Genesis 19 Cross References - WEB

¹ The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, ² and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.” ³ He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. ⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. ⁵ They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.” ⁶ Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself. ⁷ He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly. ⁸ See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.” ⁹ They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. ¹¹ They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. ¹² The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place: ¹³ for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown so great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.” ¹⁴ Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city!” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking. ¹⁵ When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” ¹⁶ But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city. ¹⁷ It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!” ¹⁸ Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord. ¹⁹ See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. ²⁰ See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.” ²¹ He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. ²² Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. ²³ The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. ²⁴ Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky. ²⁵ He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. ²⁷ Abraham went up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh. ²⁸ He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. ²⁹ When God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. ³⁰ Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters. ³¹ The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth. ³² Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.” ³³ They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she arose. ³⁴ It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.” ³⁵ They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she got up. ³⁶ Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father. ³⁷ The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. ³⁸ The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

¹ Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. ² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, ³ and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. ⁴ Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. ⁵ I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”

²² The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.

³² (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

² Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

⁴ Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

¹⁷ He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?” ¹⁸ He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to Yahweh’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house. ¹⁹ Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.” ²⁰ The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.” ²¹ So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

²⁸ They came near to the village where they were going, and he acted like he would go further. ²⁹ They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.

¹⁵ When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

⁶ Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷ Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. ⁸ He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

⁸ The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

¹⁵ “‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

³⁹ They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt; for it wasn’t leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and couldn’t wait, and they had not prepared any food for themselves.

¹⁹ Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house. She hurried and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it.

⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman; and she persuaded him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

²⁹ Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.

⁸ I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

²³ “The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

² So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.

⁸ Therefore let’s keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died.

¹³ Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.

²⁰ Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

² The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;

² “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

¹⁶ For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹ “Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her. ² Though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ surely they swear falsely.” ³ O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return. ⁴ Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know Yahweh’s way, nor the law of their God. ⁵ I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. ⁶ Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them. A wolf of the evenings will destroy them. A leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many and their backsliding has increased.

³¹ The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?

³ Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. ²¹ But the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” ²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!” ²³ But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!” ²⁴ So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.” ²⁵ All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”

¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood.

²² “‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.

¹³ “‘If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.

²² As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with him!”

⁹ Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.

⁹ The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.

³ Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.

¹⁵ Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. When I visit them, they will be cast down,” says Yahweh.

⁴⁹ “‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

⁵¹ Samaria hasn’t committed half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all your abominations which you have done.

²³ You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until today. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you.”

²³ and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. ²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves;

²⁶ For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

⁹ Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,

¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine,

¹³ But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

²³ The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do this folly.

⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.

¹⁷ There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

²³ Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. ²⁴ Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.”

²⁶ He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves;

⁹ Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. ¹¹ Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

⁵ I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”

³¹ The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth. ³² Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.” ³³ They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she arose. ³⁴ It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.” ³⁵ They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she got up. ³⁶ Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father. ³⁷ The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. ³⁸ The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

³⁷ Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”

²² Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

¹⁵ “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

²⁴ Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly.”

⁷ Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?

⁶ For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.

⁸ Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

⁶ Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.

¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

¹⁴ He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”

¹⁶ If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.”

⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field.”

¹⁷ Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t speak to him.”

⁷ One who corrects a mocker invites insult. One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. ⁸ Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise person, and he will love you.

¹⁶ A wise man fears and shuns evil, but the fool is hot headed and reckless.

¹² Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

³ A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

⁵ who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day.

¹² Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed. They couldn’t blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. In the time of their visitation they will be cast down, says Yahweh.

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹ Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. ²² Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

⁶ “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

²⁶ “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ ²⁷ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’

⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds):

²⁸ Yahweh will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. ²⁹ You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you.

¹⁸ When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elishah’s word.

¹⁵ The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.

¹⁰ You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.

³⁶ Why do you go about so much to change your ways? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.

¹¹ Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹ Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.

