Exodus 23 Cross References - NSB

¹ »Do not spread false rumors. Do not help a guilty person by offering false testimony. ² »Do not follow the majority to do wrong. Do not give testimony that perverts justice. ³ »Do not show partiality to a poor man at his trial. ⁴ »If you see your enemy’s cow or donkey running loose, take it back to him. ⁵ »If your enemy’s donkey falls under its load, help him get the donkey to its feet again. Do not just walk away. ⁶ »Do not deny justice to a poor person at his trial. ⁷ »Do not make false accusations. Do not put an innocent person to death. I will condemn anyone who does this evil thing. ⁸ »Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe makes the discerning blind to what is right and perverts the words of the righteous. ⁹ »Do not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner. After all you were foreigners in Egypt. ¹⁰ »Plant your land and gather in what it produces for six years. ¹¹ »Let your land rest the seventh year. Do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there. The wild animals may have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees. ¹² »Work six days a week. Do no work on the seventh day. Allow your slaves and the foreigners who work for you and even your animals to rest. ¹³ »Listen to everything Jehovah has said to you. Do not pray to other gods! Do not even mention their names. ¹⁴ »Celebrate three festivals a year to honor me. ¹⁵ »In the month of Abib, the month in which you left Egypt, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the way that I commanded you. Do not eat any bread made with yeast during the seven days of this festival. Never come to worship me without bringing an offering. ¹⁶ »Celebrate the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest your crops. Celebrate the Festival of Shelters in the autumn, when you gather the fruit from your vineyards and orchards. ¹⁷ »All your males should appear before Jehovah God three times a year. ¹⁸ »Do not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. Do not allow the fat of my feast to remain overnight until morning. ¹⁹ »Bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of Jehovah your God. Do not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother. ²⁰ »I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. ²¹ »Be on your guard before him and obey his voice. Do not be rebellious toward him. He will not pardon your transgression, since my name is in him. (He has my honor, authority and character) ²² »If you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. ²³ »My messenger will go ahead of you. I will lead you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. ²⁴ »Do not worship or serve their gods or follow their practices. You must destroy their gods and crush their sacred stones. ²⁵ »You must serve Jehovah your God! I will bless your food and water. I will take away all sickness from among you. ²⁶ »No woman in your land will miscarry or be unable to have children. I will let you live a normal life span. ²⁷ »I will send my terror ahead of you and throw any nation you meet into a panic. I will make all your enemies flee from you. ²⁸ »I will throw your enemies into panic! I will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites as you advance. ²⁹ »I will not drive them out within a year’s time. If I did, the land would become deserted. There would be too many wild animals for you. ³⁰ »I will drive them a few at a time, until there are enough of you to take possession of the land. ³¹ »I will make the borders of your land extend from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Mediterranean Sea and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give you power over the inhabitants of the land. You will drive them out as you advance. ³² »Do not make any agreement with them or with their gods. ³³ »Do not allow them to live in your land for they will make you sin against me. If you serve their gods it will be a snare to you.«

¹⁶ »Do not (lie) accuse anyone falsely.

⁷ »Do not make false accusations. Do not put an innocent person to death. I will condemn anyone who does this evil thing.

¹¹ »‘Do not steal. Do not deal falsely. Do not lie to one another.

¹⁶ »‘Never gossip. Never endanger your neighbor's life. I am Jehovah.

²⁰ »‘Do not bear false witness against another man.

¹⁶ »This is what you must do whenever a witness takes the stand to accuse a person falsely of a crime. ¹⁷ »The two people involved must stand in Jehovah’s presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time. ¹⁸ »The judges must make a thorough investigation. If it is found that the witness lied when he testified against the other Israelite, ¹⁹ do to him what he planned to do to the other person. Get rid of this evil. ²⁰ »When other people hear about this, they will be afraid. Never again will such an evil thing be done among you. ²¹ »Have no pity on him: Take a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.

³ »Where is your master Saul’s grandson?« The king asked. »He stayed in Jerusalem,« said Ziba. He said: »Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.«

²⁷ »He told you lies about me. My lord the king is like an angel of God. Do what you think is right.

¹⁰ »Get two good-for-nothing persons to come before him and give witness that he has been cursing God and the king. Then take him out and have him stoned to death.« ¹¹ So the elders and nobles in authority in his town did as Jezebel said in the letter she sent them. ¹² They gave orders for a day of public sorrow and put Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ The two good-for-nothing persons came in and took their seats before him and gave witness against Naboth, in front of the people. They said: »Naboth has been cursing God and the king.« Then they took him outside the town and had him stoned to death.

³ The one who does not malign with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor or close friend.

¹² Do not surrender me to the will of my opponents. False witnesses have risen against me. They breathe out violence.

¹¹ Violent witnesses bring charges against me. They ask me things I know nothing about.

⁵ I will destroy anyone who secretly slanders his neighbor. I will not tolerate anyone with a conceited look or arrogant heart.

³ You deceitful tongue, what can Jehovah give you? What more can he do for you?

¹⁹ A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brothers.

¹⁸ Truly a fool hides hatred with lying lips, and speaks slander.

¹⁷ He who speaks truth shows righteousness, but a false witness deceit.

⁴ The evildoer pays attention to false lips. A liar listens attentively to a wicked tongue.

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished. The liar will not escape.

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished and the liar will perish.

²⁸ An ungodly witness scorns judgment. The mouth of the wicked devours evil.

²⁸ A false witness will perish, but the man who hears the truth will speak forever.

²⁸ Do not witness against your neighbor without cause. Do not deceive with you lips.

¹⁸ A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

²³ The north wind drives away rain. So does an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

¹⁰ For I have heard the whispering of many: »Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!« All my trusted friends are watching for my fall. They say: »Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him and take our revenge on him.«

¹⁸ The man replied: »Which law?« And Jesus said: »Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false witness,

⁵⁹ The chief priests and all the Sanhedrin were looking for false witness against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. ⁶⁰ They failed, even though a number of false witnesses came. ⁶¹ Later two witnesses came. They said: »This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’«

¹⁴ »If the governor hears about this, we will persuade him so you may be free from worry.« ¹⁵ So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until this day.

¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him: »What must we do?« And he said: »Do not take money from any one by force. Never falsely accuse any one wrongfully and be content with your wages.«

⁸ Zacchaeus stood before Jesus and said: »Lord, I now give half of all my possessions to the poor. If I have defrauded any one I will give back four times the amount taken.«

¹¹ They secretly induced me to say: »We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.« ¹² They stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and pursued him. They caught him and brought him to the council. ¹³ They brought false witnesses, which said: »This man will not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

⁸ Why not say, »Let us do evil so that good may come?« Some people have insulted me by accusing me of saying this very thing! They should be condemned and they will be.

²⁵ Put away falsehood. Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor: for we are members (belonging to) (together with) of one another.

³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of those who are good,

¹⁶ Keep a good conscience. When you are spoken against, those who revile your good manner of life in Christ may be put to shame.

¹⁰ I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, »Now has come the salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power (authority) of his Christ: for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accused them before our God day and night.

¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become. All the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

¹ Jehovah said to Noah: »Go into the ark, you and your whole family. For I have found you righteous in this generation.

⁴ They prepared to retire for the night when suddenly all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.

⁷ »Please, my brothers,« he begged, »do not do such a wicked thing. ⁸ »I have two virgin daughters. Do with them as you wish, but leave these men alone, for they are under my protection.« ⁹ »Stand back!« they shouted. »Who do you think you are? We let you settle among us, and now you are trying to tell us what to do! We will treat you far worse than those other men!« They pushed Lot and began breaking down the door.

⁶ »Do not deny justice to a poor person at his trial. ⁷ »Do not make false accusations. Do not put an innocent person to death. I will condemn anyone who does this evil thing.

