Proverbs

Posted on March 29, 2025March 29, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

Proverbs

1The proverbs of Solomon son of

David, king of Israel:

²for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;

³for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;

⁴for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-

⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-

⁶for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

⁸Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

⁹They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.

waylay some harmless soul;

¹²let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

¹³we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;

¹⁴throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”-

¹⁵my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;

¹⁶for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.

¹⁷How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!

¹⁸These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!

¹⁹Such is the end of all who go after ill- gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;

²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

²²“How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will

mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

²³If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

²⁴But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

²⁵since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,

²⁶I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸“Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.

²⁹Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord ,

³⁰since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,

³¹they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

³²For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

³³but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

2My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

²turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,

³and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

⁴and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

⁷He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

⁸for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹¹Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

¹²Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,

¹³who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

¹⁴who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

¹⁵whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

¹⁶It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

¹⁷who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.

¹⁸For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

¹⁹None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

²⁰Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

3My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

²for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

³Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

⁸This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord ‘s discipline and do not resent his rebuke,

¹²because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

¹³Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

²⁰by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;

²²they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

²³Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;

²⁴when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”- when you now have it with you.

²⁹Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.

³⁰Do not accuse a man for no reason- when he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways,

³²for the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.

³³The Lord ‘s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.

³⁵The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.

4Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

²I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.

³When I was a boy in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother,

⁴he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.

⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

⁹She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor.”

¹⁰Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.

¹¹I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

¹⁶For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.

¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.

²¹Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

²²for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.

²³Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.

²⁷Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

5My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight,

²that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.

³For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;

⁴but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.

⁶She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.

⁷Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.

⁸Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,

⁹lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel,

¹⁰lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house.

¹¹At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent.

¹²You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!

¹³I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors.

¹⁴I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.

¹⁸May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹A loving doe, a graceful deer- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

²⁰Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?

²¹For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord , and he examines all his paths.

²²The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.

²³He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

6My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

²if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

³then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!

⁴Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.

⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

⁷It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,

⁸yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

⁹How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-

¹¹and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

¹²A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

¹³who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,

¹⁴who plots evil with deceit in his heart- he always stirs up dissension.

¹⁵Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.

¹⁶There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

¹⁹a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

²⁰My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

²¹Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.

²²When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

²³For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,

²⁴keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.

²⁵Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,

²⁶for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

²⁸Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?

²⁹So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

³¹Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

³²But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

³³Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away;

³⁴for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

³⁵He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

7My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.

²Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

³Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman;

⁵they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

⁶At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice.

⁷I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment.

⁸He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house

⁹at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

¹¹(She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

¹²now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

¹³She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

¹⁴“I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows.

¹⁵So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!

¹⁶I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.

¹⁷I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

¹⁸Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!

¹⁹My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

²⁰He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.”

²¹With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

²²All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose

²³till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

²⁴Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

²⁵Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

²⁶Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.

²⁷Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

8Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?

²On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

³beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:

⁴“To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.

⁵You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.

⁶Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.

⁷My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.

⁸All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.

⁹To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.

¹⁰Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,

¹¹for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.

¹³To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.

¹⁵By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;

¹⁶by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth.

¹⁷I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.

¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

²¹bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

²²“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, , before his deeds of old;

²³I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.

²⁴When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;

²⁵before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,

²⁶before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.

²⁷I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

²⁸when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

²⁹when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his

command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

³⁰Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,

³¹rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

³²“Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

³⁵For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord .

³⁶But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

9Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.

⁴“Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment.

⁵“Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

⁶Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.

⁷“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

⁸Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

¹⁰“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

¹²If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.”

¹³The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,

¹⁵calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.

¹⁶“Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment.

¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”

¹⁸But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

10The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

²Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.

³The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

⁴Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

⁵He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

⁶Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

⁷The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

⁹The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

¹⁰He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

¹²Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

¹⁴Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

¹⁵The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

¹⁶The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

¹⁷He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

¹⁸He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

²¹The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

²²The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

²³A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

²⁴What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

²⁵When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

²⁶As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

²⁷The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

²⁸The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

²⁹The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

³⁰The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

³²The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

11The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.

²When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

⁴Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

⁷When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing.

⁸The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead.

⁹With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

¹⁰When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

¹²A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.

¹³A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

¹⁴For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.

¹⁵He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.

¹⁶A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

¹⁸The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

¹⁹The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death.

²⁰The Lord detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

²¹Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.

²²Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

²⁶People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

²⁷He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.

²⁸Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

²⁹He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

³¹If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

12Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

²A good man obtains favor from the Lord , but the Lord condemns a crafty man.

³A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

⁴A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

⁵The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.

⁸A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised.

⁹Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

¹²The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.

¹³An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble.

¹⁴From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.

¹⁵The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

¹⁶A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

¹⁷A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.

²¹No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.

²³A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

²⁴Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.

²⁵An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

²⁶A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions.

²⁸In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.

13A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

²From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.

³He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

⁴The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁵The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.

⁶Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

¹¹Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹⁹A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

²²A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

²³A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

²⁵The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

14The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

²He whose walk is upright fears the Lord , but he whose ways are devious despises him.

³A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.

⁵A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.

⁶The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

⁷Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

⁹Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.

¹⁴The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his.

¹⁵A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

¹⁶A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.

¹⁷A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

²¹He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

²³All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.

²⁶He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

²⁸A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined.

²⁹A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

³⁰A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

³¹He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

³²When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

³³Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵A king delights in a wise servant, but a shameful servant incurs his wrath.

15A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

³The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

⁴The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

⁵A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

⁶The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings them trouble.

⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.

⁸The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

⁹The Lord detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

¹⁰Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

¹¹Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord – how much more the hearts of men!

¹²A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.

¹³A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

¹⁴The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

¹⁷Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

¹⁹The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

²⁰A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.

²²Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

²³A man finds joy in giving an apt reply- and how good is a timely word!

²⁴The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.

²⁵The Lord tears down the proud man’s house but he keeps the widow’s boundaries intact.

²⁶The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.

²⁷A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

²⁹The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

³⁰A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

³¹He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.

³²He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

³³The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

16To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.

²All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord .

³Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

⁴The Lord works out everything for his own ends- even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

⁶Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.

⁷When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord , he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

⁸Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

⁹In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

¹⁰The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth should not betray justice.

¹¹Honest scales and balances are from the Lord ; all the weights in the bag are of his making.

¹²Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness.

¹³Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.

¹⁴A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease it.

¹⁵When a king’s face brightens, it means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!

¹⁷The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord .

²¹The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.

²²Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools.

²³A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

²⁶The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.

²⁷A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

²⁹A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

³⁰He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

³²Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord .

17Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

²A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

³The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

⁵He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

⁶Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

⁷Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool- how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

⁸A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

¹⁰A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.

¹¹An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him.

¹²Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

¹³If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

¹⁴Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- the Lord detests them both.

¹⁶Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

²⁰A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

²¹To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.

²²A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.

²⁶It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.

²⁷A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

18An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment.

²A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

³When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace.

⁴The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

⁵It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.

⁶A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.

⁷A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

⁸The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.

⁹One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

¹¹The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.

¹²Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

¹³He who answers before listening- that is his folly and his shame.

¹⁴A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

¹⁵The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

¹⁶A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.

¹⁷The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.

¹⁸Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.

¹⁹An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

²⁰From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

²¹The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

²²He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord .

²³A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.

²⁴A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

19Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

²It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.

³A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord .

⁴Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man’s friend deserts him.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.

⁶Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts.

⁷A poor man is shunned by all his relatives- how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.

⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish.

¹⁰It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury- how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

¹¹A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

¹⁴Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord .

¹⁵Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.

¹⁶He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.

¹⁷He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord , and he will reward him for what he has done.

¹⁸Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

¹⁹A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

²⁰Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

²¹Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord ‘s purpose that prevails.

²²What a man desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

²⁵Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

²⁹Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

20Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

²A king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion; he who angers him forfeits his life.

³It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

⁴A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

⁵The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

⁶Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?

⁷The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.

⁸When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures- the Lord detests them both.

¹¹Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.

¹²Ears that hear and eyes that see- the Lord has made them both.

¹³Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.

¹⁴“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase.

¹⁵Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

¹⁷Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

¹⁸Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.

¹⁹A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

²⁰If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.

²¹An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.

²²Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord , and he will deliver you.

²³The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.

²⁴A man’s steps are directed by the Lord . How then can anyone understand his own way?

²⁵It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.

²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of a man ; it searches out his inmost being.

²⁸Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

³⁰Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being.

21The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord ; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

²All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.

³To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!

⁵The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰The wicked man craves evil; his neighbor gets no mercy from him.

¹¹When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

¹⁴A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

¹⁶A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

²⁰In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.

²¹He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

²²A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

²⁴The proud and arrogant man-“Mocker” is his name; he behaves with overweening pride.

²⁵The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.

²⁶All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable- how much more so when brought with evil intent!

²⁸A false witness will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.

²⁹A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord .

³¹The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord .

22A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

²Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

⁴Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.

⁵In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

⁶Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.

¹¹He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!” or, “I will be murdered in the streets!”

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the Lord ‘s wrath will fall into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich-both come to poverty. Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,

¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.

¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord , I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge,

²¹teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?

²²Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,

²³for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot- tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered,

²⁵or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.

²⁶Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts;

²⁷if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

23When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you,

²and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

³Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

⁴Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

⁵Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

⁶Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies;

⁷for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

⁸You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.

⁹Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

¹¹for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

¹⁴Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad;

¹⁶my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord .

¹⁸There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.

²⁰Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,

²¹for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

²²Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

²⁴The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.

²⁵May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!

²⁶My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways,

²⁷for a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

²⁸Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

³¹Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!

³²In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.

³⁴You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.

³⁵“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”

24Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company;

²for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.

³By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;

⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

⁵A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;

⁶for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.

⁸He who plots evil will be known as a schemer.

⁹The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker.

¹⁰If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!

¹¹Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

¹²If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?

¹³Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man’s house, do not raid his dwelling place;

¹⁶for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

¹⁷Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,

¹⁸or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.

¹⁹Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked,

²⁰for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious,

²²for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise

²³These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:

²⁴Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent”- peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.

²⁵But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.

²⁶An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

²⁸Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive.

²⁹Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me; I’ll pay that man back for what he did.”

³⁰I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;

³¹thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.

³²I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:

³³A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-

³⁴and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

25These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith;

⁵remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men;

⁷it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you have seen with your eyes

⁸do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man’s confidence,

¹⁰or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.

¹¹A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹³Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough- too much of it, and you will vomit.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house- too much of you, and he will hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.

¹⁹Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.

²⁰Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

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

²²In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

²³As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

26Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

³A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

⁶Like cutting off one’s feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

⁷Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁸Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

¹⁵The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows

¹⁹is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

²¹As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.

²³Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

²⁴A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.

²⁵Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

²⁶His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

27Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

²Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.

³Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.

⁴Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

⁶Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

⁷He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you- better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

¹²The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

¹³Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

¹⁴If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.

¹⁵A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

¹⁸He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

¹⁹As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

²⁰Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

²¹The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.

²³Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;

²⁴for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

²⁵When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

²⁶the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.

²⁷You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls.

28The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

³A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

⁷He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

⁹If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

¹⁰He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

¹³He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord , but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

¹⁷A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him.

¹⁸He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

¹⁹He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good- yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

²³He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

²⁴He who robs his father or mother and says, “It’s not wrong”- he is partner to him who destroys.

²⁵A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

29A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.

⁵Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.

⁶An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.

¹¹A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.

¹⁵The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

¹⁹A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond.

²⁰Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹If a man pampers his servant from youth, he will bring grief in the end.

²²An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

²³A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify.

²⁵Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that man gets justice.

²⁷The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.

30The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh- an oracle : This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:

²“I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man’s understanding.

³I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!

⁵“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷“Two things I ask of you, O Lord ; do not refuse me before I die:

⁸Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

⁹Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord ?’

Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

¹⁰“Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹“There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;

¹²those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

¹³those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;

¹⁴those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵“The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

¹⁶the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

¹⁷“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.

²⁰“This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’

²¹“Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

²²a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food,

²³an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;

²⁷locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;

²⁸a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹“There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:

³⁰a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

³¹a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him.

³²“If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

³³For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”

31The sayings of King Lemuel-an oracle his mother taught him:

²“O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,

³do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.

⁴“It is not for kings, O Lemuel- not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer,

⁵lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

⁶Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish;

⁷let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

⁸“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

⁹Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

¹²She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

¹³She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²²She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

³⁰Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

³¹Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Psalms

Posted on March 27, 2025March 29, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

Psalms

⁴The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

¹Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

²But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

⁴Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

PSALM 2

¹Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

²The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.

³“Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

⁵Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

⁶“I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

⁷I will proclaim the decree of the Lord : He said to me, “You are my Son ; today I have become your Father.

⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

⁹You will rule them with an iron scepter ; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

¹⁰Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

¹¹Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

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

PSALM 3

¹O Lord , how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

²Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah

³But you are a shield around me, O Lord ; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

⁴To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

⁵I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

⁶I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

⁷Arise, O Lord ! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

PSALM 4

¹Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

²How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame ? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods ? Selah

³Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.

⁴In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah

⁵Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord .

⁶Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord .

⁷You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord , make me dwell in safety.

PSALM 5

¹Give ear to my words, O Lord , consider my sighing.

²Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

³In the morning, O Lord , you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

⁴You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.

⁵The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.

⁶You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.

⁷But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.

⁸Lead me, O Lord , in your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight your way before me.

⁹Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

¹⁰Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

¹²For surely, O Lord , you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

PSALM 6

¹O Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

²Be merciful to me, Lord , for I am faint; O Lord , heal me, for my bones are in agony.

³My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord , how long?

⁴Turn, O Lord , and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

⁵No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave 1 ?

⁶I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

⁷My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

⁸Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping.

⁹The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.

¹⁰All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

PSALM 7

¹O Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

²or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

³O Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands-

⁴if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe-

⁵then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah

⁶Arise, O Lord , in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.

⁷Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high;

⁸let the Lord judge the peoples. Judge me, O Lord , according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.

⁹O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

¹⁰My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.

¹¹God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.

¹²If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.

¹³He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.

¹⁴He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

¹⁵He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.

¹⁶The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.

¹⁷I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

PSALM 8

¹O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

²From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

³When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

⁴what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

⁵You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

⁷all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,

⁸the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

PSALM 9

¹I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.

²I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

³My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.

⁴For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

⁵You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

⁶Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.

⁷The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.

⁸He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.

⁹The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

¹⁰Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord , have never forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹Sing praises to the Lord , enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.

¹²For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

¹³O Lord , see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

¹⁴that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.

¹⁵The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

¹⁶The Lord is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah

¹⁷The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.

¹⁸But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

¹⁹Arise, O Lord , let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.

²⁰Strike them with terror, O Lord ; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

PSALM 10

¹Why, O Lord , do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

²In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

³He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord .

⁴In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

⁵His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies.

⁶He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.”

⁷His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

⁸He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims.

⁹He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

¹⁰His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

¹¹He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.”

¹²Arise, Lord ! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

¹³Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”?

¹⁴But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.

¹⁶The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

¹⁷You hear, O Lord , the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

¹⁸defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

PSALM 11

¹In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain.

²For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

³When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do ?”

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.

⁵The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.

⁶On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.

⁷For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

PSALM 12

¹Help, Lord , for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

²Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

⁴that says, “We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips -who is our master?”

⁵“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the Lord . “I will protect them from those who malign them.”

⁶And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

⁷O Lord , you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

⁸The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

PSALM 13

¹How long, O Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

²How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

⁴my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

⁶I will sing to the Lord , for he has been good to me.

PSALM 14

¹The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

³All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

⁴Will evildoers never learn- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord ?

⁵There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

⁶You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.

⁷Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

PSALM 15

¹Lord , who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

²He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart

³and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,

⁴who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord , who keeps his oath even when it hurts,

⁵who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

PSALM 16

¹Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

²I said to the Lord , “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

³As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

⁴The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.

⁵Lord , you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.

⁶The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

⁷I will praise the Lord , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

⁸I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

¹⁰because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

¹¹You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

PSALM 17

¹Hear, O Lord , my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer- it does not rise from deceitful lips.

²May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.

³Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

⁴As for the deeds of men- by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

⁵My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.

⁶I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.

⁷Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

⁸Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

⁹from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

¹⁰They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

¹¹They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

¹²They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.