¹⁴ Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city!” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.

¹⁷ It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!”

²² Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

²⁶ He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

²² Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” ²³ The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel.

³⁹ I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their good, and the good of their children after them.

⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked

⁹ the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

⁴ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues,

¹⁵ God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” Yahweh’s angel was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁶ David lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

⁵ Yahweh examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence. ⁶ On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

¹¹ Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.

¹⁰ Have I come up now without Yahweh against this land to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, “Go up against this land, and destroy it.”’”

³⁶ Then Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

⁵ To the others he said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him, and strike. Don’t let your eye spare, neither have pity. ⁶ Kill utterly the old man, the young man, the virgin, little children and women; but don’t come near any man on whom is the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” Then they began at the old men who were before the house.

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity, ⁴² and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

⁴⁹ So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵⁰ and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”

²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died.

⁸ Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned. ⁹ What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies.

¹ I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!” ² The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and evil sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image. ³ The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died. ⁴ The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. ⁵ I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, O Holy One, because you have judged these things. ⁶ For they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.” ⁷ I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.” ⁸ The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire. ⁹ People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn’t repent and give him glory. ¹⁰ The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain, ¹¹ and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn’t repent of their works. ¹² The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise.

²¹ Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.

³¹ He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!

²¹ “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

⁴⁵ “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

¹⁰ So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them.

¹⁶ but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

¹ He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

²² Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.

¹² They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he. Evil will won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine. ¹³ The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them.” ¹⁴ Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies says, “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them.

⁷ Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded. You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day. Everyone mocks me.

⁶ “Flee out of the middle of Babylon! Everyone save his own life! Don’t be cut off in her iniquity; for it is the time of Yahweh’s vengeance. He will render to her a recompense.

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’”

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

²⁴ he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him.

⁴² While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

²⁸ Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹ but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all. ³⁰ It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

¹¹ These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn’t believe them.

³² Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”

³ For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape.

⁴ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues, ⁵ for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities. ⁶ Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double. ⁷ However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.’ ⁸ Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

²⁴ “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’” ²⁵ Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. ²⁶ He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!” ²⁷ So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

⁴ Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

²⁴ “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. ²⁵ When once the master of the house has risen up, and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then he will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

² for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

⁷ Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear his voice, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,

⁶ Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,

¹⁸ ‘Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’

³¹ For Yahweh your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.

²² Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.”

³⁴ Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

¹² Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?

⁵ For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.

¹⁵ But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.

⁸ Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. ⁹ He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.

¹³ Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.

¹ Praise Yahweh! Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

⁸ Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known.

¹ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

⁴ He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. Yahweh is gracious and merciful.

¹ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

⁶⁰ I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments.

¹ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.

⁹ In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them. He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.

²² It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. ¹⁹ He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. ³⁶ “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

¹³ But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.

¹⁵ For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.

¹⁸ So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

⁵ not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

¹⁰ Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

¹⁴ Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city!” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking. ¹⁵ When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”

²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

¹¹ Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”

³ When he saw that, he arose, and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

¹ A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?

⁶ Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. ¹⁸ Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”

³¹ In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back. ³² Remember Lot’s wife!

¹³ Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

³ how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard,

²⁶ The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”

¹¹ But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’ ¹² Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

¹¹ Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker says: “You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands!

⁶ Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

¹⁴ But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

¹³ Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

¹⁷ Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’

¹ David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”

⁹ and they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them, and served them. Therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’”