¹ The people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain. They gathered around Aaron. They said to him: »We do not know what has happened to Moses, the man who led us out of Egypt. Make gods to lead us.« ² Aaron replied: »Have your wives, sons, and daughters take off the gold earrings they are wearing. Bring them to me.« ³ The people took off their gold earrings and handed them to Aaron. ⁴ After he worked on the gold with a tool, he made it into a statue of a calf. Then they said: »Israel, this is your god, who brought you out of Egypt.« ⁵ Aaron built an altar in front of it when he saw what happened. Then he announced: »Tomorrow there will be a festival in Jehovah’s honor.«

¹⁵ »‘Do no injustice in judgment. Do not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great. Judge your neighbor fairly.

¹ All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night. ² They complained to Moses and Aaron: »If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! ³ »Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?« ⁴ They said to each other: »Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.« ⁵ Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole congregation of Israel assembled there. ⁶ At the same time, two of those who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothes in despair. ⁷ They said to the entire congregation of Israel: »The land we explored is very good. ⁸ »If Jehovah is pleased with us, he will take us there and give us that rich and fertile land. ⁹ »Do not rebel against Jehovah. Do not be afraid of the people who live there. We will conquer them easily. Jehovah is with us and has defeated the gods who protected them. Do not be afraid.« ¹⁰ The whole congregation threatened to stone them to death. Then suddenly the people saw the dazzling light of Jehovah’s presence (glory) (splendor) appear over the tent.

¹⁷ »You will not show partiality in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great. You will not fear man for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

¹⁹ »Never pervert justice. Always be impartial. Never take a bribe, because bribes blind wise people and deny justice to those who are in the right.

¹⁷ »Do not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan. Do not take a widow's garment in pledge.

¹⁵ »‘If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve Jehovah.’«

⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good. They destroyed only what was useless or worthless.

¹⁰ He said: »I have been zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement (covenant). They have destroyed your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life too.«

³⁴ because I stood in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silent and did not go out of doors.

² He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners tempt you do not consent. ¹¹ If they say: »Come with us. Let us lie in wait to kill someone. Let us ambush the innocent without cause.

¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them. Withhold your food from their path!

¹⁴ Do not enter the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ The officials were so angry with Jeremiah that they beat him and put him in prison in the scribe Jonathan's house, which had been turned into a prison.

²¹ King Zedekiah gave the command to have Jeremiah put in the courtyard of the prison. He gave him a loaf of bread every day from the bakers' street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the prison.

⁵ King Zedekiah answered: »Very well, then, do what you want to with him. I cannot stop you.« ⁶ So they took me and let me down by ropes into Prince Malchiah's well, which was in the palace courtyard. There was no water in the well, only mud, and I sank down in it.

⁹ »Your Majesty, what these men have done is wrong. They have put Jeremiah in the well, where he is sure to die of starvation, since there is no more food in the city.«

⁹ He answered me: »The wickedness of the nations of Israel and Judah is terrible! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with wrongdoing. They think that Jehovah has abandoned the land and that he does not see.

⁴ »Is it time for you to dwell in your roofed and covered houses, while this house is desolate?«

²⁴ Pilate saw that he could do nothing. The people were ready to cause much trouble. He took water and washed his hands in front of the people. He said: »The blood of this man is not on my hands. You are responsible.« ²⁵ The people answered: »Let his blood be on us, and on our children.« ²⁶ He set Barabbas free. He had Jesus whipped. Then he commanded that he be put to death on the stake.

¹⁵ Wishing to please the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. Then he handed over Jesus. He was flogged and impaled.

²³ But they were insistent and spoke in loud voices asking him to impale him. And they prevailed. ²⁴ Pilate pronounced a sentence that what they asked for should be done.

⁵¹ He was from Arimathaea a city of the Jews and was looking for the kingdom of God.

⁵⁰ Nicodemus spoke to them. (He is the Pharisee who earlier went to Jesus.) ⁵¹ »Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to find out what he has done?«

²⁷ After two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix. Felix was willing to show the Jews a favor. He left Paul in prison.

⁹ Festus was willing to do the Jews a favor, so he answered Paul: »Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?«

³² They know the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death! And yet, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who do them.

¹¹ When Cephas came to Antioch, I openly resisted him because he was completely wrong. ¹² He ate with the people of the nations until some men James sent arrived. When they arrived, he drew back and separated himself. He feared those who were of the circumcised people. ¹³ The rest of the Jews were hypocrites with him, so much that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

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.

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

¹ »If your brother’s bull or sheep stray do not ignore them. Bring them back to your brother. ² »If you are not acquainted with your brother, or you just do not know him, then you should bring it home to your house. Keep it with you until your brother looks for it. Then you should give it to him. ³ »You should do the same with his donkey and his garment. You should do likewise with anything lost by your brother found by you. Do not ignore it. ⁴ »You should not see your brothers donkey or his bull fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them. Help him lift it to its feet.

²⁹ »If I have rejoiced at the ruin of those who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook them, ³⁰ »I have not let my mouth sin by asking for their lives with a curse.

¹⁷ Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles. ¹⁸ Jehovah will see it and be displeased and turn his anger away from him.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

⁴⁴ »I say love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

²⁷ »I tell you who listen, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ »Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who despitefully use you.

¹⁷ Return evil for evil to no man. Provide honest things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ When it is possible, be peaceable with all men. ¹⁹ Dearly beloved, do not avenge yourselves, instead leave room for divine punishment, for it is written: Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 32:35) ²⁰ Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. ²¹ Do not be evil, but overcome evil with good.

¹⁵ See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone. But follow that which is good, both among you, and to all men.

⁴ »You should not see your brothers donkey or his bull fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them. Help him lift it to its feet.

² »Do not follow the majority to do wrong. Do not give testimony that perverts justice. ³ »Do not show partiality to a poor man at his trial.

¹⁹ »‘Cursed is he who withholds justice due an alien, orphan, and widow. The people all say: Amen.

⁷ »Do your work in honor of him and know that he will not allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes.«

¹³ »If I have rejected the cause of my male or female slaves, when they brought a complaint against me

²¹ if I have raised my hand against the orphan, because I saw I had supporters at the gate; ²² then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.

³ »Defend the weak and fatherless. Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor. ⁴ »Rescue the weak and needy. Help them escape the power of the wicked.«

⁸ If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the country, do not be shocked at the sight. One official watches over another official and there are higher officials over them.

¹ How horrible it will be for those who enact unjust laws and who decree oppressive regulations. ² They deprive the poor of justice. They take away the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and rob orphans.

²⁸ »They grow big and fat. Their evil deeds have no limits. They have no respect for the rights of others. They have no respect for the rights of orphans. But they still prosper. They do not defend the rights of the poor.

²⁸ All of them are stubborn rebels. They go about telling false stories. They are copper and iron. They are all corrupt, all of them!

⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin,

¹¹ You impose unfair rent on the poor and defraud a tribute of grain from them. You haave built houses of hewn stone yet you will not live in them. You planted pleasant vineyards, but you will not drink the wine from them. ¹² I know you have many transgressions and your sins are great. You afflict the righteous. You take bribes. You refuse to help the needy at the gate.

¹ I said: »Please listen, you heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not your responsibility to know justice? ² »You hate good and love evil! You rip off their skin and their flesh from off their bones! ³ »You eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them! You break their bones, and chop them in pieces similar to the contents of a pot or a caldron. ⁴ »They will cry to Jehovah but he will not answer them. In fact, he will hide his face from them at that time because they have done evil things.«

¹ Woe to the oppressive city for she is rebellious and polluted (defiled)! ² She did not obey the voice of Jehovah. She would not accept correction (discipline). She did not trust Jehovah and draw close to her God. ³ Her princes (rulers) within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing till the morning. ⁴ Her prophets are insolent and treacherous persons. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary! They have done violence to the law. ⁵ »I will approach you people for judgment! I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers and those acting fraudulently with the wages of the worker, the widow and the fatherless. I will be a speedy witness against those who swear falsely and take advantage of the stranger, and do not show me reverence,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

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? ⁶ You have dishonored the poor man. Do the rich oppress you, and personally drag you into court?

¹³ »Do not murder.

¹ »Do not spread false rumors. Do not help a guilty person by offering false testimony.

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.«

²⁵ »‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to punish an innocent person.’ All the people will say: ‘Amen.’