¹³Rise up, O Lord , confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

¹⁴O Lord , by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

¹⁵And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

PSALM 18

¹I love you, O Lord , my strength.

²The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

³I call to the Lord , who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

⁴The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

⁵The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

⁶In my distress I called to the Lord ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

⁷The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

⁸Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

⁹He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

¹⁰He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

¹¹He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.

¹²Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

¹³The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

¹⁴He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies , great bolts of lightning and routed them.

¹⁵The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord , at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

¹⁶He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁸They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

¹⁹He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

²⁰The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord ; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

²²All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

²³I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

²⁴The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

²⁶to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁷You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

²⁸You, O Lord , keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

²⁹With your help I can advance against a troop ; with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

³¹For who is God besides the Lord ? And who is the Rock except our God?

³²It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

³³He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

³⁴He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁵You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.

³⁶You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

³⁷I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

³⁸I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

³⁹You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

⁴⁰You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

⁴¹They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the Lord , but he did not answer.

⁴²I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.

⁴³You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.

⁴⁴As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.

⁴⁵They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

⁴⁷He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,

⁴⁸who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.

⁴⁹Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord ; I will sing praises to your name.

⁵⁰He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

PSALM 19

¹The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

²Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

³There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

⁴Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

⁵which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

⁶It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

⁸The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

⁹The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.

¹⁰They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

¹¹By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

¹³Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord , my Rock and my Redeemer.

PSALM 20

¹May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

²May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.

³May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah

⁴May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

⁵We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.

⁷Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

⁸They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

⁹O Lord , save the king! Answer us when we call!

PSALM 21

¹O Lord , the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!

²You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

³You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

⁴He asked you for life, and you gave it to him- length of days, for ever and ever.

⁵Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

⁶Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

⁷For the king trusts in the Lord ; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

⁸Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.

⁹At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.

¹⁰You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.

¹¹Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

¹²for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³Be exalted, O Lord , in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

PSALM 22

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

²O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

⁴In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

⁵They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

⁷All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

⁸“He trusts in the Lord ; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.

¹⁰From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

¹²Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

¹³Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.

¹⁴I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

¹⁵My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

¹⁷I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.

¹⁸They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹But you, O Lord , be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

²⁰Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.

²¹Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

²²I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.

²³You who fear the Lord , praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

²⁵From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

²⁶The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him- may your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord , and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,

²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him- those who cannot keep themselves alive.

³⁰Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

³¹They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn- for he has done it.

PSALM 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

³he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

PSALM 24

¹The earth is the Lord ‘s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

²for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

³Who may ascend the hill of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy place?

⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

⁵He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.

⁶Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

⁷Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

⁸Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

⁹Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

¹⁰Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty- he is the King of glory. Selah

PSALM 25

¹To you, O Lord , I lift up my soul;

²in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

³No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

⁴Show me your ways, O Lord , teach me your paths;

⁵guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

⁶Remember, O Lord , your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

⁷Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord .

⁸Good and upright is the Lord ; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

⁹He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

¹⁰All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

¹¹For the sake of your name, O Lord , forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

¹²Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord ? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

¹³He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.

¹⁴The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

¹⁵My eyes are ever on the Lord , for only he will release my feet from the snare.

¹⁶Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

¹⁷The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.

¹⁸Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

¹⁹See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!

²⁰Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

²¹May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

²²Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

PSALM 26

¹Vindicate me, O Lord , for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

²Test me, O Lord , and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

³for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.

⁴I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites;

⁵I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.

⁶I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord ,

⁷proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

⁸I love the house where you live, O Lord , the place where your glory dwells.

⁹Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men,

¹⁰in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.

¹¹But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me.

¹²My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord .

PSALM 27

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?

²When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

³Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

⁴One thing I ask of the Lord , this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

⁵For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

⁶Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord .

⁷Hear my voice when I call, O Lord ; be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord , I will seek.

⁹Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

¹⁰Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord ; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

¹²Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

¹³I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait for the Lord ; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord .

PSALM 28

¹To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

²Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

³Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

⁴Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve.

⁵Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.

⁶Praise be to the Lord , for he has heard my cry for mercy.

⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

⁸The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

⁹Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

PSALM 29

¹Ascribe to the Lord , O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

³The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.

⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

PSALM 30

¹I will exalt you, O Lord , for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

²O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

³O Lord , you brought me up from the grave ; you spared me from going down into the pit.

⁴Sing to the Lord , you saints of his; praise his holy name.

⁵For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”

⁷O Lord , when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

⁸To you, O Lord , I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

⁹“What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

¹⁰Hear, O Lord , and be merciful to me; O Lord , be my help.”

¹¹You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

¹²that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

PSALM 31

¹In you, O Lord , I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

²Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

³Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

⁴Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

⁵Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord , the God of truth.

⁶I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord .

⁷I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

⁸You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

⁹Be merciful to me, O Lord , for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.

¹⁰My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

¹¹Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends- those who see me on the street flee from me.

¹²I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

¹³For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

¹⁴But I trust in you, O Lord ; I say, “You are my God.”

¹⁵My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

¹⁶Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

¹⁷Let me not be put to shame, O Lord , for I have cried out to you; but let the

wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave.

¹⁸Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

¹⁹How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

²⁰In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

²¹Praise be to the Lord , for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.

²²In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

²³Love the Lord , all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.

²⁴Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord .

PSALM 32

¹Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

²Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

³When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

⁴For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord “- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

⁶Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

⁷You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

⁹Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord ‘s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

¹¹Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

PSALM 33

¹Sing joyfully to the Lord , you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

²Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

³Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

⁵The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

⁷He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ; he puts the deep into storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear the Lord ; let all the people of the world revere him.

⁹For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

¹¹But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord , the people he chose for his inheritance.

¹³From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;

¹⁴from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-

¹⁵he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

¹⁶No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.

¹⁷A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

¹⁸But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰We wait in hope for the Lord ; he is our help and our shield.

²¹In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

²²May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord , even as we put our hope in you.

PSALM 34

¹I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

²My soul will boast in the Lord ; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

⁴I sought the Lord , and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹Fear the Lord , you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord .

¹²Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

¹³keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

¹⁴Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

²⁰he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

²¹Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

²²The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

PSALM 35

¹Contend, O Lord , with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.

²Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

³Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

⁴May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.

⁵May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away;

⁶may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

⁷Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,

⁸may ruin overtake them by surprise- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

⁹Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.

¹⁰My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O Lord ? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

¹¹Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.

¹²They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.

¹³Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

¹⁴I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

¹⁵But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.

¹⁶Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked ; they gnashed their teeth at me.

¹⁷O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

¹⁸I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.

¹⁹Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

²⁰They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.

²¹They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”

²²O Lord , you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.

²³Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.

²⁴Vindicate me in your righteousness, O Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me.

²⁵Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

²⁷May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

²⁸My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

PSALM 36

¹An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.

²For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

³The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

⁴Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

⁵Your love, O Lord , reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

⁶Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord , you preserve both man and beast.

⁷How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

⁸They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

⁹For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

¹⁰Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

¹¹May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

¹²See how the evildoers lie fallen- thrown down, not able to rise!

PSALM 37

¹Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

²for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

³Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this:

⁶He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.

⁹For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

¹²The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

¹⁷for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The days of the blameless are known to the Lord , and their inheritance will endure forever.

¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But the wicked will perish: The Lord ‘s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish-vanish like smoke.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

²³If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;

²⁴though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

²⁶They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

²⁷Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

²⁸For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

²⁹the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

³²The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

³³but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

PSALM 38

¹O Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

²For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.

³Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

⁴My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.

⁶I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.

⁷My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.

⁸I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

¹⁰My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

¹¹My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.

¹²Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.

¹³I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;

¹⁴I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.

¹⁵I wait for you, O Lord ; you will answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”

¹⁷For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.

¹⁸I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.

²⁰Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.

²¹O Lord , do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.

²²Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

PSALM 39

¹I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.”

²But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased.

³My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴“Show me, O Lord , my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

⁵You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah

⁶Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

⁷“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

⁸Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.

⁹I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.

¹⁰Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

¹¹You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth- each man is but a breath. Selah

¹²“Hear my prayer, O Lord , listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.

¹³Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more.”

PSALM 40

¹I waited patiently for the Lord ; he turned to me and heard my cry.

²He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

³He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord .

⁴Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

⁵Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced , ; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

⁷Then I said, “Here I am, I have come- it is written about me in the scroll.

⁸I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

⁹I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O Lord .

¹⁰I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.

¹¹Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord ; may your love and your truth always protect me.

¹²For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the

hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.

¹³Be pleased, O Lord , to save me; O Lord , come quickly to help me.

¹⁴May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

¹⁵May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their own shame.

¹⁶But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!”

¹⁷Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

PSALM 41

¹Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

²The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

³The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

⁴I said, “O Lord , have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

⁵My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”

⁶Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

⁷All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

⁸“A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

⁹Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰But you, O Lord , have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.

¹¹I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

¹²In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.

¹³Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

PSALM 42

¹As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

²My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

³My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

⁴These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and

⁶my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar.

⁷Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

⁸By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

¹⁰My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

¹¹Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

PSALM 43

¹Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

²You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?

³Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

⁴Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.

⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

PSALM 44

¹We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

²With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.

³It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

⁴You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.

⁵Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.

⁶I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

⁷but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.

⁸In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah

⁹But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.

¹⁰You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.

¹¹You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.

¹²You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.

¹⁴You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.

¹⁵My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame

¹⁶at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

¹⁷All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.

¹⁸Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

¹⁹But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.

²⁰If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

²¹would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

²²Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

²⁴Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?

²⁵We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

²⁶Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.

PSALM 45

¹My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

²You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.

³Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

⁴In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.

⁵Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.

⁶Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

⁷You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

⁸All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

⁹Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

¹⁰Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house.

¹¹The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

¹²The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor.

¹³All glorious is the princess within her chamber ; her gown is interwoven with gold.

¹⁴In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you.

¹⁵They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.

¹⁷I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

PSALM 46

¹God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

⁵God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

⁶Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come and see the works of the Lord , the desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

PSALM 47

¹Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

²How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!

³He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.

⁴He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah

⁵God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

⁷For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

⁸God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.

⁹The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

PSALM 48

¹Great is the Lord , and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

²It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.

³God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress.

⁴When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together,

⁵they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror.

⁶Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor.

⁷You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind.

⁸As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah

⁹Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

¹⁰Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.

¹¹Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments.

¹²Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers,

¹³consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.

¹⁴For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

PSALM 49

¹Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,

²both low and high, rich and poor alike:

³My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

⁴I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:

⁵Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-

⁶those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?

⁷No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-

⁸the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-

⁹that he should live on forever and not see decay.

¹⁰For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.

¹²But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah

¹⁴Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.

¹⁵But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah

¹⁶Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases;

¹⁷for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.

¹⁸Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper-

¹⁹he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life .

²⁰A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

PSALM 50

¹The Mighty One, God, the Lord , speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

²From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

³Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.

⁴He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:

⁵“Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

⁶And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah

⁷“Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.

⁸I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

⁹I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,

¹⁰for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.

¹²If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,

¹⁵and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?

¹⁷You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.

¹⁸When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.

¹⁹You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.

²⁰You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.

²¹These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:

²³He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

PSALM 51

¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

²Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

⁵Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

PSALM 52

¹Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long,

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

²Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.

³You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah

⁴You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!

⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

⁶The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying,

⁷“Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.

⁹I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

PSALM 53

¹The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

³Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

⁴Will the evildoers never learn- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God?

⁵There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them.

⁶Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

PSALM 54

¹Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.

²Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

³Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life- men without regard for God. Selah

⁴Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

⁵Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord , for it is good.

⁷For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

PSALM 55

¹Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;

²hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

³at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.

⁴My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.

⁵Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.

⁶I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest-

⁷I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah

⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”

⁹Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.

¹¹Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.

¹²If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him.

¹³But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,

¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

¹⁵Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶But I call to God, and the Lord saves me.

¹⁷Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.

¹⁸He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.

¹⁹God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them- Selah men who never change their ways and have no fear of God.

²⁰My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.

²¹His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.

²²Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

²³But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.

PSALM 56

¹Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.

²My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.

³When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

⁴In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

⁵All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.

⁶They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life.

⁷On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

⁸Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll – are they not in your record?

⁹Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.

¹⁰In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord , whose word I praise-

¹¹in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

¹²I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.

¹³For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

PSALM 57

¹Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

²I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.

³He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness.

⁴I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶They spread a net for my feet- I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path- but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

⁷My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

⁸Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

⁹I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

¹⁰For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

PSALM 58

¹Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men?

²No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

³Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

⁴Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,

⁵that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O Lord , the fangs of the lions!

⁷Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.

⁸Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns- whether they be green or dry-the wicked will be swept away.

¹⁰The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

¹¹Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

PSALM 59

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.

²Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.

³See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord .

⁴I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!

⁵O Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah

⁶They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.

⁷See what they spew from their mouths- they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, “Who can hear us?”

⁸But you, O Lord , laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.

⁹O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress,

¹⁰my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

¹¹But do not kill them, O Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down.

¹²For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,

¹³consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah

¹⁴They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.

¹⁵They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

¹⁷O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

PSALM 60

¹You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry-now restore us!

²You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

³You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

⁴But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah

⁵Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

⁶God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

⁸Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

⁹Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

¹⁰Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

¹¹Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

¹²With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

PSALM 61

¹Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.

²From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

⁴I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah

⁵For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.

⁷May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

⁸Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.

PSALM 62

¹My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

²He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

⁴They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah

⁵Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

⁶He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

⁹Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

¹⁰Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

¹¹One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,

¹²and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

PSALM 63

¹O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

²I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

³Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

⁴I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

⁵My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

⁶On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

⁷Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

⁸My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

⁹They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.

¹⁰They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.

¹¹But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

PSALM 64

¹Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

²Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

³They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

⁴They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

⁵They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see them ?”

⁶They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

⁷But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.

⁸He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

⁹All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.

¹⁰Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

PSALM 65

¹Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.

²O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.

³When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.

⁴Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

⁵You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,

⁶who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,

⁷who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.

⁸Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.

⁹You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

¹⁰You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

¹¹You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

¹²The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.

¹³The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.

PSALM 66

¹Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

²Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!

³Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

⁴All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.” Selah

⁵Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!

⁶He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot- come, let us rejoice in him.

⁷He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations- let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah

⁸Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;

⁹he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

¹⁰For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

¹¹You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

¹²You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

¹³I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you-

¹⁴vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

¹⁵I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah

¹⁶Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

¹⁹but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

²⁰Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

PSALM 67

¹May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah

²that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

³May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

⁴May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

⁵May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

⁶Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

⁷God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

PSALM 68

¹May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.

²As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.

³But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds – his

name is the Lord – and rejoice before him.

⁵A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

⁶God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

⁷When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah

⁸the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.

⁹You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.

¹⁰Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

¹²“Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.

¹³Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold.”

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.

¹⁵The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

¹⁶Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the Lord himself will dwell forever?

¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

¹⁸When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious- that you, O Lord God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah

²⁰Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

²¹Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

²²The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

²³that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”

²⁴Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

²⁵In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.

²⁶Praise God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.

²⁷There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

²⁸Summon your power, O God ; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.

²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.

³⁰Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

³¹Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah

³³to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.

³⁴Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.

³⁵You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

PSALM 69

¹Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

²I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

³I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

⁴Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.

⁵You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.

⁶May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the Lord Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

⁷For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.

⁸I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons;

⁹for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

¹⁰When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;

¹¹when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.

¹²Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³But I pray to you, O Lord , in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.

¹⁴Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.

¹⁵Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶Answer me, O Lord , out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

¹⁷Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

¹⁸Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.

¹⁹You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.

²⁰Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

²¹They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

²²May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.

²³May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.

²⁴Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.

²⁵May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

²⁶For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

²⁷Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.

²⁸May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

²⁹I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

³⁰I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

³¹This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

³²The poor will see and be glad- you who seek God, may your hearts live!

³³The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,

³⁵for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;

³⁶the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

PSALM 70

¹Hasten, O God, to save me; O Lord , come quickly to help me.

²May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

³May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame.

⁴But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”

⁵Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord , do not delay.

PSALM 71

¹In you, O Lord , I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

²Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

³Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

⁵For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord , my confidence since my youth.

⁶From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

⁷I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

⁹Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

¹⁰For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

¹¹They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

¹²Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.