¹ For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, Yahweh, my strength. ² Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. ³ I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. ⁴ The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. ⁵ The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. ⁶ In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. ⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. ⁸ Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. ⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰ He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. ¹² At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. ¹³ Yahweh also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. ¹⁴ He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts. ¹⁵ Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. ¹⁶ He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. ¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. ¹⁸ They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support. ¹⁹ He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. ²⁰ Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me. ²¹ For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²² For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me. ²³ I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity. ²⁴ Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. ²⁵ With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. ²⁶ With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. ²⁷ For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down. ²⁸ For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness. ²⁹ For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. ³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. ³¹ For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God, ³² the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect? ³³ He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places. ³⁴ He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. ³⁵ You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. ³⁶ You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped. ³⁷ I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed. ³⁸ I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet. ³⁹ For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. ⁴⁰ You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. ⁴¹ They cried, but there was no one to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. ⁴² Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets. ⁴³ You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. ⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. ⁴⁵ The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds. ⁴⁶ Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation, ⁴⁷ even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me. ⁴⁸ He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. ⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. ⁵⁰ He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.

¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry. ² He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand. ³ He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh. ⁴ Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies. ⁵ Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted. ⁶ Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. ⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll. ⁸ I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.” ⁹ I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know. ¹⁰ I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly. ¹¹ Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. ¹² For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me. ¹³ Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh. ¹⁴ Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. ¹⁵ Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!” ¹⁶ Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!” ¹⁷ But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.

⁷ “Will the Lord reject us forever? Will he be favorable no more? ⁸ Has his loving kindness vanished forever? Does his promise fail for generations? ⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” Selah. ¹⁰ Then I thought, “I will appeal to this: the years of the right hand of the Most High.” ¹¹ I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old.

¹ By David. Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! ² Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits, ³ who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, ⁵ who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ⁶ Yahweh executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel. ⁸ Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. ⁹ He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him. ¹⁴ For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷ But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children, ¹⁸ to those who keep his covenant, to those who remember to obey his precepts. ¹⁹ Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens. His kingdom rules over all. ²⁰ Praise Yahweh, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word. ²¹ Praise Yahweh, all you armies of his, you servants of his, who do his pleasure. ²² Praise Yahweh, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise Yahweh, my soul!

¹ Praise Yahweh! Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. ² Who can utter the mighty acts of Yahweh, or fully declare all his praise? ³ Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times. ⁴ Remember me, Yahweh, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation, ⁵ that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. ⁶ We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. ⁷ Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt. They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea. ⁸ Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known. ⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; so he led them through the depths, as through a desert. ¹⁰ He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. ¹¹ The waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left. ¹² Then they believed his words. They sang his praise. ¹³ They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel, ¹⁴ but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland. ¹⁵ He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. ¹⁶ They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, Yahweh’s saint. ¹⁷ The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. ¹⁸ A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked. ¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image. ²⁰ Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass. ²¹ They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, ²² wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea. ²³ Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them. ²⁴ Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word, ²⁵ but murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice. ²⁶ Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness, ²⁷ that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands. ²⁸ They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. ²⁹ Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them. ³⁰ Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped. ³¹ That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come. ³² They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes; ³³ because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips. ³⁴ They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them, ³⁵ but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works. ³⁶ They served their idols, which became a snare to them. ³⁷ Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. ³⁸ They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood. ³⁹ Thus they were defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds. ⁴⁰ Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance. ⁴¹ He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them. ⁴² Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand. ⁴³ He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity. ⁴⁴ Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. ⁴⁵ He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. ⁴⁶ He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive. ⁴⁷ Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise! ⁴⁸ Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise Yah!

¹ I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy. ² Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. ³ The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow. ⁴ Then I called on Yahweh’s name: “Yahweh, I beg you, deliver my soul.” ⁵ Yahweh is Gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful. ⁶ Yahweh preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me. ⁷ Return to your rest, my soul, for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you. ⁸ For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. ⁹ I will walk before Yahweh in the land of the living. ¹⁰ I believed, therefore I said, “I was greatly afflicted.” ¹¹ I said in my haste, “All people are liars.” ¹² What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me? ¹³ I will take the cup of salvation, and call on Yahweh’s name. ¹⁴ I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the presence of all his people. ¹⁵ Precious in Yahweh’s sight is the death of his saints. ¹⁶ Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant girl. You have freed me from my chains. ¹⁷ I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call on Yahweh’s name. ¹⁸ I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the presence of all his people, ¹⁹ in the courts of Yahweh’s house, in the middle of you, Jerusalem. Praise Yah!