²³ »If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. You must remove unrighteousness from your tents,

¹⁴ Do not enter the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men. ¹⁵ Avoid it! Do not pass by it. Turn away from it, and pass on!

¹⁵ Justify the wicked or condemn the just. Both are abomination to Jehovah.

¹⁵ He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.

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.

¹⁸ The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

⁵ Thanks to your stubborn and unrepentant heart, you store up wrath for yourself, in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. ⁶ He will render to each according to his works.

²² Abstain from all appearance of evil.

¹⁷ »Jehovah your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords! He is the great, the powerful, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

³ The sons did not follow their father’s example but turned to dishonest ways of making money. They took bribes and denied people justice.

³ »Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right.«

¹⁰ Evil schemes are in their hands. Their right hands are full of bribes.

²⁷ He who is greedy of gain troubles his own house. But he who hates gifts will live.

⁸ A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes its owner. He prospers in everything he does.

²³ A wicked man takes a bribe to pervert the ways of judgment.

⁴ Wealth makes many friends but poverty drives them away.

⁷ Oppression makes a wise man foolish (emotionally unstable) (mentally ill) and a bribe destroys the heart.

¹³ »Do not bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me! So are your New Moon Festivals, your days of worship, and the assemblies you call. I cannot endure your evil assemblies!

²³ You let the guilty go free for a bribe and you keep the innocent from getting justice.

¹² »Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me. The Lord Jehovah has spoken.

¹⁸ Their drink (wheat beer) has become sour. They play the harlot continually. Her rulers dearly love shame.

¹² I know you have many transgressions and your sins are great. You afflict the righteous. You take bribes. You refuse to help the needy at the gate.

³ They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together.

²¹ »If the slave lives a few days after the beating, you are not to be punished. After all, you have already lost the services of that slave who was your property.

²¹ »Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner. Remember that you were foreigners in Egypt.

¹⁹ »Love those who are aliens. For you were also aliens in the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ »Do not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. ¹⁵ »Pay him his wages on the workday day before the sunsets. He is poor and sets his heart on it. He will not complain against you to Jehovah and it becomes your sin. ¹⁶ »Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers. Everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. ¹⁷ »Do not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan. Do not take a widow's garment in pledge. ¹⁸ »Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that Jehovah your God redeemed you from there. I therefore command you to do this.

⁶ They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans.

⁷ »‘»People in you hate their fathers and mothers. They oppress foreigners in you. They oppress orphans and widows in you.«’«

³³ »‘Should you [also] show mercy to your fellow servant the same way I showed mercy to you?’

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. ¹⁸ Since he has suffered and was tested in every way; he is able to help those who are being tested.

³ »‘Plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and gather your crops for six years. ⁴ »‘But the seventh year is to be a sabbath year of complete rest for the land. It is a year dedicated to Jehovah. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards.

² »Give the following regulations to the people of Israel: ‘When you enter the land that Jehovah is giving you, honor Jehovah by not cultivating the land every seventh year. ³ »‘Plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and gather your crops for six years. ⁴ »‘But the seventh year is to be a sabbath year of complete rest for the land. It is a year dedicated to Jehovah. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards. ⁵ »‘Do not even harvest the grain that grows by itself without being planted. Do not gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. It is a year of complete rest for the land. ⁶ »‘Even though the land has not been cultivated during that year, it will provide food for you, your slaves, your hired men, the foreigners living with you, ⁷ your domestic animals, and the wild animals in your fields. Everything that it produces may be eaten.

¹¹ »‘That fiftieth year will be your jubilee year. Do not plant or harvest what grows by itself or pick grapes from the vines in the land. ¹² »‘The jubilee year will be holy to you. You will eat what the field itself produces.

²⁰ »‘»You may ask: »What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or bring in our crops?«’«

²² »‘You will plant again in the eighth year but live on what the land already produced. You will eat it, even in the ninth year, until the land produces more.

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.

⁸ »Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. ⁹ »You have six days to do all your work. ¹⁰ »The seventh day is a Sabbath dedicated to Jehovah your God. Do not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. ¹¹ »Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them in six days. He rested on the seventh day. Therefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹⁵ »‘Work may be done for six days. The seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest. It is holy to Jehovah. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day will definitely be put to death. ¹⁶ »‘The Israelites must observe the Sabbath and celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a long lasting covenant.

²¹ »You may work six days. On the seventh day you must not work. Even during the time of plowing or harvesting you must not work on this day.

³ »Do not light a fire in your homes on the Sabbath day.«

¹³ »‘Do all your work in six days. ¹⁴ »‘The seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah your God: in it you should not do any work. Your son and daughter should not work. Your manservant and maidservant should not work. Your ox, donkey, cattle or any stranger living with you should not work. Your manservant and maidservant should rest as much as you do. ¹⁵ »‘Remember that you were servants in the land of Egypt, and that Jehovah your God brought you out through a mighty act. Jehovah your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

³ »‘Why have we fasted and you do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and you do not notice? Behold, on the day of your fast you find desire, and mistreat all your workers.’

¹⁴ The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. He told the people: »There are six days in which we should work. Come during those days and be healed, not on the Sabbath!«

³⁸ Nebo, Baal Meon whose names were changed, and Sibmah. These are the names they gave the cities they rebuilt.

⁹ »Be on your guard! Make sure you do not forget, as long as you live, what you have seen with your own eyes. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.

¹⁵ »Be careful! When God spoke to you from the fire, he was invisible.

³ »Tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles with fire. Cut down the carved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place.

⁵ »Be sure you obey the Law that Moses commanded you. Love Jehovah your God. Do his will. Obey his commandments and be faithful to him. Serve him with all your heart and with all your being (Nephesh: living being).«

⁷ »You will not associate with these peoples left among you or speak the names of their gods or use those names in taking vows or worship those gods or bow down to them.

¹¹ »Take heed of yourselves to love Jehovah your God.

⁷ »‘I will establish his kingdom for a very long time if he will remain determined to obey my commands and laws, as he is doing today.’« ⁸ »I order you in the sight of Israel, Jehovah’s congregation. And as our God listens dedicate your lives to doing everything Jehovah your God has commanded. Then you will be able to possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your descendants. ⁹ »You my son Solomon, learn to know your father’s God. Serve Jehovah wholeheartedly and willingly because he searches every heart and understands every thought we have. If you dedicate your life to serving him, he will accept you. On the other hand if you abandon him, he will reject you from then on.

⁴ Those who quickly pursue other gods multiply their sorrows. I will not pour out their sacrificial offerings of blood or use my lips to speak their names.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) I said: »I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue. I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.«

¹¹ You will say to the idolaters: »The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.«

¹⁷ »For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no more be mentioned by their name.

² Jehovah of Hosts declared: »I will remove the names of the idols from the land! They will no longer be remembered. I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to leave the land.

¹² For the things that are done by them in secret is a shame even to speak about.

¹⁵ Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.

¹⁶ Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things. When you do this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

¹⁵ See that no one misses the grace of God; that no bitter root spring up to cause trouble and defile many.

¹⁷ »All your males should appear before Jehovah God three times a year.

²² »Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the first grain from your wheat harvest. Celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the season. ²³ »Three times a year all your men must come into the presence of the Sovereign Jehovah, the God of Israel. ²⁴ »I will force nations out of your way and will expand your country’s borders. No one will want to take away your land while you are gone three times a year to Jehovah’s festivals.

⁵ »‘The Passover, celebrated to honor Jehovah, begins at sunset on the fourteenth day of the first month.

¹⁶ until the day after the seventh week. This is a total of fifty days. Then bring a new grain offering to Jehovah.

³⁴ Inform the Israelites: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths to Jehovah. It will last seven days.

¹⁶ »Three times a year all your men must come into the presence of Jehovah your God at the place he will choose. At the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. But no one may come into the presence of Jehovah without an offering.