¹³May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

¹⁶I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord ; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

¹⁷Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?

²⁰Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

²¹You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

²²I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.

²⁴My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

PSALM 72

¹Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.

²He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.

³The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.

⁴He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.

⁵He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.

⁶He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.

⁷In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.

⁸He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

⁹The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.

¹¹All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.

¹²For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.

¹³He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.

¹⁴He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

¹⁶Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.

¹⁷May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.

¹⁸Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

¹⁹Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

²⁰This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

PSALM 73

¹p header A psalm of Asaph. /header Surely God is good to Israel, p to those who are pure in heart. pp>

²But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

³For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

⁵They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.

⁶Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.

⁷From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

⁸They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

⁹Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.

¹⁰Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.

¹¹They say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

¹²This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth.

¹³Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed your children.

¹⁶When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me

¹⁷till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

¹⁸Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.

¹⁹How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

²⁰As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.

²¹When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

²²I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

²³Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

²⁴You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

²⁸But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

PSALM 74

¹Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

²Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed- Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

³Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

⁴Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.

⁵They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.

⁶They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.

⁷They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

⁸They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

⁹We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

¹⁰How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

¹¹Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

¹²But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.

¹³It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

¹⁴It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

¹⁵It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers.

¹⁶The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

¹⁷It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

¹⁸Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O Lord , how foolish people have reviled your name.

¹⁹Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

²⁰Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

²¹Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.

²²Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

²³Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

PSALM 75

¹We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.

²You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly.

³When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. Selah

⁴To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.

⁵Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.’ “

⁶No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man.

⁷But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

⁸In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

⁹As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

PSALM 76

¹In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.

²His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.

³There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah

⁴You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game.

⁵Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands.

⁶At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still.

⁷You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?

⁸From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet-

⁹when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah

¹⁰Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.

¹¹Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.

¹²He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

PSALM 77

¹I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

²When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.

³I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah

⁴You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.

⁵I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;

⁶I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired:

⁷“Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?

⁸Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?

⁹Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah

¹⁰Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

¹¹I will remember the deeds of the Lord ; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

¹²I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

¹³Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?

¹⁴You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

¹⁵With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.

¹⁷The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.

¹⁸Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

¹⁹Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

²⁰You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

PSALM 78

¹O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.

²I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-

³what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.

⁴We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord , his power, and the wonders he has done.

⁵He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,

⁶so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

⁷Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

⁸They would not be like their forefathers- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

⁹The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;

¹⁰they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law.

¹¹They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.

¹²He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

¹³He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall.

¹⁴He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.

¹⁵He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

¹⁶he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.

¹⁷But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

¹⁸They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.

¹⁹They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the desert?

²⁰When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?”

²¹When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,

²²for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.

²³Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;

²⁴he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.

²⁵Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.

²⁶He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power.

²⁷He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore.

²⁸He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents.

²⁹They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved.

³⁰But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths,

³¹God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.

³²In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

³³So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

³⁴Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again.

³⁵They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

³⁶But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;

³⁷their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.

³⁸Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time

after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.

³⁹He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

⁴⁰How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland!

⁴¹Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They did not remember his power- the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,

⁴³the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.

⁴⁴He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams.

⁴⁵He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.

⁴⁶He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

⁴⁸He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.

⁴⁹He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility- a band of destroying angels.

⁵⁰He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague.

⁵¹He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.

⁵²But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert.

⁵³He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies.

⁵⁴Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken.

⁵⁵He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

⁵⁶But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.

⁵⁷Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.

⁵⁸They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.

⁵⁹When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely.

⁶⁰He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men.

⁶¹He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy.

⁶²He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance.

⁶³Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs;

⁶⁴their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.

⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.

⁶⁶He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame.

⁶⁷Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;

⁶⁸but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.

⁶⁹He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.

⁷⁰He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;

⁷¹from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.

⁷²And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

PSALM 79

¹O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

²They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

³They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

⁴We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.

⁵How long, O Lord ? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;

⁷for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.

⁸Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.

⁹Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.

¹⁰Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.

¹¹May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.

¹²Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.

¹³Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

PSALM 80

¹Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

²before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.

³Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

⁴O Lord God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?

⁵You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

⁶You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.

⁷Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

⁸You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.

⁹You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.

¹⁰The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.

¹¹It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.

¹²Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

¹³Boars from the forest ravage it and the creatures of the field feed on it.

¹⁴Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine,

¹⁵the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁶Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.

¹⁷Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁸Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

PSALM 81

¹Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

²Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.

³Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;

⁴this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand.

⁶He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.

⁷In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

⁸“Hear, O my people, and I will warn you- if you would but listen to me, O Israel!

⁹You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.

¹²So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways,

¹⁴how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!

¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

PSALM 82

¹God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the “gods”:

²“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

³Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

⁴Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

⁵“They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’

⁷But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler.”

⁸Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

PSALM 83

¹O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.

²See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads.

³With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

⁴“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

⁵With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you-

⁶the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,

⁷Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

⁸Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah

⁹Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,

¹⁰who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground.

¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

¹²who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”

¹³Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.

¹⁴As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

¹⁵so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm.

¹⁶Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O Lord .

¹⁷May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.

¹⁸Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord – that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

PSALM 84

¹How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!

²My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord ; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

³Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah

⁵Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

⁶As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

⁷They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah

⁹Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

¹²O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

PSALM 85

¹You showed favor to your land, O Lord ; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

²You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. Selah

³You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.

⁴Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.

⁵Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

⁶Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

⁷Show us your unfailing love, O Lord , and grant us your salvation.

⁸I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints- but let them not return to folly.

⁹Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

¹¹Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

¹²The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.

¹³Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

PSALM 86

¹Hear, O Lord , and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

²Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.

³Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.

⁴Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

⁵You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.

⁶Hear my prayer, O Lord ; listen to my cry for mercy.

⁷In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

⁸Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.

⁹All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

¹⁰For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord , and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

¹²I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

¹³For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

¹⁴The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life- men without regard for you.

¹⁵But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.

¹⁷Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O Lord , have helped me and comforted me.

PSALM 87

¹He has set his foundation on the holy mountain;

²the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

³Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah

⁴“I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me- Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush – and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ “

⁵Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.”

⁶The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” Selah

⁷As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”

PSALM 88

¹O Lord , the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.

²May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

³For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.

⁴I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.

⁵I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

⁶You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

⁷Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah

⁸You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;

⁹my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O Lord , every day; I spread out my hands to you.

¹⁰Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah

¹¹Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction ?

¹²Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

¹³But I cry to you for help, O Lord ; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

¹⁴Why, O Lord , do you reject me and hide your face from me?

¹⁵From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.

¹⁶Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.

¹⁷All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.

¹⁸You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.

PSALM 89

¹I will sing of the Lord ‘s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

²I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

³You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,

⁴‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ” Selah

⁵The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord , your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

⁶For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord ? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

⁷In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.

⁸O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord , and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.

¹⁰You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

¹¹The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.

¹²You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

¹³Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

¹⁵Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord .

¹⁶They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.

¹⁷For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.

¹⁸Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord , our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people.

²⁰I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

²¹My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.

²²No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him.

²³I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.

²⁴My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted.

²⁵I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.

²⁶He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’

²⁷I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

²⁸I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.

²⁹I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

³⁰“If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,

³¹if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,

³²I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;

³³but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

³⁴I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.

³⁵Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness- and I will not lie to David-

³⁶that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun;

³⁷it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

³⁸But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one.

³⁹You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust.

⁴⁰You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

⁴¹All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.

⁴³You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle.

⁴⁴You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.

⁴⁵You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. Selah

⁴⁶How long, O Lord ? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!

⁴⁸What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave ? Selah

⁴⁹O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

⁵⁰Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

⁵¹the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O Lord , with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

⁵²Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. BOOK IV Psalms 90-106

PSALM 90

¹Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

²Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”

⁴For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning-

⁶though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.

⁷We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.

⁸You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.

¹⁰The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

¹¹Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

¹²Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

¹³Relent, O Lord ! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.

¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.

¹⁶May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.

¹⁷May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands.

PSALM 91

¹He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

³Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

⁵You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

⁷A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

⁸You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the Lord , who is my refuge-

¹⁰then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

¹²they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴“Because he loves me,” says the Lord , “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

PSALM 92

¹It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,

²to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

³to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.

⁴For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord ; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

⁵How great are your works, O Lord , how profound your thoughts!

⁶The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,

⁷that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

⁸But you, O Lord , are exalted forever.

⁹For surely your enemies, O Lord , surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

¹⁰You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured upon me.

¹¹My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

¹²The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

¹³planted in the house of the Lord , they will flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,

¹⁵proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

PSALM 93

¹The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

²Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.

³The seas have lifted up, O Lord , the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

⁴Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea- the Lord on high is mighty.

⁵Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord .

PSALM 94

¹O Lord , the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.

²Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.

³How long will the wicked, O Lord , how long will the wicked be jubilant?

⁴They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

⁵They crush your people, O Lord ; they oppress your inheritance.

⁶They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless.

⁷They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

⁸Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

⁹Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

¹⁰Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

¹¹The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

¹²Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord , the man you teach from your law;

¹³you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

¹⁴For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

¹⁵Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

¹⁷Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

¹⁸When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O Lord , supported me.

¹⁹When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

²⁰Can a corrupt throne be allied with you- one that brings on misery by its decrees?

²¹They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

²²But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

²³He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

PSALM 95

¹Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

²Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

³For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

⁵The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

⁷for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,

⁹where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.

¹⁰For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.”

¹¹So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”

PSALM 96

¹Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord , all the earth.

²Sing to the Lord , praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

³Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

⁶Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the Lord , O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

⁸Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.

⁹Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

¹²let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

¹³they will sing before the Lord , for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.

PSALM 97

¹The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

²Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

³Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.

⁴His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

⁵The mountains melt like wax before the Lord , before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

⁷All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols- worship him, all you gods!

⁸Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O Lord .

⁹For you, O Lord , are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

¹¹Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

¹²Rejoice in the Lord , you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

PSALM 98

¹Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

²The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

³He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

⁵make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

⁶with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn- shout for joy before the Lord , the King.

⁷Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,

⁹Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

⁹let them sing before the Lord , for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

PSALM 99

¹The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.

²Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.

³Let them praise your great and awesome name- he is holy.

⁴The King is mighty, he loves justice- you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.

⁵Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

⁶Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them.

⁷He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

⁸O Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.

PSALM 100

¹Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth.

²Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

³Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

PSALM 101

¹I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord , I will sing praise.

²I will be careful to lead a blameless life- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

³I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

⁴Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

⁵Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever

has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

⁶My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

⁷No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

⁸Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord .

PSALM 102

¹Hear my prayer, O Lord ; let my cry for help come to you.

²Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.

³For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.

⁴My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.

⁵Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.

⁶I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

⁷I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

⁸All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.

⁹For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears

¹⁰because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

¹¹My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

¹²But you, O Lord , sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.

¹³You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.

¹⁴For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.

¹⁵The nations will fear the name of the Lord , all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

¹⁶For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.

¹⁷He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.

¹⁸Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord :

¹⁹“The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth,

²⁰to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”

²¹So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem

²²when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord .

²³In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days.

²⁴So I said: “Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.

²⁵In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

²⁶They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

²⁷But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

²⁸The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”

PSALM 103

¹Praise the Lord , O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

²Praise the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

³who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

⁴who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

⁸The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

⁹He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

¹⁰he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

¹⁴for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;

¹⁶the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord ‘s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children-

¹⁸with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Praise the Lord , you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

²¹Praise the Lord , all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

²²Praise the Lord , all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord , O my soul.

PSALM 104

¹Praise the Lord , O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

²He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent

³and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

⁴He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

⁵He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

⁶You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

⁷But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

⁸they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them.

⁹You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

¹⁰He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.

¹¹They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

¹²The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.

¹³He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

¹⁴He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth:

¹⁵wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

¹⁶The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

¹⁷There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees.

¹⁸The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

¹⁹The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

²⁰You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

²¹The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

²²The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.

²³Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.

²⁴How many are your works, O Lord ! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

²⁵There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small.

²⁶There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

²⁷These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.

²⁸When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

²⁹When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.

³⁰When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

³¹May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works-

³²he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

³³I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

³⁴May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord .

³⁵But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord , O my soul. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 105

¹Give thanks to the Lord , call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

²Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

³Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

⁴Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

⁵Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

⁶O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

⁷He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

⁸He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

⁹the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

¹⁰He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

¹¹“To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”

¹²When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

¹³they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

¹⁴He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

¹⁵“Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

¹⁶He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;

¹⁷and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.

¹⁸They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,

¹⁹till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.

²⁰The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.

²¹He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,

²²to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

²³Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

²⁴The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,

²⁵whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.

²⁶He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

²⁷They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

²⁸He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?

²⁹He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.

³⁰Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

³¹He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.

³²He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;

³³he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.

³⁴He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;

³⁵they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.

³⁶Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.

³⁷He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.

³⁸Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

³⁹He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.

⁴⁰They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

⁴¹He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.

⁴²For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

⁴³He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

⁴⁴he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-

⁴⁵that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 106

¹Praise the Lord . Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

²Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?

³Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.

⁴Remember me, O Lord , when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them,

⁵that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.

⁶We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

⁷When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many

kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.

⁸Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.

⁹He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert.

¹⁰He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

¹¹The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.

¹²Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.

¹³But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.

¹⁴In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.

¹⁵So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.

¹⁶In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord .

¹⁷The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram.

¹⁸Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.

¹⁹At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.

²⁰They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.

²¹They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,

²²miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

²³So he said he would destroy them- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.

²⁴Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.

²⁵They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord .

²⁶So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert,

²⁷make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.

²⁸They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;

²⁹they provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them.

³⁰But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked.

³¹This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.

³²By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord , and trouble came to Moses because of them;

³³for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.

³⁴They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them,

³⁵but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.

³⁶They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

³⁷They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

³⁸They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.

³⁹They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

⁴⁰Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance.

⁴¹He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them.

⁴²Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power.

⁴³Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin.

⁴⁴But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry;

⁴⁵for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.

⁴⁶He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.

⁴⁷Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.

⁴⁸Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord .

PSALM 107

¹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

²Let the redeemed of the Lord say this- those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

³those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

⁴Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.

⁵They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.

⁶Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

⁷He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.

⁸Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

⁹for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

¹⁰Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains,

¹¹for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

¹²So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.

¹⁵Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

¹⁶for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

¹⁷Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

¹⁸They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.

¹⁹Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

²⁰He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

²¹Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

²²Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

²³Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters.

²⁴They saw the works of the Lord , his wonderful deeds in the deep.

²⁵For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.

²⁶They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away.

²⁷They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end.

²⁸Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.

²⁹He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

³⁰They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

³¹Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

³²Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

³³He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground,

³⁴and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

³⁵He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;

³⁶there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.

³⁷They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;

³⁸he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.

³⁹Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow;

⁴⁰he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste.

⁴¹But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks.

⁴²The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.

⁴³Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord .

PSALM 108

¹My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

²Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

³I will praise you, O Lord , among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

⁴For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

⁷God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

⁹Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

¹⁰Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

¹¹Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

¹²Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

¹³With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

PSALM 109

¹O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,

²for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

³With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.

⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.

⁵They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.

⁶Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.

⁸May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.

⁹May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

¹⁰May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.

¹¹May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

¹²May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.

¹³May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.

¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord ; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

¹⁵May their sins always remain before the Lord , that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁶For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.

¹⁷He loved to pronounce a curse- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing- may it be far from him.

¹⁸He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.

¹⁹May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.

²⁰May this be the Lord ‘s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.

²¹But you, O Sovereign Lord , deal well with me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

²²For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

²³I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.

²⁵I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

²⁶Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love.

²⁷Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord , have done it.

²⁸They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice.

²⁹My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

³⁰With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord ; in the great throng I will praise him.

³¹For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.

PSALM 110

¹The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

²The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

³Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.

⁴The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

⁶He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

⁷He will drink from a brook beside the way ; therefore he will lift up his head.

PSALM 111

¹Praise the Lord . I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

²Great are the works of the Lord ; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

⁵He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.

⁶He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

⁸They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever- holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

PSALM 112

¹Praise the Lord . Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who finds great delight in his commands.

²His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

⁵Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

⁶Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.

⁷He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord .

⁸His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

⁹He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

¹⁰The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

PSALM 113

¹Praise the Lord . Praise, O servants of the Lord , praise the name of the Lord .

²Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

³From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

⁵Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,

⁶who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

⁷He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

⁸he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.

⁹He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 114

¹When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

²Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

³The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;

⁴the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

⁵Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

⁶you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

PSALM 115

¹Not to us, O Lord , not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

²Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”

³Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

⁴But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

⁶they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell;

⁷they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

⁸Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

⁹O house of Israel, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹¹You who fear him, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹²The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,

¹³he will bless those who fear the Lord – small and great alike.

¹⁴May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the Lord , but the earth he has given to man.

¹⁷It is not the dead who praise the Lord , those who go down to silence;

¹⁸it is we who extol the Lord , both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 116

¹I love the Lord , for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

²Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

⁴Then I called on the name of the Lord : “O Lord , save me!”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

⁶The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

⁷Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

⁸For you, O Lord , have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,

⁹that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁰I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”

¹¹And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.”

¹²How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord .

¹⁴I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

¹⁶O Lord , truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord .

¹⁸I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,

¹⁹in the courts of the house of the Lord – in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 117

¹Praise the Lord , all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.

²For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 118

¹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

²Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

³Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”

⁴Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”

⁵In my anguish I cried to the Lord , and he answered by setting me free.

⁶The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

⁷The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹¹They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning

thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹³I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord ‘s right hand has done mighty things!

¹⁶The Lord ‘s right hand is lifted high; the Lord ‘s right hand has done mighty things!”

¹⁷I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

¹⁸The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord .

²⁰This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.

²¹I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

²²The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;

²³the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵O Lord , save us; O Lord , grant us success.

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord . From the house of the Lord we bless you.

²⁷The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

PSALM 119

¹Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord .

²Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

³They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.

⁴You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

⁵Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

⁶Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

⁷I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

⁸I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

¹⁰I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

¹²Praise be to you, O Lord ; teach me your decrees.

¹³With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

¹⁴I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

¹⁵I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

¹⁶I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

¹⁷Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

²⁰My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.

²¹You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.

²²Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes.

²³Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

²⁴Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

²⁵I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.

²⁶I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees.

²⁷Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

²⁸My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

²⁹Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law.

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.

³¹I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord ; do not let me be put to shame.

³²I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

³³Teach me, O Lord , to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

³⁵Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

³⁶Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

³⁸Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.

³⁹Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.

⁴⁰How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

⁴¹May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord , your salvation according to your promise;

⁴²then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

⁴³Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.

⁴⁴I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.

⁴⁵I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

⁴⁶I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,

⁴⁷for I delight in your commands because I love them.

⁴⁸I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.

⁵⁰My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

⁵¹The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law.

⁵²I remember your ancient laws, O Lord , and I find comfort in them.

⁵³Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law.

⁵⁴Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.

⁵⁵In the night I remember your name, O Lord , and I will keep your law.

⁵⁶This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.

⁵⁷You are my portion, O Lord ; I have promised to obey your words.

⁵⁸I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

⁵⁹I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.

⁶⁰I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

⁶¹Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.

⁶²At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

⁶³I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

⁶⁴The earth is filled with your love, O Lord ; teach me your decrees.

⁶⁵Do good to your servant according to your word, O Lord .

⁶⁶Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

⁶⁸You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.

⁶⁹Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.

⁷⁰Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.

⁷¹It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

⁷²The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

⁷³Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

⁷⁴May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

⁷⁵I know, O Lord , that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

⁷⁶May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

⁷⁷Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

⁷⁸May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

⁷⁹May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.

⁸⁰May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.

⁸¹My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.

⁸²My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”

⁸³Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.

⁸⁴How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

⁸⁵The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to your law.

⁸⁶All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.

⁸⁷They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.

⁸⁸Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

⁸⁹Your word, O Lord , is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.

⁹¹Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.

⁹²If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

⁹³I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

⁹⁴Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.

⁹⁵The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.

⁹⁶To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless.

⁹⁷Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

⁹⁸Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

¹⁰⁰I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

¹⁰¹I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.

¹⁰²I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

¹⁰⁶I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

¹⁰⁷I have suffered much; preserve my life, O Lord , according to your word.

¹⁰⁸Accept, O Lord , the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

¹⁰⁹Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.

¹¹¹Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹²My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

¹¹³I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

¹¹⁴You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

¹¹⁵Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!

¹¹⁶Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

¹¹⁷Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

¹¹⁸You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

¹¹⁹All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes.

¹²⁰My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.

¹²¹I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²²Ensure your servant’s well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise.

¹²⁴Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.

¹²⁵I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

¹²⁶It is time for you to act, O Lord ; your law is being broken.

¹²⁷Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,

¹²⁸and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

¹²⁹Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.

¹³⁰The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

¹³²Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

¹³³Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.

¹³⁵Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.

¹³⁶Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

¹³⁷Righteous are you, O Lord , and your laws are right.

¹³⁸The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.

¹³⁹My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words.

¹⁴⁰Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

¹⁴¹Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.

¹⁴²Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

¹⁴³Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.

¹⁴⁴Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.

¹⁴⁵I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord , and I will obey your decrees.

¹⁴⁶I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

¹⁴⁸My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord , according to your laws.

¹⁵⁰Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.

¹⁵¹Yet you are near, O Lord , and all your commands are true.

¹⁵²Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.

¹⁵³Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.

¹⁵⁴Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.

¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees.

¹⁵⁶Your compassion is great, O Lord ; preserve my life according to your laws.

¹⁵⁷Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.

¹⁵⁸I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word.

¹⁵⁹See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O Lord , according to your love.

¹⁶⁰All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

¹⁶¹Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.

¹⁶²I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.

¹⁶³I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law.

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.

¹⁶⁵Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

¹⁶⁶I wait for your salvation, O Lord , and I follow your commands.

¹⁶⁷I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.

¹⁶⁸I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.

¹⁶⁹May my cry come before you, O Lord ; give me understanding according to your word.

¹⁷⁰May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

¹⁷¹May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.

¹⁷²May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.

¹⁷³May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.

¹⁷⁴I long for your salvation, O Lord , and your law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.

¹⁷⁶I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

PSALM 120

¹I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.

²Save me, O Lord , from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

³What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?

⁴He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.

⁵Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

⁶Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.

⁷I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

PSALM 121

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?

²My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber;

⁴indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

⁶the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life;

⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

PSALM 122

¹I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord .”

²Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

³Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.

⁴That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord , to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel.

⁵There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.

⁷May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”

⁸For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”

⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

PSALM 123

¹I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.

²As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.

³Have mercy on us, O Lord , have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.

⁴We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant.

PSALM 124

¹If the Lord had not been on our side- let Israel say-

²if the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us,

³when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive;

⁴the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us,

⁵the raging waters would have swept us away.

⁶Praise be to the Lord , who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

⁷We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.

⁸Our help is in the name of the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

PSALM 125

¹Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

²As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

³The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

⁴Do good, O Lord , to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.

⁵But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

PSALM 126

¹When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.

²Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

³The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

⁴Restore our fortunes, O Lord , like streams in the Negev.

⁵Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

⁶He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

PSALM 127

¹Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

²In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

³Sons are a heritage from the Lord , children a reward from him.

⁴Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.

⁵Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

PSALM 128

¹Blessed are all who fear the Lord , who walk in his ways.

²You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

³Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

⁴Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord .

⁵May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

⁶and may you live to see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.

PSALM 129

¹They have greatly oppressed me from my youth- let Israel say-

²they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.

³Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.

⁴But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

⁵May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.

⁶May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow;

⁷with it the reaper cannot fill his hands, nor the one who gathers fill his arms.

⁸May those who pass by not say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord .”

PSALM 130

¹Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ;

²O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

³If you, O Lord , kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

⁴But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

⁵I wait for the Lord , my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

⁶My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷O Israel, put your hope in the Lord , for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

⁸He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

PSALM 131

¹My heart is not proud, O Lord , my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

²But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

PSALM 132

¹O Lord , remember David and all the hardships he endured.

²He swore an oath to the Lord and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

³“I will not enter my house or go to my bed-

⁴I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,

⁵till I find a place for the Lord , a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar :

⁷“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool-

⁸arise, O Lord , and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

⁹May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy.”

¹⁰For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one.

¹¹The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne-

¹²if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.”

¹³For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling:

¹⁴“This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it-

¹⁵I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.

¹⁶I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.

¹⁷“Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one.

¹⁸I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

PSALM 133

¹How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

²It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.

³It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

PSALM 134

¹Praise the Lord , all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord .

²Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord .

³May the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

PSALM 135

¹Praise the Lord . Praise the name of the Lord ; praise him, you servants of the Lord ,

²you who minister in the house of the Lord , in the courts of the house of our God.

³Praise the Lord , for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

⁴For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

⁵I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.

⁶The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.

⁷He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals.

⁹He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

¹⁰He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings-

¹¹Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan-

¹²and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³Your name, O Lord , endures forever, your renown, O Lord , through all generations.

¹⁴For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

¹⁶They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

¹⁷they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.

¹⁸Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹O house of Israel, praise the Lord ; O house of Aaron, praise the Lord ;

²⁰O house of Levi, praise the Lord ; you who fear him, praise the Lord .

²¹Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 136

¹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good. His love endures forever.

²Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

³Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

⁴to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.

⁵who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.

⁶who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.

⁷who made the great lights- His love endures forever.

⁸the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.

⁹the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

¹⁰to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.

¹¹and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.

¹²with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.

¹³to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.

¹⁴and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.

¹⁵but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.

¹⁶to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.

¹⁷who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.

¹⁸and killed mighty kings- His love endures forever.

¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.

²⁰and Og king of Bashan- His love endures forever.

²¹and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.

²²an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.

²³to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.

²⁴and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.

²⁵and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.

²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

PSALM 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

²There on the poplars we hung our harps,

³for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

⁵If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill .

⁶May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

⁷Remember, O Lord , what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”

⁸O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-

⁹he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

PSALM 138

¹I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

²I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

³When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

⁴May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord , when they hear the words of your mouth.

⁵May they sing of the ways of the Lord , for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

⁸The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord , endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands.

PSALM 139

¹O Lord , you have searched me and you know me.

²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord .

⁵You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

²⁰They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord , and abhor those who rise up against you?

²²I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 140

¹Rescue me, O Lord , from evil men; protect me from men of violence,

²who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.

³They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah

⁴Keep me, O Lord , from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.

⁵Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Selah

⁶O Lord , I say to you, “You are my God.” Hear, O Lord , my cry for mercy.

⁷O Sovereign Lord , my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle-

⁸do not grant the wicked their desires, O Lord ; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah

⁹Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused.

¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise.

¹¹Let slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down men of violence.

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.

PSALM 141

¹O Lord , I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you.

²May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

³Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord ; keep watch over the door of my lips.

⁴Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.

⁵Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

⁶their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

⁷They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. “

⁸But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord ; in you I take refuge-do not give me over to death.

⁹Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

PSALM 142

¹I cry aloud to the Lord ; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.

²I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.

³When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.

⁴Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord ; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

⁶Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.

⁷Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

PSALM 143

¹O Lord , hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.

²Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

³The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

⁴So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

⁵I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

⁶I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, O Lord ; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord , for I hide myself in you.

¹⁰Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

¹¹For your name’s sake, O Lord , preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

PSALM 144

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

²He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

³O Lord , what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?

⁴Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

⁵Part your heavens, O Lord , and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.

⁶Send forth lightning and scatter [the enemies]; shoot your arrows and rout them.

⁷Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners

⁸whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

⁹I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

¹¹Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

¹²Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

¹³Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;

¹⁴our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.

¹⁵Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord .

PSALM 145

¹I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

²Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

³Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

⁴One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

⁵They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

⁶They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

⁷They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

¹⁰All you have made will praise you, O Lord ; your saints will extol you.

¹¹They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

¹²so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁴The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.

¹⁶You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

²⁰The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord . Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

PSALM 146

¹Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord , O my soul.

²I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

³Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

⁴When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

⁵Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

⁶the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- the Lord , who remains faithful forever.

⁷He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free,

⁸the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

⁹The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

¹⁰The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 147

¹Praise the Lord . How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

²The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.

³He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

⁴He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

⁵Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

⁶The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

⁸He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

⁹He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;

¹¹the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

¹²Extol the Lord , O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,

¹³for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.

¹⁴He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

¹⁵He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

¹⁶He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.

¹⁷He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?

¹⁸He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

¹⁹He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.

²⁰He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 148

¹Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.

²Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

³Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

⁴Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.

⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord , for he commanded and they were created.

⁶He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.

⁷Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

⁸lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

⁹you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

¹⁰wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

¹¹kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,

¹²young men and maidens, old men and children.

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord , for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

¹⁴He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 149

¹Praise the Lord . Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

²Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

³Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

⁴For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

⁵Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

⁶May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,

⁷to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,

⁸to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,

⁹to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 150

¹Praise the Lord . Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

²Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

³Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

⁴praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,

⁵praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶Let everything that has breath praise the Lord . Praise the Lord .

Job

Posted on March 27, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

Job

⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no

1In the land of Uz there lived a man

whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

²He had seven sons and three daughters,

³and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

⁴His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

⁵When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

⁶One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came with them.

⁷The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord , “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”

one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

⁹“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.

¹⁰“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

¹¹But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

¹²The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord .

¹³One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house,

¹⁴a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,

¹⁵and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of

God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house,

¹⁹when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

²⁰At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship

²¹and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

²²In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

2On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came with them to present himself before him.

²And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord , “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”

³Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

⁴“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life.

⁵But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

⁶The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

⁷So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

⁸Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

⁹His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

¹¹When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

¹²When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.

¹³Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

3After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

²He said:

³“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is born!’

⁴That day-may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine upon it.

⁵May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm its light.

⁶That night-may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.

⁷May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it.

⁸May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.

⁹May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,

¹⁰for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?

¹²Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?

¹³For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest

¹⁴with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,

¹⁵with rulers who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

¹⁶Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?

¹⁷There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.

¹⁹The small and the great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.

²⁰“Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,

²¹to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure,

²²who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?

²³Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

²⁴For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water.

²⁵What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.

²⁶I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

4Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

²“If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?

³Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.

⁴Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.

⁵But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.

⁶Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?

⁷“Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?

⁸As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.

⁹At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish.

¹⁰The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.

¹¹The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹²“A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it.

¹³Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake.

¹⁵A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end.

¹⁶It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice:

¹⁷‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

¹⁸If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error,

¹⁹how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth!

²⁰Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever.

²¹Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’

5“Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

²Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.

³I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.

⁴His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.

⁵The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

⁶For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.

⁷Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

⁸“But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.

⁹He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

¹⁰He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside.

¹¹The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

¹²He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.

¹³He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.

¹⁴Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.

¹⁵He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.

¹⁶So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

¹⁷“Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

¹⁸For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.

¹⁹From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you.

²⁰In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.

²¹You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes.

²²You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.

²³For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

²⁴You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.

²⁵You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth.

²⁶You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season.

²⁷“We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.”

6Then Job replied:

²“If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales!

³It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas- no wonder my words have been impetuous.

⁴The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me.

⁵Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder?

⁶Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg ?

⁷I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill.

⁸“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for,

⁹that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off!

¹⁰Then I would still have this consolation- my joy in unrelenting pain- that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.

¹¹“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?

¹²Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze?

¹³Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?

¹⁴“A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow

¹⁶when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,

¹⁷but that cease to flow in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels.

¹⁸Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go up into the wasteland and perish.

¹⁹The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope.

²⁰They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed.

²¹Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid.

²²Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth,

²³deliver me from the hand of the enemy, ransom me from the clutches of the ruthless’?

²⁴“Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.

²⁵How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove?

²⁶Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind?

²⁷You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend.

²⁸“But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face?

²⁹Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake.

³⁰Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice?

7“Does not man have hard service on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired man?

²Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired man waiting eagerly for his wages,

³so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me.

⁴When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ The night drags on, and I toss till dawn.

⁵My body is clothed with worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering.

⁶“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope.

⁷Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.

⁸The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more.

⁹As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return.

¹⁰He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.

¹¹“Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

¹²Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard?

¹³When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint,

¹⁴even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,

¹⁵so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine.

¹⁶I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.

¹⁷“What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention,

¹⁸that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?

¹⁹Will you never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant?

²⁰If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to you?

²¹Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? For I will soon lie down in the dust; you will search for me, but I will be no more.”

8Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

²“How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.

³Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?

⁴When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.