²⁵ The disciples came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!” ²⁶ He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

¹⁹ He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

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

¹⁴ The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ¹⁶ However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

³⁰ Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters.

¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live, that I may praise you. Let your ordinances help me.

⁵ Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷ Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.

³ Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

⁶ Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and Yahweh hasn’t done it?

⁷ If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

² I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?

⁸ Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.” ⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job.

¹⁵ Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry.

¹⁷ He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.

¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

¹⁰ Yahweh says to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander. They have not restrained their feet. Therefore Yahweh does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish them for their sins.”

²⁰ He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.

¹⁷ Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

¹⁵ For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

² they made war with Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Gomorrah; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboiim; and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).

²⁵ When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled. ²⁶ The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” ²⁷ He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”. ²⁸ He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

¹⁰ Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.”

¹⁴ Leave me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under the sky; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.”

¹ He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” ³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart. ⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked. ⁹ Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, ¹⁰ no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

⁵ My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for on the way to Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction.

⁸ Yahweh says, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for a blessing is in it:’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all.

³⁴ From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for the waters of Nimrim will also become desolate.

⁵ He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them.

¹³ If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he can’t deny himself.”

² in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;

²³ that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath.

¹⁵ There will dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur will be scattered on his habitation.

⁶ On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

¹⁹ Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

¹⁶ Let that man be as the cities which Yahweh overthrew, and didn’t repent. Let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime;

¹⁸ As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein.

⁴⁰ As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “so no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein.

⁶ For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment. No hands were laid on her.

⁴⁹ “‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ They were arrogant, and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it.

⁸ “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused.

¹¹ “I have overthrown some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.

⁹ Therefore as I live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

²⁸ Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹ but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all.

⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way;

³ All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (also called the Salt Sea).

³⁴ and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

³⁸ even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

¹⁴ The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.

³⁸ But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

²² The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. ²³ Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ May it be far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” ²⁶ Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” ²⁷ Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes. ²⁸ What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” ³⁰ He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” ³² He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” ³³ Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

³ Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.

¹ I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

¹ Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away.

² He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.

¹⁰ he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

⁹ The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,

¹⁸ and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’

³ A second said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.”

⁸ But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

¹ God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided.

²² God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.

⁵ Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

¹⁴ Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

²² I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me for this also, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.

⁷ Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, Yahweh.

⁸ He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,

⁴² For he remembered his holy word, and Abraham, his servant.

⁴ Remember me, Yahweh, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation,

²³ who remembered us in our low estate; for his loving kindness endures forever;

²⁰ Yahweh preserves all those who love him, but he will destroy all the wicked.

³¹ “‘“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. ³² I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Let it be known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.”

²² Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

¹⁹ See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die.

⁴ Boiling over like water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.

³ and the south, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, to Zoar.

³⁶ Why do you go about so much to change your ways? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria. ³⁷ You will also leave that place with your hands on your head; for Yahweh has rejected those in whom you trust, and you won’t prosper with them.

⁸ He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

¹ The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”

⁴ The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

² Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

⁴ He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

²⁸ He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.

⁸ Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” ⁹ Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.

¹⁴ She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife. ¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. ¹⁶ He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” ¹⁷ He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?” ¹⁸ He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. ¹⁹ She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. ²⁰ Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her. ²¹ Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.” ²² He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’” ²³ Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.” ²⁴ About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” ²⁵ When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.” ²⁶ Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more. ²⁷ In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb. ²⁸ When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.” ²⁹ As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez. ³⁰ Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

⁵ If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.

¹ Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach.”

²¹ He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.