¹⁴ »This day will be a memorial to you. You shall celebrate it as a feast to Jehovah. You are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance throughout your generations. ¹⁵ »You will eat unleavened bread for seven days. The first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ »You shall have a holy assembly on the first day. There should be another holy assembly on the seventh day. No work at all will be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person that alone may be prepared by you. ¹⁷ »You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That was the day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Observe this day throughout your generations as a long lasting ordinance. ¹⁸ »In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹ »There shall be no leaven found in your houses for seven days. Whoever eats what is leavened shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. ²⁰ »You shall not eat anything leavened. Eat unleavened bread in all your dwellings.« ²¹ Moses called all the elders of Israel and said: »Take lambs according to your families and slay the Passover lamb. ²² »Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin. Apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. No one shall go outside the door of his house until morning. ²³ »Jehovah will pass through to strike the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, Jehovah will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to kill you. ²⁴ »You shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children from generation to generation. ²⁵ »When you enter the land Jehovah will give you, as he has promised, you shall observe this rite. ²⁶ »When your children ask you: What does this rite mean to you? ²⁷ »You shall say: ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to Jehovah who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He killed the Egyptians, but spared our homes. The people bowed low and worshiped.’« ²⁸ Then the sons of Israel did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron.

⁴³ Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron: »This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it. ⁴⁴ »After you have circumcised your purchased slave he may eat of it. ⁴⁵ »No foreigner visiting you may eat it. No hired worker may eat it. ⁴⁶ »The meal must be eaten inside one house. Never take any of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. ⁴⁷ »The entire community of Israel must celebrate the Passover. ⁴⁸ »The uncircumcised man may not eat it. If a foreigner has settled among you and wants to celebrate Passover to honor Jehovah, you must first circumcise all the males of his household. He is then to be treated like a native-born Israelite and may join in the festival. ⁴⁹ »The same regulations apply to native-born Israelites and to foreigners who settle among you.«

⁴ »You are going out this day in the month Abib.

⁶ »You must eat unleavened bread seven days. The seventh day will be a feast to Jehovah. ⁷ »Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. No leavened bread shall be seen with you or in all your borders.

¹⁸ »Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you must eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib. This is because in that month you came out of Egypt.

²⁰ »It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy back the firstborn donkey. If you do not buy it back, then you must break the donkey’s neck. You must buy back every firstborn of your sons. No one may come into my presence without an offering.

⁵ »‘The Passover, celebrated to honor Jehovah, begins at sunset on the fourteenth day of the first month. ⁶ »‘The fifteenth day of the same month the Festival of Unleavened Bread begins. You must not eat any bread made with yeast for seven days. ⁷ »‘Gather to worship on the first of these days. Do none of your daily work. ⁸ »‘Bring a sacrifice to Jehovah for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a holy assembly. Do not do any regular work.’«

¹⁰ »Tell the Israelites: ‘When you come to the land I am going to give you and you harvest grain, bring a bundle of the first grain you harvest to the priest.

² »The Israelites should celebrate the Passover at the same time every year. ³ »You must celebrate it on the fourteenth day of this month at dusk. Follow all the rules and regulations for the celebration of the Passover.« ⁴ So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover. ⁵ They celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month at dusk while they were in the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as Jehovah commanded Moses. ⁶ There were some men who had become unclean from touching a dead body. They could not celebrate the Passover that day. They went to Moses and Aaron. ⁷ They said: »We are unclean because we touched a dead body. Why are we prevented from making our offerings to Jehovah at the same time the rest of the Israelites bring their offerings?« ⁸ Moses answered: »Wait here until I find out what Jehovah commands you to do.« ⁹ Jehovah said to Moses, »Tell the Israelites: ¹⁰ »‘Should you or any of your descendants be unclean from touching a dead body or away on a long trip. You may still celebrate the Passover. ¹¹ »‘You will celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at dusk. Eat the Passover animal along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ¹² »‘Never leave any of the meat until morning or break any of the animal’s bones. Follow all the rules for the Passover when you celebrate it. ¹³ »‘If you are clean and not on a trip and yet do not bother to celebrate the Passover, you must be excluded from the people. You did not bring your offering to Jehovah at the right time. You must suffer the consequences for your sin. ¹⁴ »‘Foreigners living with you may want to celebrate Jehovah’s Passover. They must follow these same rules and regulations. The same rules will apply to foreigners and native-born Israelites.’«

¹⁶ »‘Jehovah’s Passover is the fourteenth day of the first month. ¹⁷ »‘The feast of unleavened bread in the fifteenth of this same month. For seven days you must eat only unleavened bread. ¹⁸ »‘There will be a holy assembly on the first day. Do not do any regular work. ¹⁹ »‘Instead, bring Jehovah an offering by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs, all of them without defects. ²⁰ »‘In addition to them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring twenty-four cups for each bull, sixteen cups for each ram, ²¹ and eight cups for each of the seven lambs. ²² »‘Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin to pay compensation for wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah. ²³ »‘Offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering. ²⁴ »‘Bring all these offerings on each of the seven days. They are food. They are offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to Jehovah. They will be offered in addition to the daily burnt offering and the wine offering that goes with it. ²⁵ »‘On the seventh day you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work.

¹ »Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to Jehovah your God. It was in the month of Abib that Jehovah your God brought you out of Egypt by night. ² »Sacrifice the Passover to Jehovah your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where Jehovah chooses to establish his name. ³ »Do not eat leavened bread with it. Eat unleavened bread for seven days. It is the bread of affliction. You should remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. ⁴ »No leaven should be seen with you in all your territory for seven days. None of the flesh you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. ⁵ »You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns Jehovah your God is giving you. ⁶ »It must be at the place where Jehovah your God chooses to establish his name. Sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. ⁷ »Cook and eat it in the place Jehovah your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. ⁸ »Eat unleavened bread for six days. On the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to Jehovah your God. Do not do work on it.

¹⁰ The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ After the Passover they ate the old corn of the land, unleavened cakes, and parched corn.

²¹ The king gave orders to all the people. He said: »Keep the Passover to Jehovah your God, as it says in this book of the law.« ²² Truly, such a Passover had not been kept in all the days of the judges of Israel or of the kings of Israel or the kings of Judah. ²³ In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Josiah this Passover was kept to Jehovah in Jerusalem.

⁹ Honor Jehovah with your wealth and give him the best of all you have. ¹⁰ Your barns will be filled with plenty. Your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹² Now it was the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover. His disciples said to him: »Where do you want to go to prepare to eat the Passover?«

⁷ The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed.

⁷ Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new batch of dough. For even Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. ⁸ Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

²⁹ »Do not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. Give the firstborn of your sons to me.

²² »Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the first grain from your wheat harvest. Celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the season.

⁹ Jehovah spoke to Moses: ¹⁰ »Tell the Israelites: ‘When you come to the land I am going to give you and you harvest grain, bring a bundle of the first grain you harvest to the priest. ¹¹ »‘He will present it to Jehovah so that you will be accepted. He will present it on the day after Passover. ¹² »‘On the day you present the bundle, you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb that has no defects as a burnt offering to Jehovah. ¹³ »‘Present a grain offering of four quarts of flour mixed with olive oil with it. This will be a sacrifice by fire made to Jehovah. It will be a soothing aroma. Use one quart of wine for the wine offering. ¹⁴ »‘Do not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day. Then bring the offering to your God. It is a long lasting law for generations to come wherever you live. ¹⁵ »‘Count seven full weeks from the day after Passover, the day you bring the bundle of grain as an offering presented to Jehovah ¹⁶ until the day after the seventh week. This is a total of fifty days. Then bring a new grain offering to Jehovah. ¹⁷ »‘Bring two loaves of bread from your homes to present to Jehovah. Bake them with four quarts of flour. They are the first harvested grain for Jehovah. ¹⁸ »‘Using the bread the community is to present seven one-year-old lambs, one bull, and two rams, none of which may have any defects. They should be offered as a burnt offering to Jehovah, along with a grain offering and a wine offering. The odor of this offering is pleasing to Jehovah. ¹⁹ »‘Also offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. ²⁰ »‘The priest should present the bread with the two lambs as a special gift to Jehovah for the priests. These offerings are holy. ²¹ »‘Do none of your daily work. Gather for worship. Your descendants are to observe this regulation from generation to generation, no matter where they live.