⁵But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty,

⁶if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.

⁷Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.

⁸“Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned,

⁹for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow.

¹⁰Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?

¹¹Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?

¹²While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass.

¹³Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless.

¹⁴What he trusts in is fragile ; what he relies on is a spider’s web.

¹⁵He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.

¹⁶He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden;

¹⁷it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones.

¹⁸But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, ‘I never saw you.’

¹⁹Surely its life withers away, and from the soil other plants grow.

²⁰“Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands of evildoers.

²¹He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

²²Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more.”

9Then Job replied:

²“Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God?

³Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand.

⁴His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?

⁵He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger.

⁶He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.

⁷He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.

⁸He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

⁹He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

¹⁰He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

¹¹When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.

¹²If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

¹³God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.

¹⁴“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?

¹⁵Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.

¹⁶Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.

¹⁷He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.

¹⁸He would not let me regain my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.

¹⁹If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who will summon him ?

²⁰Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.

²¹“Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

²²It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

²³When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.

²⁴When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?

²⁵“My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.

²⁶They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey.

²⁷If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’

²⁸I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

²⁹Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?

³⁰Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with washing soda,

³¹you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.

³²“He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.

³³If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both,

³⁴someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.

³⁵Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

10“I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.

²I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me.

³Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?

⁴Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees?

⁵Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man,

⁶that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin-

⁷though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?

⁸“Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me?

⁹Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?

¹⁰Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese,

¹¹clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?

¹²You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.

¹³“But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind:

¹⁴If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished.

¹⁵If I am guilty-woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction.

¹⁶If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me.

¹⁷You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.

¹⁸“Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me.

¹⁹If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!

²⁰Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy

²¹before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow,

²²to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

11Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

²“Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vindicated?

³Will your idle talk reduce men to silence? Will no one rebuke you when you mock?

⁴You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless and I am pure in your sight.’

⁵Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you

⁶and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.

⁷“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

⁸They are higher than the heavens-what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave -what can you know?

⁹Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

¹⁰“If he comes along and confines you in prison and convenes a court, who can oppose him?

¹¹Surely he recognizes deceitful men; and when he sees evil, does he not take note?

¹²But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born a man.

¹³“Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,

¹⁴if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,

¹⁵then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.

¹⁶You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.

¹⁷Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning.

¹⁸You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

¹⁹You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp.”

12Then Job replied:

²“Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!

³But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?

⁴“I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called upon God and he answered- a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!

⁵Men at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

⁶The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure- those who carry their god in their hands.

⁷“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

⁸or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.

⁹Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

¹⁰In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

¹¹Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?

¹²Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

¹³“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.

¹⁴What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released.

¹⁵If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.

¹⁶To him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are his.

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

¹⁸He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist.

¹⁹He leads priests away stripped and overthrows men long established.

²⁰He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders.

²¹He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

²²He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.

²³He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

²⁴He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste.

²⁵They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.

13“My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

³But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.

⁴You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!

⁵If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

⁶Hear now my argument; listen to the plea of my lips.

⁷Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him?

⁸Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God?

⁹Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?

¹⁰He would surely rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.

¹¹Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you?

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may.

¹⁴Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?

¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

¹⁶Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!

¹⁷Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say.

¹⁸Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated.

¹⁹Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die.

²⁰“Only grant me these two things, O God, and then I will not hide from you:

²¹Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors.

²²Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply.

²³How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin.

²⁴Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?

²⁵Will you torment a windblown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff?

²⁶For you write down bitter things against me and make me inherit the sins of my youth.

²⁷You fasten my feet in shackles; you keep close watch on all my paths by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

²⁸“So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.

14“Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.

²He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

³Do you fix your eye on such a one? Will you bring him before you for judgment?

⁴Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!

⁵Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

⁶So look away from him and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired man.

⁷“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.

⁸Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,

⁹yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.

¹⁰But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.

¹¹As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,

¹²so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.

¹³“If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me!

¹⁴If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.

¹⁵You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made.

¹⁶Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin.

¹⁷My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.

¹⁸“But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place,

¹⁹as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man’s hope.

²⁰You overpower him once for all, and he is gone; you change his countenance and send him away.

²¹If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it.

²²He feels but the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”

15Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

²“Would a wise man answer with empty notions or fill his belly with the hot east wind?

³Would he argue with useless words, with speeches that have no value?

⁴But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God.

⁵Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty.

⁶Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you.

⁷“Are you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?

⁸Do you listen in on God’s council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

⁹What do you know that we do not know? What insights do you have that we do not have?

¹⁰The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men even older than your father.

¹¹Are God’s consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you?

¹²Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,

¹³so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth?

¹⁴“What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous?

¹⁵If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,

¹⁶how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks up evil like water!

¹⁷“Listen to me and I will explain to you; let me tell you what I have seen,

¹⁸what wise men have declared, hiding nothing received from their fathers

¹⁹(to whom alone the land was given when no alien passed among them):

²⁰All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless through all the years stored up for him.

²¹Terrifying sounds fill his ears; when all seems well, marauders attack him.

²²He despairs of escaping the darkness; he is marked for the sword.

²³He wanders about-food for vultures ; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

²⁴Distress and anguish fill him with terror; they overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack,

²⁵because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty,

²⁶defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield.

²⁷“Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh,

²⁸he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble.

²⁹He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land.

³⁰He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.

³¹Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return.

³²Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish.

³³He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.

³⁴For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes.

³⁵They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit.”

16Then Job replied:

²“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all!

³Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?

⁴I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you.

⁵But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

⁶“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.

⁷Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household.

⁸You have bound me-and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.

⁹God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.

¹⁰Men open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me.

¹¹God has turned me over to evil men and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.

¹²All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;

¹³his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground.

¹⁴Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior.

¹⁵“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust.

¹⁶My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes;

¹⁷yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure.

¹⁸“O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!

¹⁹Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.

²⁰My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;

²¹on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.

²²“Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return.

17My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me.

²Surely mockers surround me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

³“Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me?

⁴You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph.

⁵If a man denounces his friends for reward, the eyes of his children will fail.

⁶“God has made me a byword to everyone, a man in whose face people spit.

⁷My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow.

⁸Upright men are appalled at this; the innocent are aroused against the ungodly.

⁹Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger.

¹⁰“But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you.

¹¹My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.

¹²These men turn night into day; in the face of darkness they say, ‘Light is near.’

¹³If the only home I hope for is the grave, if I spread out my bed in darkness,

¹⁴if I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’

¹⁵where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?

¹⁶Will it go down to the gates of death ? Will we descend together into the dust?”

18Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

²“When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk.

³Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight?

⁴You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place?

⁵“The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning.

⁶The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out.

⁷The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down.

⁸His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh.

⁹A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast.

¹⁰A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path.

¹¹Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step.

¹²Calamity is hungry for him; disaster is ready for him when he falls.

¹³It eats away parts of his skin; death’s firstborn devours his limbs.

¹⁴He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors.

¹⁵Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling.

¹⁶His roots dry up below and his branches wither above.

¹⁷The memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land.

¹⁸He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.

¹⁹He has no offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he lived.

²⁰Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror.

²¹Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God.”

19Then Job replied:

²“How long will you torment me and crush me with words?

³Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me.

⁴If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone.

⁵If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me,

⁶then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.

⁷“Though I cry, ‘I’ve been wronged!’ I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice.

⁸He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness.

⁹He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.

¹⁰He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree.

¹¹His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies.

¹²His troops advance in force; they build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent.

¹³“He has alienated my brothers from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

¹⁴My kinsmen have gone away; my friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger; they look upon me as an alien.

¹⁶I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth.

¹⁷My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own brothers.

¹⁸Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me.

¹⁹All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me.

²⁰I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.

²¹“Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.

²²Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?

²³“Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll,

²⁴that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever!

²⁵I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

²⁶And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

²⁷I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

²⁸“If you say, ‘How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him, ‘

²⁹you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment. “

20Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

²“My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed.

³I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply.

⁴“Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since man was placed on the earth,

⁵that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

⁶Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds,

⁷he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

⁸Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night.

⁹The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more.

¹⁰His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.

¹¹The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust.

¹²“Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue,

¹³though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,

¹⁴yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him.

¹⁵He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up.

¹⁶He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him.

¹⁷He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

¹⁸What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.

¹⁹For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build.

²⁰“Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure.

²¹Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure.

²²In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him.

²³When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows upon him.

²⁴Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.

²⁵He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him;

²⁶total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.

²⁷The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him.

²⁸A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.

²⁹Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God.”

21Then Job replied:

²“Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me.

³Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.

⁴“Is my complaint directed to man? Why should I not be impatient?

⁵Look at me and be astonished; clap your hand over your mouth.

⁶When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body.

⁷Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

⁸They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them.

¹⁰Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry.

¹¹They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about.

¹²They sing to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of the flute.

¹³They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.

¹⁴Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.

¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’

¹⁶But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.

¹⁷“Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger?

¹⁸How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale?

¹⁹It is said, ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his sons.’ Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it!

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end?

²²“Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest?

²³One man dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease,

²⁴his body well nourished, his bones rich with marrow.

²⁵Another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good.

²⁶Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both.

²⁷“I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

²⁸You say, ‘Where now is the great man’s house, the tents where wicked men lived?’

²⁹Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts-

³⁰that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, that he is delivered from the day of wrath?

³¹Who denounces his conduct to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?

³²He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.

³³The soil in the valley is sweet to him; all men follow after him, and a countless throng goes before him.

³⁴“So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”

22Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

²“Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him?

³What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless?

⁴“Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you?

⁵Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless?

⁶You demanded security from your brothers for no reason; you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked.

⁷You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry,

⁸though you were a powerful man, owning land- an honored man, living on it.

⁹And you sent widows away empty- handed and broke the strength of the fatherless.

¹⁰That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you,

¹¹why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you.

¹²“Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars!

¹³Yet you say, ‘What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness?

¹⁴Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’

¹⁵Will you keep to the old path that evil men have trod?

¹⁶They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood.

¹⁷They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’

¹⁸Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.

¹⁹“The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying,

²⁰‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.’

²¹“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

²²Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.

²³If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent

²⁴and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

²⁵then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.

²⁶Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.

²⁷You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

²⁸What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.

²⁹When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast.

³⁰He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

23Then Job replied:

²“Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

³If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!

⁴I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say.

⁶Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me.

⁷There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge.

⁸“But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.

⁹When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

¹⁰But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

¹¹My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.

¹²I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

¹³“But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases.

¹⁴He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store.

¹⁵That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him.

¹⁶God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

¹⁷Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

24“Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?

²Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen.

³They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge.

⁴They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding.

⁵Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children.

⁶They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked.

⁷Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.

⁸They are drenched by mountain rains and hug the rocks for lack of shelter.

⁹The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.

¹⁰Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

¹¹They crush olives among the terraces ; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

¹²The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing.

¹³“There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.

¹⁴When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief.

¹⁵The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed.

¹⁶In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light.

¹⁷For all of them, deep darkness is their morning ; they make friends with the terrors of darkness.

¹⁸“Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards.

¹⁹As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.

²⁰The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; evil men are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree.

²¹They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow show no kindness.

²²But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.

²³He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways.

²⁴For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.

²⁵“If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?”

25Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

²“Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven.

³Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise?

⁴How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?

⁵If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes,

⁶how much less man, who is but a maggot- a son of man, who is only a worm!”

26Then Job replied:

²“How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!

³What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed!

⁴Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?

⁵“The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.

⁶Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered.

⁷He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.

⁸He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.

⁹He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.

¹⁰He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.

¹¹The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke.

¹²By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.

¹³By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.

¹⁴And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

27And Job continued his discourse:

²“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,

³as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils,

⁴my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.

⁵I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.

⁶I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.

⁷“May my enemies be like the wicked, my adversaries like the unjust!

⁸For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

⁹Does God listen to his cry when distress comes upon him?

¹⁰Will he find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?

¹¹“I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.

¹²You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk?

¹³“Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:

¹⁴However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat.

¹⁵The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them.

¹⁶Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay,

¹⁷what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.

¹⁸The house he builds is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman.

¹⁹He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.

²⁰Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.

²²It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.

²³It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place.

28“There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.

²Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.

³Man puts an end to the darkness; he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness.

⁴Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man; far from men he dangles and sways.

⁵The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire;

⁶sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold.

⁷No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon’s eye has seen it.

⁸Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there.

⁹Man’s hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains.

¹⁰He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures.

¹¹He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light.

¹²“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?

¹³Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.

¹⁴The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

¹⁵It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver.

¹⁶It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires.

¹⁷Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.

¹⁸Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

¹⁹The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.

²⁰“Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?

²¹It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air.

²²Destruction and Death say, ‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’

²³God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,

²⁴for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

²⁵When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters,

²⁶when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,

²⁷then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it.

²⁸And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’ “

29Job continued his discourse:

²“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,

³when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness!

⁴Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

⁵when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,

⁶when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.

⁷“When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square,

⁸the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet;

⁹the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands;

¹⁰the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

¹¹Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me,

¹²because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him.

¹³The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.

¹⁴I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.

¹⁵I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.

¹⁶I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger.

¹⁷I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.

¹⁸“I thought, ‘I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand.

¹⁹My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches.

²⁰My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.’

²¹“Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel.

²²After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears.

²³They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.

²⁴When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.

²⁵I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.

30“But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs.

²Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them?

³Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate wastelands at night.

⁴In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was the root of the broom tree.

⁵They were banished from their fellow men, shouted at as if they were thieves.

⁶They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

⁷They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth.

⁸A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land.

⁹“And now their sons mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.

¹⁰They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.

¹¹Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence.

¹²On my right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me.

¹³They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me- without anyone’s helping them.

¹⁴They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins they come rolling in.

¹⁵Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.

¹⁶“And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me.

¹⁷Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest.

¹⁸In his great power God becomes like clothing to me ; he binds me like the neck of my garment.

¹⁹He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes.

²⁰“I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.

²¹You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me.

²²You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm.

²³I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.

²⁴“Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress.

²⁵Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

²⁶Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.

²⁷The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.

²⁸I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

²⁹I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls.

³⁰My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever.

³¹My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing.

31“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

²For what is man’s lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high?

³Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong?

⁴Does he not see my ways and count my every step?

⁵“If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit-

⁶let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless-

⁷if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,

⁸then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.

⁹“If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

¹⁰then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her.

¹¹For that would have been shameful, a sin to be judged.

¹²It is a fire that burns to Destruction ; it would have uprooted my harvest.

¹³“If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me,

¹⁴what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account?

¹⁵Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

¹⁶“If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

¹⁷if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless-

¹⁸but from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my birth I guided the widow-

¹⁹if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a garment,

²⁰and his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep,

²¹if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,

²²then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint.

²³For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

²⁴“If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

²⁵if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,

²⁶if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

²⁷so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

²⁸then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

²⁹“If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him-

³⁰I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against his life-

³¹if the men of my household have never said, ‘Who has not had his fill of Job’s meat?’-

³²but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler-

³³if I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart

³⁴because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside

³⁵(“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense-let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

³⁶Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown.

³⁷I would give him an account of my every step; like a prince I would approach him.)-

³⁸“if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears,

³⁹if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

⁴⁰then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

32So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

²But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.

³He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

⁴Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.

⁵But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

⁶So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said: “I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know.

⁷I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’

⁸But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

⁹It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.

¹⁰“Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know.

¹¹I waited while you spoke, I listened to your reasoning; while you were searching for words,

¹²I gave you my full attention. But not one of you has proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments.

¹³Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom; let God refute him, not man.’

¹⁴But Job has not marshaled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments.

¹⁵“They are dismayed and have no more to say; words have failed them.

¹⁶Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand there with no reply?

¹⁷I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know.

¹⁸For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me;

¹⁹inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst.

²⁰I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply.

²¹I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man;

²²for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.

33“But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.

²I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.

³My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

⁵Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me.

⁶I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.

⁷No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.

⁸“But you have said in my hearing- I heard the very words-

⁹‘I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt.

¹⁰Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.

¹¹He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.’

¹²“But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man.

¹³Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man’s words ?

¹⁴For God does speak-now one way, now another- though man may not perceive it.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds,

¹⁶he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,

¹⁷to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,

¹⁸to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones,

²⁰so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal.

²¹His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.