³ They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

⁶ “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh. ⁷ “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

³¹ Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. ³² In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper. ³³ Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

¹⁵ “Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies! ¹⁶ You are filled with shame, and not glory. You will also drink, and be exposed! The cup of Yahweh’s right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

¹⁹ “Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.’

¹ Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

²⁹ Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? ³⁰ Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine. ³¹ Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. ³² In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper. ³³ Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things. ³⁴ Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging: ³⁵ “They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.”

³ O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.

⁴ what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

²⁶ I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

³⁴ “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.

¹¹ Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.

⁷ But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

⁸ See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

⁷ Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

³³ Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.

¹⁵ “Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies!

² For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.

²⁹ Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites.

¹ The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. ² Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. ⁴ Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵ He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. ⁶ Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” ⁷ The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand. They came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸ He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹ God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?” ¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me, ¹¹ ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’” ¹² God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” ¹³ Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to go with you.” ¹⁴ The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” ¹⁵ Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, ¹⁷ for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’” ¹⁸ Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more. ¹⁹ Now therefore please stay here tonight as well, that I may know what else Yahweh will speak to me.” ²⁰ God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.” ²¹ Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. ²² God’s anger burned because he went; and Yahweh’s angel placed himself in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the path. ²⁴ Then Yahweh’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. ²⁵ The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again. ²⁶ Yahweh’s angel went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷ The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸ Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.” ³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.” ³¹ Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. ³² Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. ³³ The donkey saw me, and turned away before me these three times. Unless she had turned away from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.” ³⁴ Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.” ³⁵ Yahweh’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but you shall only speak the word that I shall speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. ³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. ³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?” ³⁸ Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? I will speak the word that God puts in my mouth.” ³⁹ Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. ⁴¹ In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.

¹ When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness. ² Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. ³ He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; ⁴ he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open: ⁵ How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your dwellings, Israel! ⁶ As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters. ⁷ Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted. ⁸ God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows. ⁹ He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.” ¹⁰ Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. ¹¹ Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.” ¹² Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ¹³ ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’? ¹⁴ Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.” ¹⁵ He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; ¹⁶ he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open: ¹⁷ I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and crush all the sons of Sheth. ¹⁸ Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. ¹⁹ Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” ²⁰ He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his latter end shall come to destruction.” ²¹ He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. ²² Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.” ²³ He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this? ²⁴ But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.” ²⁵ Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

⁹ Yahweh said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of his land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.”

¹⁹ When you come near the border of the children of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you any of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.”

³ An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into Yahweh’s assembly; even to the tenth generation shall no one belonging to them enter into Yahweh’s assembly forever,

¹ Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to test Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan; ² only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who knew nothing of it before: ³ the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ They were left to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to Yahweh’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. ⁵ The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁶ They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. ⁷ The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. ⁸ Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years. ⁹ When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ¹⁰ Yahweh’s Spirit came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim. ¹¹ The land had rest forty years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. ¹² The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. ¹³ He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. ¹⁴ The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. ¹⁵ But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. ¹⁶ Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. ¹⁷ He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ When Ehud had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. ¹⁹ But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him. ²⁰ Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat. ²¹ Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body. ²² The handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn’t draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. ²³ Then Ehud went out onto the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them. ²⁴ After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.” ²⁵ They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor. ²⁶ Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he had come, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them. ²⁸ He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over. ²⁹ They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped. ³⁰ So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years. ³¹ After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.

¹⁰ Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”

¹ After this, David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines. ² He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute. ³ David struck also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River. ⁴ David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for one hundred chariots. ⁵ When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty two thousand men of the Syrians. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went. ⁷ David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took a great quantity of bronze. ⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ then Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. Joram brought with him vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to Yahweh, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued; ¹² of Syria, of Moab, of the children of Ammon, of the Philistines, of Amalek, and of the plunder of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ¹³ David earned a reputation when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand men of the Syrians in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom, he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went. ¹⁵ David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, ¹⁷ Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, Seraiah was scribe, ¹⁸ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief ministers.