³⁴ Inform the Israelites: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths to Jehovah. It will last seven days. ³⁵ »‘There will be a holy assemble on the first day. Do not do any regular work. ³⁶ »‘Bring a sacrifice by fire to Jehovah for seven consecutive days. On the eighth day there will be a holy assembly. Bring Jehovah a sacrifice by fire. This is the last festival of the year. Do not do any regular work. ³⁷ »‘These are Jehovah’s appointed festivals. Announce them as holy assemblies for bringing sacrifices by fire to Jehovah. Bring burnt offerings, grain offerings, other sacrifices, and wine offerings-each one on its special day. ³⁸ »‘This is in addition to Jehovah’s days of worship, your gifts, all your vows, and your freewill offerings to Jehovah. ³⁹ »‘Celebrate Jehovah’s festival for seven days. This should begin on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; at the time you gather what the land produces. The first and the eighth days will be worship festivals. ⁴⁰ »‘Take the best fruits, palm branches, the branches of leafy trees and poplars on the first day, and celebrate in the presence of Jehovah your God for seven days. ⁴¹ »‘It is Jehovah’s festival. Celebrate it for seven days each year. This is a long lasting law for generations to come. Celebrate this festival in the seventh month. ⁴² »‘Live in booths for seven days. Everyone born in Israel must live in booths. ⁴³ »‘This is how generations to come may learn how I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God!’« ⁴⁴ Moses told the Israelites about Jehovah’s appointed festivals.

²⁶ »‘During the Festival of Weeks, you must have a holy assembly. On that day you must not do any regular work. Bring Jehovah your new grain offering, the first produce harvested from your fields. ²⁷ »‘Offer a burnt offering as an odor pleasing to Jehovah: two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects. ²⁸ »‘Offer the proper grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil: six pounds with each bull, four pounds with the ram, ²⁹ and two pounds with each lamb. ³⁰ »‘Offer one male goat as a sin offering. In this way perform the ritual of purification for the people. ³¹ »‘Offer these and the wine offering in addition to the daily burnt offering and grain offering.

¹² »‘Call a holy assembly on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. You must not do any regular work. Instead, celebrate a festival to Jehovah for seven days. ¹³ »‘As a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Jehovah, bring thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old lambs, all of them without defects. ¹⁴ »‘Along with them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring twenty-four cups for each of the thirteen bulls, sixteen cups for each of the two rams, ¹⁵ and eight cups for each of the fourteen one-year-old lambs. ¹⁶ »‘Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings. ¹⁷ »‘On the second day offer twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects. ¹⁸ »‘Offer grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; ¹⁹ and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. ²⁰ »‘Then on the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; ²¹ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; ²² and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. ²³ »‘Then on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; ²⁴ grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; ²⁵ and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. ²⁶ »‘Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect; ²⁷ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; ²⁸ and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. ²⁹ »‘Then on the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect. ³⁰ »‘Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs. ³¹ »‘Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings. ³² »‘On the seventh day bring seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old lambs that have no defects. ³³ »‘Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for each of the bulls, rams, and lambs. ³⁴ »‘Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings. ³⁵ »‘On the eighth day you must hold a religious assembly. Do no daily work. ³⁶ »‘As a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Jehovah, bring one bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects. ³⁷ »‘Along with them bring the proper amount of grain offerings and wine offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs. ³⁸ »‘Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin in addition to the daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and wine offerings. ³⁹ »‘These are the offerings you must bring to Jehovah at your festivals. They are the offerings you must bring in addition to the offerings for anything you vowed to give to Jehovah, your freewill offerings, your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your wine offerings, and your fellowship offerings.’«

⁹ »You shall count seven weeks for yourself. Count off seven weeks from the beginning of your grain harvest. ¹⁰ »Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to Jehovah your God. Bring a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings Jehovah your God has given you. ¹¹ »Enjoy yourselves in the presence of Jehovah your God along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, the Levites who live in your cities, the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you. Enjoy yourselves at the place Jehovah your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. ¹² »Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Carefully obey these laws. ¹³ »Gather the grain from your threshing floor and make your wine. Then celebrate the Festival of Booths for seven days. ¹⁴ »Enjoy yourselves at the festival along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your cities. ¹⁵ »For seven days you will celebrate this festival dedicated to Jehovah your God in the place he will choose. You will enjoy yourselves, because Jehovah your God will bless all your harvest and all your work.

¹⁴ They saw that it was recorded in the law that Jehovah gave orders by Moses, that the children of Israel were to have tents for their living-places in the feast of the seventh month: ¹⁵ They were to give an order, and make it public in all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying: Go out to the mountain and get olive branches and branches of field olives (oil trees) and of myrtle, and palm branches and branches of thick trees, to make tents, as it says in the book. ¹⁶ The people went out and got them and made themselves tents. Every one on the roof of his house, and in the open spaces and in the open squares of the House of God, and in the wide place of the Water Gate, and the wide place of the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ All the people who had been prisoners and had come back, made tents and were living in them. From the time of Jeshua, the son of Nun, till that day, the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great joy! ¹⁸ Day by day, from the first day till the last, he read from the book of the Law of God. They kept the feast for seven days: and on the eighth day there was a holy meeting, as it is ordered in the law.

¹⁶ »Every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ »There will be no rain on those who do not go to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of Hosts. ¹⁸ »If the family of Egypt does not go it will not be upon them. There will be the plague and Jehovah will strike the nations that do not go to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ »This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that do not keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

² It was time for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.

³⁷ On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and shouted in a loud voice: »If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all with one accord in one place.

¹⁴ »Celebrate three festivals a year to honor me.

²³ »Three times a year all your men must come into the presence of the Sovereign Jehovah, the God of Israel.

⁵ »You should seek Jehovah at the place Jehovah your God chooses out of all your tribes. This is where he will dwell and establish his name. This is where you should go.

¹¹ when all Israel comes to appear before Jehovah your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this Law in front of all Israel in their hearing.

⁷ They grow stronger as they go and they will see the God of gods on Zion.

⁴² When he was twelve years old they went to the feast of the Passover, as was their custom.

⁸ »‘That night the animals are to be roasted and eaten, together with bitter herbs (greens) and unleavened bread made without yeast.

¹⁰ »‘Eat what you want that night, and the next morning burn whatever is left.

¹⁵ »You will eat unleavened bread for seven days. The first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day will be cut off from Israel.

²⁵ »Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me at the same time you offer anything containing yeast. No part of the sacrifice at the Passover festival should be left over in the morning.

¹¹ »‘Every grain offering you bring to Jehovah must be made without yeast. Do not use yeast or honey in food offered to Jehovah.

¹² »‘If you offer it as a thank offering, you must also bring rings of unleavened bread mixed with oil, wafers of unleavened bread brushed with oil, and loaves made from flour mixed well with oil.

¹⁵ »‘The flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings will be eaten on the day of his offering. He should not leave any of it over until morning.

⁴ »No leaven should be seen with you in all your territory for seven days. None of the flesh you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning.

²⁶ »I am Jehovah your God! You must bring the first part of your harvest to the place of worship. Do not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.«

¹⁰ »Tell the Israelites: ‘When you come to the land I am going to give you and you harvest grain, bring a bundle of the first grain you harvest to the priest. ¹¹ »‘He will present it to Jehovah so that you will be accepted. He will present it on the day after Passover. ¹² »‘On the day you present the bundle, you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb that has no defects as a burnt offering to Jehovah. ¹³ »‘Present a grain offering of four quarts of flour mixed with olive oil with it. This will be a sacrifice by fire made to Jehovah. It will be a soothing aroma. Use one quart of wine for the wine offering. ¹⁴ »‘Do not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day. Then bring the offering to your God. It is a long lasting law for generations to come wherever you live. ¹⁵ »‘Count seven full weeks from the day after Passover, the day you bring the bundle of grain as an offering presented to Jehovah ¹⁶ until the day after the seventh week. This is a total of fifty days. Then bring a new grain offering to Jehovah. ¹⁷ »‘Bring two loaves of bread from your homes to present to Jehovah. Bake them with four quarts of flour. They are the first harvested grain for Jehovah.