²²His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death.

²³“Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,

²⁴to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the pit ; I have found a ransom for him’-

²⁵then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth.

²⁶He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God’s face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.

²⁷Then he comes to men and says, ‘I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved.

²⁸He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.’

²⁹“God does all these things to a man- twice, even three times-

³⁰to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him.

³¹“Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

³²If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want you to be cleared.

³³But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

34Then Elihu said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning.

³For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.

⁴Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.

⁵“Job says, ‘I am innocent, but God denies me justice.

⁶Although I am right, I am considered a liar; although I am guiltless, his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’

⁷What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water?

⁸He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men.

⁹For he says, ‘It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God.’

¹⁰“So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.

¹¹He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves.

¹²It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.

¹³Who appointed him over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world?

¹⁴If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath,

¹⁵all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.

¹⁶“If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.

¹⁷Can he who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One?

¹⁸Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’

¹⁹who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

²¹“His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.

²²There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.

²³God has no need to examine men further, that they should come before him for judgment.

²⁴Without inquiry he shatters the mighty and sets up others in their place.

²⁵Because he takes note of their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

²⁶He punishes them for their wickedness where everyone can see them,

²⁷because they turned from following him and had no regard for any of his ways.

²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he heard the cry of the needy.

²⁹But if he remains silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him? Yet he is over man and nation alike,

³⁰to keep a godless man from ruling, from laying snares for the people.

³¹“Suppose a man says to God, ‘I am guilty but will offend no more.

³²Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’

³³Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding declare, wise men who hear me say to me,

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’

³⁶Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost for answering like a wicked man!

³⁷To his sin he adds rebellion; scornfully he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”

35Then Elihu said:

²“Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I will be cleared by God. ‘

³Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?’

⁴“I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you.

⁵Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you.

⁶If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him?

⁷If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand?

⁸Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only the sons of men.

⁹“Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.

¹⁰But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,

¹¹who teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’

¹²He does not answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked.

¹³Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it.

¹⁴How much less, then, will he listen when you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him and you must wait for him,

¹⁵and further, that his anger never punishes and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.

¹⁶So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words.”

36Elihu continued:

²“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.

³I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker.

⁴Be assured that my words are not false; one perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵“God is mighty, but does not despise men; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights.

⁷He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.

⁸But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction,

⁹he tells them what they have done- that they have sinned arrogantly.

¹⁰He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.

¹¹If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

¹²But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge.

¹³“The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.

¹⁴They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines.

¹⁵But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.

¹⁶“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

¹⁷But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you.

¹⁸Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.

¹⁹Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?

²⁰Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes.

²¹Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction.

²²“God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?

²³Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song.

²⁵All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar.

²⁶How great is God-beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.

²⁷“He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams ;

²⁸the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.

²⁹Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?

³⁰See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea.

³¹This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance.

³²He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.

³³His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.

37“At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.

²Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

³He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.

⁴After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.

⁵God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

⁶He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

⁷So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.

⁸The animals take cover; they remain in their dens.

⁹The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.

¹⁰The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.

¹¹He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.

¹²At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.

¹³He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.

¹⁴“Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.

¹⁵Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?

¹⁶Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

¹⁸can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?

¹⁹“Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.

²⁰Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up?

²¹Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.

²²Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty.

²³The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

²⁴Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart? “

38Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said:

²“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?

³Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

⁴“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

⁵Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?

⁶On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-

⁷while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

⁸“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,

⁹when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,

¹⁰when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place,

¹¹when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

¹²“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place,

¹³that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?

¹⁴The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.

¹⁵The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death ?

¹⁸Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.

¹⁹“What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?

²⁰Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

²¹Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!

²²“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail,

²³which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?

²⁴What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

²⁵Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm,

²⁶to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it,

²⁷to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?

²⁸Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew?

²⁹From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

³⁰when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?

³¹“Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?

³²Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?

³³Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?

³⁴“Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?

³⁵Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

³⁶Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind ?

³⁷Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens

³⁸when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁹“Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions

⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket?

⁴¹Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

39“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?

²Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?

³They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.

⁴Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.

⁵“Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes?

⁶I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat.

⁷He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver’s shout.

⁸He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing.

⁹“Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?

¹⁰Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you?

¹¹Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him?

¹²Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?

¹³“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.

¹⁴She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,

¹⁵unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.

¹⁶She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain,

¹⁷for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.

¹⁸Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.

¹⁹“Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

²⁰Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?

²¹He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray.

²²He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword.

²³The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance.

²⁴In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

²⁵At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.

²⁶“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south?

²⁷Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?

²⁸He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold.

²⁹From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar.

³⁰His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he.”

40The Lord said to Job:

²“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”

³Then Job answered the Lord :

⁴“I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.

⁵I spoke once, but I have no answer- twice, but I will say no more.”

⁶Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:

⁷“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

⁸“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

⁹Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his?

¹⁰Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

¹¹Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low,

¹²look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand.

¹³Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave.

¹⁴Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵“Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.

¹⁶What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly!

¹⁷His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

¹⁸His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron.

¹⁹He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.

²⁰The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby.

²¹Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

²²The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him.

²³When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.

²⁴Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose?

41“Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope?

²Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?

³Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words?

⁴Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life?

⁵Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls?

⁶Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?

⁷Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?

⁸If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

⁹Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering.

¹⁰No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me?

¹¹Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

¹²“I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form.

¹³Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle?

¹⁴Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth?

¹⁵His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;

¹⁶each is so close to the next that no air can pass between.

¹⁷They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted.

¹⁸His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

¹⁹Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.

²⁰Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

²¹His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth.

²²Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him.

²³The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.

²⁴His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone.

²⁵When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing.

²⁶The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.

²⁷Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood.

²⁸Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him.

²⁹A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance.

³⁰His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

³¹He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.

³²Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair.

³³Nothing on earth is his equal- a creature without fear.

³⁴He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud.”

42Then Job replied to the Lord :

²“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

³You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

⁴“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’

⁵My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

⁶Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

⁷After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

⁸So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

¹⁰After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.

¹¹All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.

¹²The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand

camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.

¹³And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

¹⁴The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren- Happuch.

¹⁵Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

¹⁶After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

¹⁷And so he died, old and full of years.

Esther

Posted on March 27, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

Esther

⁸By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the

1This is what happened during the

time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush :

²At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,

³and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.

⁴For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.

⁵When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa.

⁶The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones.

⁷Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality.

king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.

⁹Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

¹⁰On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him-Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas-

¹¹to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.

¹²But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.

¹³Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times

¹⁴and were closest to the king-Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.

¹⁵“According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King

Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”

¹⁶Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes.

¹⁷For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’

¹⁸This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.

¹⁹“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.

²⁰Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

²¹The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memucan proposed.

²²He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household.

2Later when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her.

²Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.

³Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.

⁴Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

⁵Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,

⁶who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah.

⁷Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor

mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

⁸When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many girls were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.

⁹The girl pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven maids selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

¹⁰Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.

¹¹Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

¹²Before a girl’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.

¹³And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.

¹⁴In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

¹⁵When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.

¹⁶She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

¹⁸And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

¹⁹When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

²⁰But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

²¹During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

²²But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.

²³And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were hanged on a gallows. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

3After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.

²All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

³Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”

⁴Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

⁵When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.

⁶Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

⁷In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, they cast the pur (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

⁸Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

⁹If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business.”

¹⁰So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

¹¹“Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

¹²Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the

various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring.

¹³Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews- young and old, women and little children-on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.

¹⁴A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.

¹⁵Spurred on by the king’s command, the couriers went out, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

4When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

²But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.

³In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴When Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she

was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

⁵Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

⁶So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate.

⁷Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.

⁸He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

⁹Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.

¹⁰Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,

¹¹“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

¹²When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,

¹³he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.

¹⁴For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

¹⁵Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

¹⁶“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

¹⁷So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

5On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.

²When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

³Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

⁴“If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

⁵“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

⁶As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

⁷Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this:

⁸If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

⁹Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.

¹⁰Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,

¹¹Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways

the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.

¹²“And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.

¹³But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

¹⁴His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy- five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.

6That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him.

²It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

³“What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked. “Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

⁴The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king

about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him.

⁵His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” the king ordered.

⁶When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?”

⁷So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor,

⁸have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head.

⁹Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’ “

¹⁰“Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

¹¹So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

¹²Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,

¹³and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him-you will surely come to ruin!”

¹⁴While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

7So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther,

²and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

³Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life-this is my petition. And spare my people-this is my request.

⁴For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. “

⁵King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

⁶Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman.” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

⁷The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

⁸Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

⁹Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Hang him on it!”

¹⁰So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

8That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.

²The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

³Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.

⁴Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

⁵“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.

⁶For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

⁷King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows.

⁸Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring-for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

⁹At once the royal secretaries were summoned-on the twenty-third day of

the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.

¹⁰Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

¹¹The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies.

¹²The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

¹³A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king’s command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.

¹⁵Mordecai left the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a

purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.

¹⁶For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.

¹⁷In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

9On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.

²The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.

³And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.

⁴Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

⁵The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

⁶In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

⁷They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

⁸Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

⁹Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,

¹⁰the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

¹¹The number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.

¹²The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

¹³“If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on gallows.”

¹⁴So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.

¹⁵The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

¹⁶Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder.

¹⁷This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

¹⁸The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

¹⁹That is why rural Jews-those living in villages-observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

²⁰Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,

²¹to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar

²²as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of

celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

²³So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them.

²⁴For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction.

²⁵But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

²⁶(Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur .) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them,

²⁷the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed.

²⁸These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.

²⁹So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.

³⁰And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes-words of goodwill and assurance-

³¹to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.

³²Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

10King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores.

²And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia?

³Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

Nehemiah

Posted on March 27, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

Nehemiah

1The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,

²Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

³They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

⁴When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

⁵Then I said: “O Lord , God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,

⁶let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.

⁷We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the

commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

⁸“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

⁹but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

¹⁰“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.

¹¹O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.

2In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before;

²so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,

³but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

⁴The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

⁵and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

⁶Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

⁷I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?

⁸And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

⁹So I went to the governors of Trans- Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

¹¹I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days

¹²I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

¹³By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

¹⁴Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;

¹⁵so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

¹⁶The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

¹⁷Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of

Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

¹⁸I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

¹⁹But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

3Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel.

²The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.

³The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.

⁴Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and

next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs.

⁵The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

⁶The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.

⁷Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah-Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth- places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.

⁸Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume- makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

⁹Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half- district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section.

¹⁰Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him.

¹¹Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.

¹²Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the

next section with the help of his daughters.

¹³The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

¹⁴The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.

¹⁵The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.

¹⁶Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

¹⁷Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district.

¹⁸Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah.

¹⁹Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle.

²⁰Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

²¹Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.

²²The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region.

²³Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.

²⁴Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner,

²⁵and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh

²⁶and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.

²⁷Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

²⁸Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.

²⁹Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs.

³⁰Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters.

³¹Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner;

³²and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

4When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,

²and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?”

³Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building-if

even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”

⁴Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

⁵Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

⁶So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

⁷But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.

⁸They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.

⁹But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

¹²Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.

¹⁴After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.

¹⁶From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah

¹⁷who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,

¹⁸and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

¹⁹Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.

²⁰Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

²¹So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.

²²At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day.”

²³Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

5Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.

²Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”

³Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”

⁴Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

⁵Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

⁶When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.

⁷I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them

⁸and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

⁹So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?

¹⁰I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop!

¹¹Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them-the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”

¹²“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.

¹³I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and

emptied!” At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord . And the people did as they had promised.

¹⁴Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year-twelve years- neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.

¹⁵But the earlier governors-those preceding me-placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.

¹⁶Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

¹⁷Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations.

¹⁸Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

¹⁹Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

6When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it-though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates-

²Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me;

³so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”

⁴Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

⁵Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter

⁶in which was written: “It is reported among the nations-and Geshem says it is true-that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king

⁷and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.”

⁸I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

⁹They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

¹⁰One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you-by night they are coming to kill you.”

¹¹But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”

¹²I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

¹³He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.

¹⁴Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

¹⁵So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

¹⁶When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

¹⁷Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.

¹⁸For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.

¹⁹Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

7After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.

²I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.

³I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

⁴Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

⁵So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

⁶These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

⁷in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah): The list of the men of Israel:

⁸the descendants of Parosh 2,172

⁹of Shephatiah 372

¹⁰of Arah 652

¹¹of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818

¹²of Elam 1,254

¹³of Zattu 845

¹⁴of Zaccai 760

¹⁵of Binnui 648

¹⁶of Bebai 628

¹⁷of Azgad 2,322

¹⁸of Adonikam 667

¹⁹of Bigvai 2,067

²⁰of Adin 655

²¹of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98

²²of Hashum 328

²³of Bezai 324

²⁴of Hariph 112

²⁵of Gibeon 95

²⁶the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188

²⁷of Anathoth 128

²⁸of Beth Azmaveth 42

²⁹of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743

³⁰of Ramah and Geba 621

³¹of Micmash 122

³²of Bethel and Ai 123 ³³of the other Nebo 52 ³⁴of the other Elam 1,254 ³⁵of Harim 320

³⁶of Jericho 345

³⁷of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721

³⁸of Senaah 3,930

³⁹The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973

⁴⁰of Immer 1,052

⁴¹of Pashhur 1,247

⁴²of Harim 1,017

⁴³The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74

⁴⁴The singers: the descendants of Asaph 148

⁴⁵The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 138

⁴⁶The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

⁴⁷Keros, Sia, Padon, ⁴⁸Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, ⁴⁹Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, ⁵⁰Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, ⁵¹Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, ⁵²Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, ⁵³Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

⁵⁴Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, ⁵⁵Barkos, Sisera, Temah, ⁵⁶Neziah and Hatipha

⁵⁷The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

⁵⁸Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

⁵⁹Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth- Hazzebaim and Amon

⁶⁰The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392

⁶¹The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

⁶²the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642

⁶³And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

⁶⁴These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

⁶⁵The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶The whole company numbered 42,360,

⁶⁷besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 245 men and women singers.

⁶⁸There were 736 horses, 245 mules,

⁶⁹435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁷⁰Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 drachmas of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests.

⁷¹Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

⁷²The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.

⁷³The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

8all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

²So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law

before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.

³He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.

⁶Ezra praised the Lord , the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷The Levites-Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah-instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.

⁸They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

⁹Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.”

¹²Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

¹³On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.

¹⁴They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month

¹⁵and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths”-as it is written.

¹⁶So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

¹⁸Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

9On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.

²Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.

³They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

⁴Standing on the stairs were the Levites- Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani-who

called with loud voices to the Lord their God.

⁵And the Levites-Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah-said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. ” “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

⁶You alone are the Lord . You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

⁷“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.

⁸You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

⁹“You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea.

¹⁰You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day.

¹¹You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters.

¹²By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

¹³“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good.

¹⁴You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses.

¹⁵In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.

¹⁶“But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands.

¹⁷They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

¹⁸even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.

¹⁹“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.

²⁰You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.

²¹For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.

²²“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.

²³You made their sons as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their fathers to enter and possess.

²⁴Their sons went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased.

²⁵They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.

²⁶“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.

²⁷So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

²⁸“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.

²⁹“You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.

³⁰For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they

paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples.

³¹But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

³²“Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes-the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

³³In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.

³⁴Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them.

³⁵Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.

³⁶“But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces.

³⁷Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.

³⁸“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”

10Those who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah,

²Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, ³Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, ⁴Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, ⁵Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, ⁶Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, ⁷Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

⁸Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

⁹The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

¹⁰and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

¹¹Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, ¹²Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, ¹³Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.

¹⁴The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

¹⁵Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

¹⁶Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, ¹⁷Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, ¹⁸Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, ¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, ²⁰Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, ²¹Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, ²²Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, ²³Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, ²⁴Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

²⁵Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

²⁶Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

²⁷Malluch, Harim and Baanah.

²⁸“The rest of the people-priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand-

²⁹all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

³⁰“We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.

³¹“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.

³²“We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God:

³³for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals and appointed feasts; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.

³⁴“We-the priests, the Levites and the people-have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.

³⁵“We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.

³⁶“As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.

³⁷“Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.

³⁸A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.

³⁹The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

11Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.

²The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

³These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah,

each on his own property in the various towns,

⁴while other people from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem): From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez;

⁵and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah.

⁶The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 able men.

⁷From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah,

⁸and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai- 928 men.

⁹Joel son of Zicri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the Second District of the city.

