, because God’s gift (spiritual endowment) is not like Adam’s sin. It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man. But God’s grace is much greater, and so is his gift to so many people through the loving-kindness of the one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ Through the disobedience of one man many have been made sinners. Yet through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous.

²⁶ In this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: The deliverer will come out of Zion and will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

⁸ Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcised for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers. ⁹ That the nations might glorify God for his mercy as it is written: »For this cause I will confess you to the people of the nations, and sing to your name.«

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It is written; »Cursed is everyone who is hung on a stake.« ¹⁴ This way the blessing of Abraham might come upon the nations through Christ Jesus and we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ¹⁵ Brothers, I speak like a man speaks: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it. ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He did not say to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to your seed, which is Christ. ¹⁷ Now this I say: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

¹³ When God made a promise to Abraham, he could swear by no one greater then himself, so he swore by himself. ¹⁴ He said: »I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.« ¹⁵ After waiting patiently, Abraham received the promise. ¹⁶ Men swear by someone greater then themselves: and an oath for confirmation to them puts an end to the problem. ¹⁷ When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this to offer encouragement so we may rely on the hope offered to us. We have taken refuge in that hope and it is impossible for God to lie. These two things can never be changed.

⁸ God finds fault with his people and said to them: »‘The time is coming,’ says Jehovah, ‘when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. (Jeremiah 31:31) ⁹ »‘It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They were not faithful to the covenant I made with them, and so I paid no attention to them. ¹⁰ »‘This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ said Jehovah: ‘I will put my teachings (laws) in their mind, I will write them upon their hearts (deep thought) (understanding). I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:32) ¹¹ »‘They will not teach a neighbor or brother saying: »Know Jehovah.« All will know me from the little one among them to the great among them. (Hosea 2:20) ¹² »‘I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more.’« ¹³ By calling this covenant »new,« he has made the first one old (obsolete). That which grows old and aged will soon disappear.

¹⁵ For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant. A death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant. Those called may receive the promise of everlasting inheritance. ¹⁶ A will is used for a person who is dead. It becomes effective only when the person dies. ¹⁷ A will is in force after a person dies. Otherwise it is not in effect at all while the one who provided it lives. ¹⁸ The first covenant was dedicated with blood. ¹⁹ When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, ²⁰ He said: »This is the blood of the covenant that God has presented to you.«

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

⁴ It is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins. ⁵ When Christ came into the world he said: »‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but you have prepared a body for me. ⁶ »‘You have no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.’ ⁷ »Then I said: ‘I have come in the scroll of the book. It is written about me, to do your will, O God.’« ⁸ Then he said: »You did not want nor did you approve of sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin;« which are offered by the Law. ⁹ He also said: »I come to do your will, O God.« He takes away the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ We are sanctified by his »will« through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ Every priest stands daily, serving and offering time after time the same sacrifices. Yet they can never take away sins. ¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting until his enemies are placed as a stool for his feet. ¹⁴ With one offering he has perfected those who are sanctified forever. ¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after that he said: ¹⁶ »‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,’ says Jehovah; ‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.’ (Jeremiah 31:33) ¹⁷ »I will not remember their sins and unrighteousness.« ¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness for these, there is no more offering for sin. ¹⁹ Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, ²¹ having a high priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

²⁰ Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, ²¹ make you perfect (mature) in every good thing. May you do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.