¹² »I also give you the first of the produce they give Jehovah. It is the best of all the olive oil and the best of the new wine and fresh grain. ¹³ »The first of all produce harvested in their land that they bring to Jehovah are yours. Anyone in your household who is clean may eat it.

⁵ »You should seek Jehovah at the place Jehovah your God chooses out of all your tribes. This is where he will dwell and establish his name. This is where you should go. ⁶ »There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, and the contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. ⁷ »You and your households should eat there before Jehovah your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings that Jehovah your God has blessed.

²¹ »Do not eat anything that dies by itself. You may give it to the alien who is in your town, so that he may eat it. You may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

² »Take some of the first of all the produce of the ground that you bring in from your land that Jehovah your God gives you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where Jehovah your God chooses to establish His name.

¹⁰ »‘Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground that You, O Jehovah have given me. Set it down before Jehovah your God, and worship before Jehovah your God.’

³⁵ To take the first fruits of our land, and the first fruits of every sort of tree, year by year, into the house of Jehovah.

¹⁰ A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but the compassion of the wicked is terrible.

³ The people’s customs are erroneous and empty. It is wood cut from the forest. It is the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

²⁰ Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who slept [in death].

⁴ These are they who were not defiled with women. They are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed (bought) from among mankind. They are the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

¹⁸ On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram. He said: »To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

¹⁶ »May the being who rescued me from all evil bless these boys! May they be called by my name and by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. May they have many children on the earth.«

² There the angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up. ³ »This is strange,« he thought. »Why is the bush not burning up? I will go closer and see.« ⁴ Jehovah saw that Moses came closer. He called to him from the middle of the bush: »Moses! Moses!« Moses answered: »Yes, here I am.« ⁵ God said: »Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground. ⁶ »I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.« Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

¹⁹ The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them.

¹⁷ »You will bring them and plant them on your own mountain, the place where you live, O Jehovah, the holy place that you built with your own hands, O Jehovah.

³⁴ »Now, go and lead the people to the place I told you about. My angel will go ahead of you. But on the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.«

² »I will send an angel ahead of you. I will force out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

¹⁴ Jehovah replied: »I will go with you and give you peace.«

¹⁶ »‘We cried to Jehovah for help. He heard our cry and sent an angel, who led us out of Egypt. Now we are at Kadesh, a town at the border of your territory.

¹³ When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, there stood a man in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him, and said: »Are you on our side or our adversaries?«

² Jehovah said to Joshua: »See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king there, and the mighty men of valor.

¹¹ He will put his angels in charge of you to protect you in all your ways.

⁹ In all their difficulty he was concerned, and he was the messenger who saved them. In his love and compassion he reclaimed (redeemed) them. He always held them and carried them in the past.

¹ »Behold, I send my messenger! He will prepare the way before me. Seek Jehovah! He will suddenly come to his Temple along with the messenger of the covenant. He is one you desire, behold, he comes,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

³⁴ »The King will say to those on his right hand: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

³ »If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and I will receive you to myself, for where I am you may also be.

⁹ Do not test Jehovah like some of them also did and were destroyed by serpents. ¹⁰ Do not grumble like some of them grumbled. Venomous snakes killed them.

¹⁴ God then said to Moses: »[I exist and] I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.« You shall say to the sons of Israel: »I WILL BE, has sent me to you.’« (Hebrew: hayah, »I was, I am, I will be« gives evidence of God’s eternal existence)

³ »I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, Jehovah, I did not make myself known to them.

⁵ Jehovah came down in a cloud and stood with him as Moses called upon the name of Jehovah! 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.«

¹¹ Jehovah said to Moses: »How much longer will these people reject me? How much longer will they refuse to trust in me, even though I have performed many miracles among them?

³⁵ »‘I, Jehovah, have spoken. I swear I will do these things to all the people in this whole wicked congregation. For they have joined forces against me. They will meet their end in this desert. Here they will die!’«

¹⁹ »‘Whoever refuses to listen to the words that the prophet speaks in my name will answer to me.

¹⁹ Joshua said to the people: »You may not be able to serve Jehovah. He is a holy God and will not forgive your sins. He will tolerate no rivals,

¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed (happy) are all who take refuge (put trust) in him.

¹⁹ Blessed be to his glorious name forever. May the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!

⁴⁰ How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness! How often they caused him grief in the desert!

⁵⁶ They tested God Most High and rebelled against him. They did not obey his written instructions.

¹⁸ That they may know that you alone, whose name is Jehovah, are the Most High over all the earth.

¹⁴ Therefore Jehovah will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).

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.

⁸ »I ALONE AM JEHOVAH. THAT IS MY NAME. I WILL NOT GIVE MY GLORY TO ANOTHER! I will not let idols share my praise.

⁶ »From the east to the west (sunrise to sunset) people will know that there is no God except me. I am Jehovah, and there is no other.

¹⁵ The High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy, says: ‘I dwell in the high and holy and also with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. I revive the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite ones.’

⁷ Jehovah asked: Why should I forgive the sins of my people? They have abandoned me and have worshiped gods that are not real. I fed my people until they were full, but they committed adultery and spent their time with prostitutes.

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.

²³ »The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,« which means: »God (God-like one) is with us.« (John 1:18)

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud, saying: »This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.«

²³ »All may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father that sent him.

³⁰ »The Father and I are one (united in purpose).«

³⁸ »But if I do them and you do not believe me, believe the works! That way you may know and understand that the Father is with me, and I am with the Father.«

⁹ Jesus responded: »Have I been with you so long a time and you do not know me Philip? He who has seen me has discerned (experienced) (perceived) the Father. And you say, show us the Father? ¹⁰ »Do you not believe that I am with the Father and that the Father is with me? The words I say to you are not from me, but the Father dwells with me and does his works.

³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in which (Greek: en hos) (in which) (Greek: hos, he ho) (whereby) (which) you were sealed to the day of release by ransom.

⁹ The fullness of divine nature lives in Christ’s bodily form. (Greek: theotes: essence and nature of God) (Only the Son of God could have divine attributes, the inherited qualities from the Father)

¹⁰ »I was disgusted (angry) with this generation, and said: ‘They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.’ ¹¹ »So I swore in my anger: ‘They will not enter into my rest.’«

¹⁶ Who were they who heard God and rebelled? All who came out of Egypt with Moses rebelled.

²⁶ If we continue to (practice) (deliberately persist in) sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. ²⁷ But there remains a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation, which will devour God’s enemies. ²⁸ He that despised Moses’ Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. ²⁹ What about those who despise the Son of God? Those who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God’s covenant that purified them from sin? Those who insult the Spirit of grace? Think how much worse the punishment they deserve will be!

²⁵ Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!

¹⁶ If any man see his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he will ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I do not say that he should make request concerning this.

⁸ »I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end,« says Jehovah (YHWH) God, »the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty (all ruling) (universal sovereign).« (Isaiah 48:12)

⁸ »To the angel of the congregation in Smyrna write: This is the message from the one who is the 'First and the Last', who died and came to life again.

²³ »'I will kill her children with deadly plague. Then all the congregations will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds. I will reward each of you for what you have done.

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.

³ »I will bless those who bless you. I will curse whoever curses you. All the people on earth will be blessed through you.«

⁹ »He bows down and he lies down like a lion. Like a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you! Cursed is everyone who curses you!«

⁷ »Jehovah your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you and who persecute you.

²⁰ »Their children will be like they were long ago. Their community will be established in my presence, and I will punish everyone who oppresses them.

⁸ »Jehovah of Hosts proclaims: ‘He sent me after glory! He sent me to the nations that plundered you. For he that touches you touches the pupil of his eye.’

⁴ He fell to the earth and heard a voice saying: »Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?« ⁵ »Who are you Lord?« He asked. The Lord said: »I am Jesus whom you persecute.

¹⁹ the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.«

² Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her. He grabbed her and raped (sexually defiled) her.

¹⁷ »So I said: ‘I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.«’

²⁰ »I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared.