¹⁰From the priests: Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin;

¹¹Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor in the house of God,

¹²and their associates, who carried on work for the temple-822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the

son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah,

¹³and his associates, who were heads of families-242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

¹⁴and his associates, who were able men-128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

¹⁵From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

¹⁶Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God;

¹⁷Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

¹⁸The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

¹⁹The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates-172 men.

²⁰The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on his ancestral property.

²¹The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

²²The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the

son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of the house of God.

²³The singers were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.

²⁴Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people.

²⁵As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages,

²⁶in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet,

²⁷in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its settlements,

²⁸in Ziklag, in Meconah and its settlements,

²⁹in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,

³⁰Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its settlements,

³²in Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah,

³³in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim,

³⁴in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat,

³⁵in Lod and Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.

³⁶Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

12These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

²Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, ³Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, ⁴Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, ⁵Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, ⁶Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

⁷Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

⁸The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

⁹Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.

¹⁰Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,

¹¹Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

¹²In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;

¹³of Ezra’s, Meshullam; of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;

¹⁴of Malluch’s, Jonathan; of Shecaniah’s, Joseph;

¹⁵of Harim’s, Adna; of Meremoth’s, Helkai;

¹⁶of Iddo’s, Zechariah; of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;

¹⁷of Abijah’s, Zicri; of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;

¹⁸of Bilgah’s, Shammua; of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;

¹⁹of Joiarib’s, Mattenai; of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;

²⁰of Sallu’s, Kallai; of Amok’s, Eber;

²¹of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.

²²The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests,

were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian.

²³The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals.

²⁴And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

²⁵Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

²⁶They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

²⁷At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.

²⁸The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem-from the villages of the Netophathites,

²⁹from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

³⁰When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.

³¹I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

³²Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

³³along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

³⁴Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

³⁵as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

³⁶and his associates-Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani-with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

³⁷At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

³⁸The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people-past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

³⁹over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

⁴⁰The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials,

⁴¹as well as the priests-Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets-

⁴²and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.

⁴³And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

⁴⁴At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.

⁴⁵They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.

⁴⁶For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

⁴⁷So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

13On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,

²because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)

³When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.

⁴Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,

⁵and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission

⁷and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God.

⁸I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

⁹I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.

¹⁰I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.

¹¹So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

¹²All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms.

¹³I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers.

¹⁴Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

¹⁵In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.

¹⁶Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.

¹⁷I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing-desecrating the Sabbath day?

¹⁸Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”

¹⁹When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

²⁰Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.

²¹But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath.

²²Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

²³Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

²⁴Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah.

²⁵I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.

²⁶Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.

²⁷Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”

²⁸One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

²⁹Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

³⁰So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task.

³¹I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me with favor, O my God.

Ezra

Posted on March 27, 2025March 27, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

Ezra

⁷Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the

1In the first year of Cyrus king of

Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:

²“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ” ‘The Lord , the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.

³Anyone of his people among you-may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord , the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

⁴And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’ “

⁵Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites- everyone whose heart God had moved- prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

⁶All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

Lord , which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.

⁸Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

⁹This was the inventory: gold dishes 30 silver dishes 1,000 silver pans 29

¹⁰gold bowls 30 matching silver bowls 410 other articles 1,000

¹¹In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

2Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

²in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel:

³the descendants of Parosh 2,172

⁴of Shephatiah 372

⁵of Arah 775

⁶of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812

⁷of Elam 1,254

⁸of Zattu 945

⁹of Zaccai 760

¹⁰of Bani 642

¹¹of Bebai 623

¹²of Azgad 1,222

¹³of Adonikam 666

¹⁴of Bigvai 2,056

¹⁵of Adin 454

¹⁶of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98

¹⁷of Bezai 323

¹⁸of Jorah 112

¹⁹of Hashum 223

²⁰of Gibbar 95

²¹the men of Bethlehem 123

²²of Netophah 56

²³of Anathoth 128

²⁴of Azmaveth 42

²⁵of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743

²⁶of Ramah and Geba 621

²⁷of Micmash 122

²⁸of Bethel and Ai 223

²⁹of Nebo 52

³⁰of Magbish 156

³¹of the other Elam 1,254

³²of Harim 320

³³of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725

³⁴of Jericho 345

³⁵of Senaah 3,630

³⁶The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973

³⁷of Immer 1,052

³⁸of Pashhur 1,247

³⁹of Harim 1,017

⁴⁰The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah) 74

⁴¹The singers: the descendants of Asaph 128

⁴²The gatekeepers of the temple: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139

⁴³The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

⁴⁴Keros, Siaha, Padon, ⁴⁵Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, ⁴⁶Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, ⁴⁷Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, ⁴⁸Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, ⁴⁹Uzza, Paseah, Besai, ⁵⁰Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim, ⁵¹Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, ⁵²Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, ⁵³Barkos, Sisera, Temah, ⁵⁴Neziah and Hatipha

⁵⁵The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

⁵⁶Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

⁵⁷Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth- Hazzebaim and Ami

⁵⁸The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392

⁵⁹The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

⁶⁰The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652

⁶¹And from among the priests: The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

⁶²These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

⁶³The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁴The whole company numbered 42,360,

⁶⁵besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers.

⁶⁶They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

⁶⁷435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁶⁸When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site.

⁶⁹According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000

drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.

⁷⁰The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

3When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem.

²Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

³Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord , both the morning and evening sacrifices.

⁴Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day.

⁵After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred feasts of the Lord , as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord .

⁶On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord , though the foundation of the Lord ‘s temple had not yet been laid.

⁷Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.

⁸In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work, appointing Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord .

⁹Jeshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah ) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all Levites- joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

¹⁰When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord , the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord , as prescribed by David king of Israel.

¹¹With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord : “He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord , because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

¹²But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.

¹³No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

4When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord , the God of Israel,

²they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

³But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord , the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”

⁴Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.

⁵They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and

down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

⁶At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

⁷And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language. ,

⁸Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:

⁹Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates-the judges and officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,

¹⁰and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.

¹¹(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates:

¹²The king should know that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.

¹³Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and the royal revenues will suffer.

¹⁴Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king,

¹⁵so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place of rebellion from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.

¹⁶We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

¹⁷The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings.

¹⁸The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence.

¹⁹I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition.

²⁰Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans- Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them.

²¹Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.

²²Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?

²³As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

²⁴Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

5Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

²Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

³At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

⁴They also asked, “What are the names of the men constructing this building?”

⁵But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

⁶This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius.

⁷The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: Cordial greetings.

⁸The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

⁹We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

¹⁰We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

¹¹This is the answer they gave us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished.

¹²But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of

Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

¹³“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

¹⁴He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. “Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor,

¹⁵and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’

¹⁶So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

¹⁷Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

6King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon.

²A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it: Memorandum:

³In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide,

⁴with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.

⁵Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

⁶Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans- Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there.

⁷Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

⁸Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.

⁹Whatever is needed-young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem-must be given them daily without fail,

¹⁰so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

¹¹Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble.

¹²May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

¹³Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence.

¹⁴So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

¹⁵The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶Then the people of Israel-the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles- celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

¹⁷For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel.

¹⁸And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

¹⁹On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.

²⁰The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

²¹So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord , the God of Israel.

²²For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

7After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

²the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

³the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

⁴the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

⁵the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest-

⁶this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord , the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

⁷Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

⁸Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.

⁹He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.

¹⁰For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord , and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

¹¹This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters

concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:

¹²Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.

¹³Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.

¹⁴You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.

¹⁵Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

¹⁶together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.

¹⁷With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸You and your brother Jews may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God.

¹⁹Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God.

²⁰And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.

²¹Now I, King Artaxerxes, order all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you-

²²up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.

²³Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and of his sons?

²⁴You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.

²⁵And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates-all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them.

²⁶Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

²⁷Praise be to the Lord , the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way

²⁸and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

8These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

²of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; of the descendants of David, Hattush

³of the descendants of Shecaniah; of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;

⁴of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;

⁵of the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

⁶of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

⁷of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;

⁸of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;

⁹of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;

¹⁰of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;

¹¹of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;

¹²of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;

¹³of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

¹⁴of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

¹⁵I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.

¹⁶So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning,

¹⁷and I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his kinsmen, the temple servants in Casiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God.

¹⁸Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 men;

¹⁹and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 men.

²⁰They also brought 220 of the temple servants-a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

²¹There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

²²I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.”

²³So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

²⁴Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers,

²⁵and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God.

²⁶I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold,

²⁷20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

²⁸I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord . The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord , the God of your fathers.

²⁹Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.”

³⁰Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

³¹On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.

³²So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

³³On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

³⁴Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

³⁵Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord .

³⁶They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

9After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.

²They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

³When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.

⁴Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered

around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

⁵Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God

⁶and prayed: “O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.

⁷From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

⁸“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.

⁹Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰“But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded the commands

¹¹you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other.

¹²Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’

¹³“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.

¹⁴Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor?

¹⁵O Lord , God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

10While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites-men, women and children-gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.

²Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.

³Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

⁴Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

⁵So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath.

⁶Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

⁷A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem.

⁸Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

⁹Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in

Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain.

¹⁰Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.

¹¹Now make confession to the Lord , the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”

¹²The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say.

¹³But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing.

¹⁴Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.”

¹⁵Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

¹⁶So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family

division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases,

¹⁷and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

¹⁸Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.

¹⁹(They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)

²⁰From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

²¹From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.

²²From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

²³Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

²⁴From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.

²⁵And among the other Israelites: From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.

²⁶From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.

²⁷From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.

²⁸From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.

²⁹From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.

³⁰From the descendants of Pahath- Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.

³¹From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

³²Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.

³³From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.

³⁴From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

³⁵Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, ³⁶Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ³⁷Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.

³⁸From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,

³⁹Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, ⁴⁰Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, ⁴¹Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, ⁴²Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.

⁴³From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.

⁴⁴All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

2nd Kings

Posted on March 21, 2025March 21, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

2nd Kings

⁷The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and

1After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled

against Israel.

²Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal- Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

³But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’

⁴Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’ ” So Elijah went.

⁵When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”

⁶“A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” ‘ “

told you this?”

⁸They replied, “He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ “

¹⁰Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

¹¹At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’ “

¹²“If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

¹³So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants!

¹⁴See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”

¹⁵The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”

¹⁷So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.

¹⁸As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

2When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

²Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you

know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “but do not speak of it.”

⁴Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “but do not speak of it.”

⁶Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

⁷Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.

⁸Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

¹⁰“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am

taken from you, it will be yours- otherwise not.”

¹¹As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

¹²Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.

¹³He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

¹⁴Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord , the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

¹⁵The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

¹⁶“Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.” “No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹⁷But they persisted until he was too ashamed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who

searched for three days but did not find him.

¹⁸When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

¹⁹The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

²⁰“Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

²¹Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ “

²²And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

²³From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!”

²⁴He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord . Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

²⁵And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

3Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year

of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.

²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made.

³Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

⁴Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams.

⁵But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

⁶So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.

⁷He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

⁸“By what route shall we attack?” he asked. “Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.

⁹So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.

¹⁰“What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?”

¹¹But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord through him?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. “

¹²Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

¹³Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab.”

¹⁴Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you.

¹⁵But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha

¹⁶and he said, “This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches.

¹⁷For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.

¹⁸This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord ; he will also hand Moab over to you.

¹⁹You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”

²⁰The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was-water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

²¹Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border.

²²When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red-like blood.

²³“That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

²⁴But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites.

²⁵They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.

²⁶When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed.

²⁷Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

4The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord . But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

²Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little oil.”

³Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.

⁴Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

⁵She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.

⁶When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

⁷She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

⁸One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat.

⁹She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God.

¹⁰Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”

¹¹One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there.

¹²He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him.

¹³Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’ ” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

¹⁴“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “Well, she has no son and her husband is old.”

¹⁵Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.

¹⁶“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No,

my lord,” she objected. “Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!”

¹⁷But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

¹⁸The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.

¹⁹“My head! My head!” he said to his father. His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

²⁰After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

²¹She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

²²She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

²³“Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “It’s all right,” she said.

²⁴She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.”

²⁵So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite!

²⁶Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ” “Everything is all right,” she said.

²⁷When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

²⁸“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

²⁹Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

³⁰But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

³¹Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

³²When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.

³³He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord .

³⁴Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes,

hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm.

³⁵Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

³⁶Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.”

³⁷She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.

³⁸Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these men.”

³⁹One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine. He gathered some of its gourds and filled the fold of his cloak. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.

⁴⁰The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

⁴¹Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

⁴²A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.

⁴³“How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ “

⁴⁴Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord .

5Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

²Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

³She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

⁴Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

⁵“By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.

⁶The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

⁷As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

⁸When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

¹⁰Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

¹¹But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

¹²Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told

you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”

¹⁴So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

¹⁵Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.”

¹⁶The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

¹⁷“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord .

¹⁸But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also-when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

¹⁹“Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,

²⁰Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was

too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

²¹So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

²²“Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’ “

²³“By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi.

²⁴When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

²⁵Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. “Where have you been, Gehazi?” Elisha asked. “Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

²⁶But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants?

²⁷Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.

6The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us.

²Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.”

³Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied.

⁴And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees.

⁵As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

⁶The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.

⁷“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

⁸Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

⁹The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.”

¹⁰So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

¹¹This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

¹²“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

¹³“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”

¹⁴Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.

¹⁶“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷And Elisha prayed, “O Lord , open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

¹⁸As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord , “Strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

¹⁹Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.

²⁰After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord , open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

²¹When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”

²²“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.”

²³So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.

²⁴Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.

²⁵There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver,

and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.

²⁶As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

²⁷The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?”

²⁸Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’

²⁹So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”

³⁰When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and there, underneath, he had sackcloth on his body.

³¹He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”

³²Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is

not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”

³³While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This disaster is from the Lord . Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

7Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord . This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

²The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

³Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die?

⁴If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’-the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

⁵At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there,

⁶for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses

and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!”

⁷So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

⁸The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

⁹Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

¹⁰So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and not a man was there-not a sound of anyone-only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.”

¹¹The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

¹²The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’ “

¹³One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here-yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”

¹⁴So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.”

¹⁵They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king.

¹⁶Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the Lord had said.

¹⁷Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house.

¹⁸It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

¹⁹The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied,

“You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

²⁰And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

8Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.”

²The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.

³At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land.

⁴The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.”

⁵Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.”

⁶The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her

land from the day she left the country until now.”

⁷Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben- Hadad king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,”

⁸he said to Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ “

⁹Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ “

¹⁰Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover’; but the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.”

¹¹He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael felt ashamed. Then the man of God began to weep.

¹²“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women.”

¹³Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?” “The Lord has shown me that you will become king of Aram,” answered Elisha.

¹⁴Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.”

¹⁵But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael succeeded him as king.

¹⁶In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah.

¹⁷He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

¹⁸He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord .

¹⁹Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

²⁰In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.

²¹So Jehoram went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home.

²²To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time.

²³As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁴Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

²⁵In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

²⁶Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

²⁷He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord , as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.

²⁸Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram;

²⁹so King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because he had been wounded.

9The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.

²When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room.

³Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!”

⁴So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.

⁵When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.

⁶Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord ‘s people Israel.

⁷You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord ‘s servants shed by Jezebel.

⁸The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel-slave or free.

⁹I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.

¹⁰As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’ ” Then he opened the door and ran.

¹¹When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied.

¹²“That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.” Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ “

¹³They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

¹⁴So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram,

¹⁵but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If this is the way you feel, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.”

¹⁶Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel, because Joram was resting there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.

¹⁷When the lookout standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, he called out, “I see some troops coming.” “Get a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’ “

¹⁸The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’ ” “What do you have to do with peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” The lookout reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he isn’t coming back.”

¹⁹So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’ ” Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

²⁰The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi-he drives like a madman.”

²¹“Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite.

²²When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as

long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

²³Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

²⁴Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot.

²⁵Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the Lord made this prophecy about him:

²⁶‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord , and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the Lord .’ Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord .”

²⁷When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, shouting, “Kill him too!” They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam, but he escaped to Megiddo and died there.

²⁸His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.

²⁹(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.)

³⁰Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.

³¹As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?”

³²He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.

³³“Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.

³⁴Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”

³⁵But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands.

³⁶They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh.

³⁷Jezebel’s body will be like refuse on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’ “

10Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to

the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said,

²“As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons,

³choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

⁴But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

⁵So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

⁶Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them.

⁷When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

⁸When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.” Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

⁹The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

¹⁰Know then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.”

¹¹So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.