¹ Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. ² He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father, and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. ³ Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them. ⁴ Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams. ⁵ But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. ⁶ King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel. ⁷ He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?” He said, “I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” ⁸ He said, “Which way shall we go up?” He answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.” ⁹ So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched for seven days along a circuitous route. There was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. ¹⁰ The king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” ¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh here, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.” ¹² Jehoshaphat said, “Yahweh’s word is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. ¹³ Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother.” The king of Israel said to him, “No, for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” ¹⁴ Elisha said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you. ¹⁵ But now bring me a musician.” When the musician played, Yahweh’s hand came on him. ¹⁶ He said, “Yahweh says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ ¹⁷ For Yahweh says, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your other animals. ¹⁸ This is an easy thing in Yahweh’s sight. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. ¹⁹ You shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’” ²⁰ In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. ²¹ Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border. ²² They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. ²³ They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!” ²⁴ When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites. ²⁵ They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water, and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it, and attacked it. ²⁶ When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. ²⁷ Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

⁶ The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned Yahweh, and didn’t serve him. ⁷ Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the children of Ammon. ⁸ They troubled and oppressed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. ⁹ The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed. ¹⁰ The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals.” ¹¹ Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “Didn’t I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? ¹² The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand. ¹³ Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more. ¹⁴ Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress!” ¹⁵ The children of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us, please, today.” ¹⁶ They put away the foreign gods from among them and served Yahweh; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. ¹⁷ Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpah. ¹⁸ The people, the princes of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

⁶ They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.” ⁷ Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” ⁸ The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” ⁹ Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, will I be your head?” ¹⁰ The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Yahweh will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.” ¹¹ Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah. ¹² Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” ¹³ The king of the children of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.” ¹⁴ Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon; ¹⁵ and he said to him, “Jephthah says: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon; ¹⁶ but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh, ¹⁷ then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom didn’t listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab, but he refused; so Israel stayed in Kadesh. ¹⁸ Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn’t come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. ¹⁹ Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’ ²⁰ But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. ²¹ Yahweh, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. ²² They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan. ²³ So now Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them? ²⁴ Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever Yahweh our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess. ²⁵ Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them? ²⁶ Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why didn’t you recover them within that time? ²⁷ Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May Yahweh the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.” ²⁸ However, the king of the children of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him. ²⁹ Then Yahweh’s Spirit came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon. ³⁰ Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand, ³¹ then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” ³² So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh delivered them into his hand. ³³ He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. ³⁴ Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can’t go back.” ³⁶ She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.” ³⁷ Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.” ³⁸ He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains. ³⁹ At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel ⁴⁰ that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

¹ Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh Gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” ² Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.” ³ The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” ⁴ Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept. ⁵ Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, “What ails the people that they weep?” They told him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶ God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot. ⁷ He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man. ⁸ He counted them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. ⁹ They said to the messengers who came, “Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.’” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. ¹⁰ Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you.” ¹¹ On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. ¹² The people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!” ¹³ Saul said, “No man shall be put to death today; for today Yahweh has rescued Israel.” ¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.” ¹⁵ All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

¹ After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ² David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. ³ But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.” ⁶ When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. ⁷ When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men. ⁸ The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field. ⁹ Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. ¹⁰ The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. ¹¹ He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ¹² Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what seems good to him.” ¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem. ¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head. ¹⁷ David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. ¹⁸ The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

¹ On that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and it was found written in it that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever, ² because they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them; however our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³ It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

²³ In those days I also saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab; ²⁴ and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. ²⁵ I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves. ²⁶ Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin. ²⁷ Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?” ²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

⁴ “Come,” they say, “let’s destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” ⁵ For they have conspired together with one mind. They form an alliance against you. ⁶ The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites; ⁷ Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; ⁸ Assyria also is joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah.

¹⁴ They will fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines on the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east. They will extend their power over Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon will obey them.