² Aaron replied: »Have your wives, sons, and daughters take off the gold earrings they are wearing. Bring them to me.«

⁸ »‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the east side of the Jordan. They fought you, but I gave you victory over them. You took their land. I destroyed them as you advanced. ⁹ »‘The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, fought against you. He sent word to Balaam son of Beor and asked him to put a curse on you. ¹⁰ »‘But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you, and in this way I rescued you from Balak. ¹¹ »‘You crossed the Jordan and traveled to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I gave you victory over all of them.

¹³ My people will go into exile because they do not understand what I am doing. Honored men will starve, and common people will be parched with thirst.

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.

²⁰ He took the bull-calf that they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.

¹³ »Instead tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim. ¹⁴ »Do not worship any other god but Jehovah for his reputation is filled with zeal, and he is a God who demands exclusive devotion.

³ »‘Do not follow the customs of Egypt where you used to live or those of Canaan where I am bringing you.

²⁶ »‘Live by my standards, and obey my rules. Neither you nor any foreigner should ever do any of these disgusting things. ²⁷ »‘The people of the land who were there before you did all these disgusting things. As a result, the land has become unclean. ²⁸ »‘If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out as it has vomited out the people who were there before you. ²⁹ »‘Whoever does any of these disgusting things must be excluded from the people. ³⁰ »‘Therefore you must follow my instructions. Do not live by the standards of the people who lived there before you. What they do is disgusting. Never become unclean that way. I am Jehovah your God!’«

⁵² »As you advance, force out all the people who live there. Get rid of all their stone and metal idols, and destroy all their places of worship.

⁵ »Deal with them in this way: Destroy their altars and break down their sacred pillars. Cut down their idols and burn them with fire.

²⁵ »Burn the carved images of their gods with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them. Do not take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it. It is an abomination to Jehovah your God. ²⁶ »Do not bring an abomination into your house. You must utterly detest it and you must utterly abhor it, for it is something banned.«

³⁰ »Be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, for they will be destroyed. Do not inquire after their gods, saying: How do these nations serve their gods that I also may do likewise? ³¹ »Do not behave this way toward Jehovah your God, for every abominable act Jehovah hates they have done for their gods. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

² He did what Jehovah considered evil by copying the disgusting things done by the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from before the Israelites.

⁹ Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that they did more evil things than the nations that Jehovah destroyed when the Israelites arrived in the land.

³ It was the eighth year of his reign. He was still a boy when he dedicated his life to service of the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year as king he purged Judah and Jerusalem by destroying the illegal places of worship, poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, carved idols, and metal idols. ⁴ He tore down the altars of the Baal gods. He cut down the incense altars that were above them. He destroyed the Asherah poles, carved idols, and metal idols. He ground them into powder and scattered the powder over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ He burned the bones of the priests on their altars. Thus he made Judah and Jerusalem clean. ⁶ In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, he removed all their temples. ⁷ Then he tore down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and idols into powder, and cut down all the incense altars everywhere in Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

³ I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I hate the work of unfaithful people. I want no part of it.

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.

⁴⁷ ‘»Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they.

²⁶ He said: »If you will listen carefully to Jehovah your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases I made the Egyptians suffer. I am Jehovah, who heals you.«

¹³ »You must respect Jehovah your God. Serve him and swear by his name!

¹³ »He will love you, bless you, and increase the number of your descendants. He will bless you with children. He will bless your land with produce: grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will bless your herds with calves, and your flocks with lambs and kids. This will all happen in the land Jehovah will give you, as he swore to your fathers.

¹⁵ »Jehovah will take away every sickness from you. He will not afflict you with any of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you have known. He will put them on all who hate you.

¹² »Now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God require from you? You are to respect Jehovah your God. Walk in all his ways and love him! Serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your being.

²⁰ »Respect Jehovah your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name.

¹³ »If you faithfully obey my commandments that I give you today, love Jehovah your God, and serve him with all your heart and with all your being, ¹⁴ I will send rain on your land at the proper time, both in the fall and in the spring. You will gather your own grain, new wine, and olive oil.

⁴ »Follow Jehovah and respect him. Obey him and keep his commandments. Worship him and be faithful to him (stick to him) (stay close to him) (cleave, cling to him).

¹ »Carefully obey Jehovah your God. Faithfully follow all his commandments that I give you today. If you do this Jehovah your God will place you high above all the other nations in the world. ² »These are all the blessings that will come to you and stay close to you because you obey Jehovah your God: ³ »Jehovah will bless your towns and your fields. ⁴ »Jehovah will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep. ⁵ »Jehovah will bless your grain crops and the food you prepare from them. ⁶ »Jehovah will make you successful in your daily work. ⁷ »Jehovah will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you: they shall come out against you one-way, and shall flee before you seven ways. ⁸ »Jehovah will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land Jehovah your God gives you. ⁹ »Jehovah will establish you as a holy people to himself. He swore this to you, if you obey the commandments of Jehovah your God and walk in His ways. ¹⁰ »All the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of Jehovah, and they will be afraid of you. ¹¹ »Jehovah will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your animals and in the produce of your ground, the land that Jehovah swore to your fathers to give you. ¹² »Jehovah will open for you his good storehouse. The skies will give rain to your land in due season. It will bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. ¹³ »Jehovah will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath. If you listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, ¹⁴ and do not turn aside from any of the words I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

¹⁴ »‘Honor Jehovah and serve him sincerely and in truth. Get rid of the gods that your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only Jehovah. ¹⁵ »‘If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve Jehovah.’«

²¹ The people said to Joshua: »No! We will serve Jehovah!«

²⁴ The people said to Joshua: »We will serve Jehovah our God. We will obey his commands.«

³ Samuel told the entire nation of Israel: »If you return to Jehovah with all your hearts you must get rid of the foreign gods you have, including the statues of the goddess Astarte. You must dedicate your lives to Jehovah and serve him only. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.«

²⁰ »Do not be afraid!« Samuel answered. »Even though you have done such an evil thing, do not turn away from Jehovah. Serve him with all your heart.

²⁴ »Reverence Jehovah and serve him in truth with all your heart. Remember the great things he has done for you.

³ He forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases.

¹⁶ This man will dwell on the heights. His refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and he will have water.

²⁴ No one living in Zion will say: »I am sick.« The sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

² »They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky. These are the things that they had loved, served, gone after, sought, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered or buried, but they will become manure on the ground.

¹⁰ »Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me, said Jehovah of Hosts, and see if I will open the windows of heaven and pour out showers of blessing upon you until there is no more want.

¹⁰ »Go away, Satan!« demanded Jesus. »It is written, »It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’« (Deuteronomy 6:13-15)

⁸ Then he took his last breath and died at a very old age. After a long and full life, he joined his ancestors in death.

²⁹ Isaac took his last breath and died. He joined his ancestors in death at a very old age. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

¹⁴ »God will bless you more than any other people. There will not be a male or a female barren among you or your livestock.

⁴ »Jehovah will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep.

¹ When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

²⁶ »You will come to your grave at a very old age like a stack of hay in its season.

¹⁰ »Their bull breeds without fail and their cow calves and never miscarries.

¹⁷ He died a very old man.

²³ But You, O God, will bring them down to the corruption of the grave. Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

¹⁰ The days of our lives are seventy or eighty years if we are in good health. But the best of them bring trouble and misery. Indeed, they are soon gone, and we fly away.

³⁸ He blesses them, and their numbers multiply, and he does not allow a shortage of cattle.

¹³ Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce, our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

²⁰ »Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years. He who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth. The sinner who reaches a hundred will be considered accursed.

¹⁰ »Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me, said Jehovah of Hosts, and see if I will open the windows of heaven and pour out showers of blessing upon you until there is no more want. ¹¹ »I will not let insects destroy your crops. Your grapevines will produce abundantly.

⁵ Jacob and his family traveled through Canaan. God terrified the people in the towns so much that no one dared bother them.

¹⁴ »Nations learned of this and trembled. The Philistines shook with horror. ¹⁵ »The sheiks (chiefs) of Edom were dismayed. The leaders of Moab are griped with fear. The inhabitants of Canaan are filled with fear. ¹⁶ »Terror and dread fall upon them. By the greatness of your arm they are motionless as stone. Until your people pass over, O Jehovah, until the people pass over whom you have purchased.

²⁵ »From this day forward I will make all the people and nations through out the earth afraid of you. They will hear reports about you and tremble and be in anguish because of you.

²³ »Jehovah your God will deliver them over to you. He will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed.

²³ »Then Jehovah will drive out all these nations from before you. You will drive out nations greater and mightier than you.

²⁵ »No man will be able to stand before you. Jehovah your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land where you set foot. This is as he promised you.

⁹ She said to the men: »I know Jehovah has given you the land and the terror of you has fallen on us. All the inhabitants of the land are afraid of you. ¹⁰ »We heard how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red sea for you when you came out of Egypt. And what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹ »As soon as we heard these things we became discouraged. No man had courage because of you. Jehovah your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

¹⁵ There was panic among the army in the field. All the troops in the military post trembled with fear. The raiding party also trembled in fear. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God.

⁶ Jehovah made the Syrians hear what sounded like the advance of a large army with horses and chariots. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian kings and their armies to attack them.

¹⁴ Asa and his army attacked all the cities around Gerar because the cities were in dread of Jehovah. The army looted all the cities because there were many things to take.

⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs to me. I destroyed those who hated me.

²⁰ »Jehovah your God will send the hornet against them. Those who are left will hide from you and perish.

¹¹ »‘You crossed the Jordan and traveled to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I gave you victory over all of them. ¹² »‘You advanced and I threw them into panic in order to drive out the two Amorite kings. Your swords and bows had nothing to do with it.

²² »Jehovah your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be able to put an end to them quickly. This is because the wild beasts are too numerous (and will multiply) around you.

⁶³ As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out. The Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

¹⁰ They did not drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, and have become forced laborers.

¹² Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. ¹³ When the children of Israel were very strong they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor. They did not completely drive them out.

¹ Now these are the nations that Jehovah left to test the Israelites who had not known all the wars of Canaan. ² He did this to teach warfare to the generations of the children of Israel who had not had previous battle experience. ³ Those left in the land were the five Philistine cities, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal Hermon as far as Hamath Pass. ⁴ They were to be a test for Israel. This would find out whether or not the Israelites would obey the commandments that Jehovah gave their ancestors through Moses.

³⁴ Jehovah said to Moses: »Do not fear him for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land. You will do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.«

³ »The southern border will extend from the wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. It will begin on the east at the southern end of the Dead Sea. ⁴ »It will turn southward toward Akrabbim Pass and continue on through Zin as far south as Kadesh Barnea. It will turn northwest to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon, ⁵ where it will turn toward the valley at the border of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean. ⁶ »The western border will be the Mediterranean Sea, it will be the western border. ⁷ »The northern border will follow a line from the Mediterranean to Mount Hor ⁸ and from there to Hamath Pass. It will continue to Zedad ⁹ and to Ziphron, and will end at Hazar Enan. ¹⁰ »The eastern border will follow a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹ »It will then go south to Harbel, east of Ain, and on to the hills on the eastern shore of Lake Galilee, ¹² then south along the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. These will be the four borders of your land.« ¹³ Moses said to the Israelites: »This is the land you will receive by drawing lots. This is the land that Jehovah has assigned to the nine and one-half tribes. ¹⁴ »The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the eastern half of Manasseh have received their property, divided according to their families, ¹⁵ on the eastern side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.«

² »Jehovah said to me: ‘Do not be afraid of him. I will hand him, all his army, and his land, over to you. Do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.’

²⁴ »Every place on which the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea.

⁴ »From the wilderness and nearby Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun (to the west), shall be your coast.

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

¹⁸ Jehovah said to Joshua: »Stretch out the spear (javelin) that is in your hand toward Ai.« I will give it to your hand. Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

⁸ Jehovah said to Joshua: »Do not fear them. I have delivered them into your hands. Not one man of them will stand before you.«

¹⁹ »Do not stay there but pursue after your enemies and strike the rear guard. Do not enter their cities for Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand.«

⁴⁴ Jehovah granted them peace throughout the land. This is just as he had promised their ancestors. Not one of all their enemies was able to stand against them, because Jehovah gave the Israelites the victory over all their enemies.

¹⁴ »It is time for me to die. Every one of you knows in his heart and very being that Jehovah your God has given you all the good things he promised. Every promise he made has been kept; not one has failed.

⁸ »‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the east side of the Jordan. They fought you, but I gave you victory over them. You took their land. I destroyed them as you advanced.

¹² »‘You advanced and I threw them into panic in order to drive out the two Amorite kings. Your swords and bows had nothing to do with it.

¹⁸ »As we advanced to this land, Jehovah drove out all the Amorites who lived here. We also will serve Jehovah. He is our God!«

⁴ Judah went up and Jehovah delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek.

²¹ »‘Jehovah, the God of Israel, gave the people of Israel victory over Sihon and his army. So the people of Israel took possession of all the territory of the Amorites who lived in that country.

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

²¹ Solomon's kingdom included all the nations from the Euphrates River to Philistia and the Egyptian border. They paid him taxes and were subject to him all his life.

²⁴ Solomon ruled over all the land west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah on the Euphrates as far west as the city of Gaza. All the kings west of the Euphrates were subject to him. He was at peace with all the neighboring countries.

¹³ A prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said: »This is what Jehovah says: ‘Have you seen this large army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’«

⁸ He will have dominion from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

¹² »Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going. It will become a snare in your midst.

¹⁵ Otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land. They would commit spiritual immorality (fornication) with their gods and sacrifice to their gods. Someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice.

¹ While Israel remained at Shittim, the people indulged in sexual immorality with the Moabite women. ² The Moabites invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods.

² »Jehovah your God will deliver them to you. You must crush them! Completely destroy them. You should make no covenant with them. Do not show them mercy.

¹⁶ »Destroy all the peoples whom Jehovah your God gives you. Do not look at them with pity. Do not serve their gods. For that would be a snare to you.

¹⁴ The men sampled their provisions but did not ask for counsel from Jehovah. ¹⁵ Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live. The leaders of the congregation ratified it by an oath. ¹⁶ At the end of three days after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them. ¹⁷ The children of Israel journeyed to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. ¹⁸ The children of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah God of Israel. The entire congregation murmured against the princes. ¹⁹ But all the leaders said to the entire congregation: »We have sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. ²⁰ »This we will do to them. We will even let them live in case we become angry. This is because of the oath we swore to them.« ²¹ The leaders said to them: »Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to the entire congregation as the leaders had promised them. ²² Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying: »Why did you deceive us, saying: ‘We are very far from you’ when you dwell among us? ²³ Now you are cursed, and none of you will be freed from being slaves, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.«

¹ There was a famine for three successive years during David’s reign. David asked Jehovah for advice about it. Jehovah answered: »It is because of Saul and his family. They are guilty of murder because they killed the people of Gibeon.« ² The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. The Israelites swore to spare them. Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah. The king called the Gibeonites.

³⁵ Instead, they intermarried with other nations. They learned to do what other nations did.

¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

² »Jehovah your God will deliver them to you. You must crush them! Completely destroy them. You should make no covenant with them. Do not show them mercy. ³ »Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons.

³⁰ »Be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, for they will be destroyed. Do not inquire after their gods, saying: How do these nations serve their gods that I also may do likewise?

¹³ »Jehovah your God will no longer drive these nations out as you advance. Rather, they will be as dangerous for you as a trap or a pit and as painful as a whip on your back or thorns in your eyes. This will last until none of you are left in this good land that Jehovah your God gave you.

³ »I also said: ‘I will not drive them out from before you. They will be thorns in your sides. Their gods will snare (trap) you.’«

²¹ He said to himself: »I will give Michal to David. I will use her to trap him. The Philistines will kill him.« So for the second time Saul said to David: »You will be my son-in-law.«

¹⁶ »Jehovah will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and led the people of Israel into sin.«

³⁶ They worshiped their idols, which became a trap for them.

²⁶ They should come to their senses out of the snare of the Devil. He has taken them captive and they do his will.