¹²Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds,

¹³he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”

¹⁴“Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked-forty-two men. He left no survivor.

¹⁵After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Recab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?” “I am,” Jehonadab answered. “If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.

¹⁶Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord .” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.

¹⁷When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.

¹⁸Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

¹⁹Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal.

²⁰Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it.

²¹Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the ministers of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other.

²²And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the ministers of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

²³Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the ministers of Baal, “Look around and see that no servants of the Lord are here with you-only ministers of Baal.”

²⁴So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”

²⁵As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill them; let no one escape.” So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal.

²⁶They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it.

²⁷They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.

²⁸So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.

²⁹However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit- the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

³⁰The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

³¹Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord , the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from

the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

³²In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory

³³east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.

³⁴As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

³⁵Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king.

³⁶The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

11When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.

²But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.

³He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

⁴In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord . He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord . Then he showed them the king’s son.

⁵He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath-a third of you guarding the royal palace,

⁶a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple-

⁷and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king.

⁸Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

⁹The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men-those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty-and came to Jehoiada the priest.

¹⁰Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord .

¹¹The guards, each with his weapon in his hand, stationed themselves around the king-near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

¹²Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

¹³When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord .

¹⁴She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple of the Lord .”

¹⁶So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.

¹⁷Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord ‘s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.

¹⁸All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord .

¹⁹He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne,

²⁰and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.

²¹Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.

12In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.

²Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

³The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁴Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the Lord -the

money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.

⁵Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”

⁶But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple.

⁷Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.”

⁸The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.

⁹Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the Lord . The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord .

¹⁰Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord and put it into bags.

¹¹When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord -the carpenters and builders,

¹²the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the Lord , and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.

¹³The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the Lord ;

¹⁴it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple.

¹⁵They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

¹⁶The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the Lord ; it belonged to the priests.

¹⁷About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.

¹⁸But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers- Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah-and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord

and of the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem.

¹⁹As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁰His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla.

²¹The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

13In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years.

²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them.

³So the Lord ‘s anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.

⁴Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord ‘s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.

⁵The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before.

⁶But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria.

⁷Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time.

⁸As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

⁹Jehoahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash his son succeeded him as king.

¹⁰In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.

¹¹He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.

¹²As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not

written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

¹³Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

¹⁴Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

¹⁵Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.

¹⁶“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

¹⁷“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord ‘s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

¹⁸Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped.

¹⁹The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

²⁰Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.

²¹Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

²²Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.

²³But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

²⁴Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben- Hadad his son succeeded him as king.

²⁵Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns.

14In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.

²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem.

³He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash.

⁴The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.

⁶Yet he did not put the sons of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins.”

⁷He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

⁸Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, meet me face to face.”

⁹But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.

¹⁰You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for

trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

¹¹Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah.

¹²Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.

¹³Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate-a section about six hundred feet long.

¹⁴He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

¹⁶Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

¹⁷Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

¹⁸As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

¹⁹They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.

²⁰He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers, in the City of David.

²¹Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

²²He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.

²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.

²⁴He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁵He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the Lord , the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

²⁶The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,

was suffering; there was no one to help them.

²⁷And since the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

²⁸As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Yaudi, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

²⁹Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

15In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.

²He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

³He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father Amaziah had done.

⁴The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵The Lord afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son

had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

⁶As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

⁷Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

⁸In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months.

⁹He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁰Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

¹¹The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

¹²So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

¹³Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month.

¹⁴Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

¹⁵The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

¹⁶At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

¹⁷In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.

¹⁸He did evil in the eyes of the Lord . During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁹Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom.

²⁰Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

²¹As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

²²Menahem rested with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years.

²⁴Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord . He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁵One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

²⁶The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

²⁷In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years.

²⁸He did evil in the eyes of the Lord . He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁹In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and

took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria.

³⁰Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

³¹As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

³²In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign.

³³He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

³⁴He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father Uzziah had done.

³⁵The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord .

³⁶As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

³⁷(In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)

³⁸Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

16In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

²Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

³He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

⁴He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

⁵Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him.

⁶At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the men of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

⁷Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of

Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”

⁸And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

⁹The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.

¹⁰Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction.

¹¹So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned.

¹²When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it.

¹³He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on the altar.

¹⁴The bronze altar that stood before the Lord he brought from the front of the temple-from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord -and put it on the north side of the new altar.

¹⁵King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the

evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”

¹⁶And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.

¹⁷King Ahaz took away the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.

¹⁸He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord , in deference to the king of Assyria.

¹⁹As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁰Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

17In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.

²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

³Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.

⁴But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.

⁵The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years.

⁶In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

⁷All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods

⁸and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.

⁹The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.

¹⁰They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.

¹¹At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that provoked the Lord to anger.

¹²They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”

¹³The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”

¹⁴But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God.

¹⁵They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do,” and they did the things the Lord had forbidden them to do.

¹⁶They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal.

¹⁷They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord , provoking him to anger.

¹⁸So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,

¹⁹and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.

²⁰Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.

²¹When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.

²²The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them

²³until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

²⁴The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the

Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.

²⁵When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord ; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.

²⁶It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.”

²⁸So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord .

²⁹Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places.

³⁰The men from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men from Cuthah made Nergal, and the men from Hamath made Ashima;

³¹the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

³²They worshiped the Lord , but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places.

³³They worshiped the Lord , but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

³⁴To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.

³⁵When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.

³⁶But the Lord , who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.

³⁷You must always be careful to keep the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.

³⁸Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods.

³⁹Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.

⁴¹Even while these people were worshiping the Lord , they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.

18In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

³He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father David had done.

⁴He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan. )

⁵Hezekiah trusted in the Lord , the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.

⁶He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.

⁷And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.

He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

⁸From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

⁹In King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it.

¹⁰At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.

¹¹The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.

¹²This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant-all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

¹³In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

¹⁴So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

¹⁵So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

¹⁶At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the Lord , and gave it to the king of Assyria.

¹⁷The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field.

¹⁸They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

¹⁹The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ” ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?

²⁰You say you have strategy and military strength-but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?

²¹Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.

²²And if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”-isn’t he the one whose high places and altars

Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

²³” ‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses-if you can put riders on them!

²⁴How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen ?

²⁵Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord ? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’ “

²⁶Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

²⁷But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the men sitting on the wall-who, like you, will have to eat their own filth and drink their own urine?”

²⁸Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

²⁹This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand.

³⁰Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern,

³²until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’

³³Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

³⁴Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand?

³⁵Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

³⁶But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

³⁷Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and

told him what the field commander had said.

19When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord .

²He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

³They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.

⁴It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

⁵When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah,

⁶Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

⁷Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’ “

⁸When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

⁹Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt , was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word:

¹⁰“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’

¹¹Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?

¹²Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them: the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?

¹³Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?”

¹⁴Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord .

¹⁵And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord : “O Lord , God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

¹⁶Give ear, O Lord , and hear; open your eyes, O Lord , and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.

¹⁷“It is true, O Lord , that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands.

¹⁸They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands.

¹⁹Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord , are God.”

²⁰Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.

²¹This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him: ” ‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you. The Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.

²²Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!

²³By your messengers you have heaped insults on the Lord. And you have said, “With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest

of its pines. I have reached its remotest parts, the finest of its forests.

²⁴I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

²⁵” ‘Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.

²⁶Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.

²⁷” ‘But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me.

²⁸Because you rage against me and your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.’

²⁹“This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

³⁰Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.

³¹For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band

of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

³²“Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it.

³³By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord .

³⁴I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”

³⁵That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies!

³⁶So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

³⁷One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

20In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

²Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,

³“Remember, O Lord , how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

⁴Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him:

⁵“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord .

⁶I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ “

⁷Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.

⁸Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

⁹Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord ‘s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

¹⁰“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

¹¹Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the Lord , and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

¹²At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness.

¹³Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses-the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil-his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

¹⁴Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?” “From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”

¹⁵The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?” “They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

¹⁶Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord :

¹⁷The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord .

¹⁸And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will

become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

¹⁹“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

²⁰As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²¹Hezekiah rested with his fathers. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

21Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.

²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

³He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.

⁴He built altars in the temple of the Lord , of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”

⁵In both courts of the temple of the Lord , he built altars to all the starry hosts.

⁶He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord , provoking him to anger.

⁷He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.

⁸I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them.”

⁹But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

¹⁰The Lord said through his servants the prophets:

¹¹“Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.

¹²Therefore this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.

¹³I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria

and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

¹⁴I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their foes,

¹⁵because they have done evil in my eyes and have provoked me to anger from the day their forefathers came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end-besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord .

¹⁷As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

¹⁸Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

¹⁹Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah.

²⁰He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , as his father Manasseh had done.

²¹He walked in all the ways of his father; he worshiped the idols his father had worshiped, and bowed down to them.

²²He forsook the Lord , the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord .

²³Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace.

²⁴Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

²⁵As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁶He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

22Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.

²He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

³In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord . He said:

⁴“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord , which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.

⁵Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord –

⁶the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.

⁷But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting faithfully.”

⁸Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord .” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

⁹Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.”

¹⁰Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

¹¹When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.

¹²He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor

son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:

¹³“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord ‘s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

¹⁴Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.

¹⁵She said to them, “This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

¹⁶‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read.

¹⁷Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’

¹⁸Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord , ‘This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:

¹⁹Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord .

²⁰Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’ ” So they took her answer back to the king.

23Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

²He went up to the temple of the Lord with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets- all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord .

³The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord -to follow the Lord and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

⁴The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the

fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.

⁵He did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem-those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.

⁶He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.

⁷He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the Lord and where women did weaving for Asherah.

⁸Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates-at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate.

⁹Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

¹⁰He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

¹¹He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

¹²He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord . He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.

¹³The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption-the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of Ammon.

¹⁴Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.

¹⁵Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin-even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also.

¹⁶Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the Lord

proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

¹⁷The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?” The men of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

¹⁸“Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

¹⁹Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed and defiled all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria that had provoked the Lord to anger.

²⁰Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

²¹The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

²²Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed.

²³But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.

²⁴Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other

detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord .

²⁵Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

²⁶Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger.

²⁷So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘There shall my Name be.’ “

²⁸As for the other events of Josiah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁹While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo.

³⁰Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

³¹Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.

³²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , just as his fathers had done.

³³Pharaoh Neco put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

³⁴Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.

³⁵Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Neco the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.

³⁶Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.

³⁷And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord , just as his fathers had done.

24During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But

then he changed his mind and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.

²The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him. He sent them to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.

³Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord ‘s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done,

⁴including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

⁵As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

⁶Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

⁷The king of Egypt did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

⁸Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.

⁹He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father had done.

¹⁰At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it,

¹¹and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it.

¹²Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner.

¹³As the Lord had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed all the treasures from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and took away all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord .

¹⁴He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans-a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.

¹⁵Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, his wives, his officials and the leading men of the land.

¹⁶The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand craftsmen and artisans.

¹⁷He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.

¹⁸Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.

¹⁹He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , just as Jehoiakim had done.

²⁰It was because of the Lord ‘s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.

²The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.

⁴Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,

⁵but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,

⁶and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him.

⁷They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.

⁸On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

⁹He set fire to the temple of the Lord , the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

¹⁰The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

¹¹Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon.

¹²But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of

the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon.

¹⁴They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.

¹⁵The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls-all that were made of pure gold or silver.

¹⁶The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord , was more than could be weighed.

¹⁷Each pillar was twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was four and a half feet high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

¹⁸The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.

¹⁹Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city.

²⁰Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

²¹There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.

²²Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah.

²³When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah-Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men.

²⁴Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

²⁵In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.

²⁶At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.

²⁷In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month.

²⁸He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

²⁹So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.

³⁰Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

1st Kings

Posted on March 21, 2025March 21, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

1st Kings

⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei

1When King David was old and well

advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.

²So his servants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”

³Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

⁵Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

⁶(His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

⁷Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support.

and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials,

¹⁰but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

¹¹Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David’s knowing it?

¹²Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

¹³Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

¹⁴While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said.”

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.

¹⁶Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. “What is it you want?” the king asked.

¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’

¹⁸But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it.

¹⁹He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.

²⁰My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

²³And they told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

²⁴Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?

²⁵Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

²⁶But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.

²⁷Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

²⁸Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

²⁹The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,

³⁰I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord , the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

³¹Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

³²King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king,

³³he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.

³⁴There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

³⁵Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord , the God of my lord the king, so declare it.

³⁷As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David’s mule and escorted him to Gihon.

³⁹Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”

⁴⁰And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

⁴¹Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the

trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”

⁴²Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”

⁴³“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

⁴⁴The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule,

⁴⁵and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear.

⁴⁶Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.

⁴⁷Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed

⁴⁸and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’ “

⁴⁹At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed.

⁵⁰But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

⁵¹Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ “

⁵²Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.”

⁵³Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

2When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

²“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man,

³and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,

⁴and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

⁵“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me-what he did to the

two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

⁶Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

⁷“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

⁸“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord : ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’

⁹But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

¹⁰Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

¹¹He had reigned forty years over Israel- seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

¹²So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

¹³Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother.

Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?” He answered, “Yes, peacefully.”

¹⁴Then he added, “I have something to say to you.” “You may say it,” she replied.

¹⁵“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord .

¹⁶Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said.

¹⁷So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon-he will not refuse you-to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

¹⁸“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”

¹⁹When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

²⁰“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

²¹So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”

²²King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him-after all, he is my older brother-yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

²³Then King Solomon swore by the Lord : “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!

²⁴And now, as surely as the Lord lives- he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised-Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

²⁵So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

²⁶To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.”

²⁷So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord , fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

²⁸When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar.

²⁹King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

³⁰So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

³¹Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father’s house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed.

³²The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them-Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army-were better men and more upright than he.

³³May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord ‘s peace forever.”

³⁴So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert.

³⁵The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

³⁶Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.

³⁷The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

³⁸Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

³⁹But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.”

⁴⁰At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

⁴¹When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,

⁴²the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’

⁴³Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

⁴⁴The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did

to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing.

⁴⁵But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”

⁴⁶Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him. The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon’s hands.

3Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord , and the wall around Jerusalem.

²The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord .

³Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

⁴The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

⁵At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

⁷“Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.

⁸Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.

⁹So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.

¹¹So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,

¹²I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

¹³Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

¹⁴And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

¹⁵Then Solomon awoke-and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

¹⁶Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

¹⁷One of them said, “My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me.

¹⁸The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

¹⁹“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him.

²⁰So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.

²¹The next morning, I got up to nurse my son-and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

²²The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead

one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

²³The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’ “

²⁴Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king.

²⁵He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

²⁶The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

²⁷Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

²⁸When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

4So King Solomon ruled over all Israel.

²And these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok-the priest;

³Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha- secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud- recorder;

⁴Benaiah son of Jehoiada-commander in chief; Zadok and Abiathar-priests;

⁵Azariah son of Nathan-in charge of the district officers; Zabud son of Nathan-a priest and personal adviser to the king;

⁶Ahishar-in charge of the palace; Adoniram son of Abda-in charge of forced labor.

⁷Solomon also had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.

⁸These are their names: Ben-Hur-in the hill country of Ephraim;

⁹Ben-Deker-in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;

¹⁰Ben-Hesed-in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher were his);

¹¹Ben-Abinadab-in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);

¹²Baana son of Ahilud-in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;

¹³Ben-Geber-in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the district of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);

¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo-in Mahanaim;

¹⁵Ahimaaz-in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);

¹⁶Baana son of Hushai-in Asher and in Aloth;

¹⁷Jehoshaphat son of Paruah-in Issachar;

¹⁸Shimei son of Ela-in Benjamin;

¹⁹Geber son of Uri-in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.

²⁰The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.

²¹And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

²²Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal,

²³ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.

²⁴For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.

²⁵During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.

²⁶Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.

²⁷The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.

²⁸They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

²⁹God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

³⁰Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

³¹He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite-wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.

³²He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.

³³He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.

³⁴Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

5When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David.

²Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

³“You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.

⁴But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.

⁵I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’

⁶“So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”

⁷When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”

⁸So Hiram sent word to Solomon: “I have received the message you sent me

and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs.

⁹My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household.”

¹⁰In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted,

¹¹and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths , of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year.

¹²The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

¹³King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel-thirty thousand men.

¹⁴He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

¹⁵Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills,

¹⁶as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workmen.

¹⁷At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of quality stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple.

¹⁸The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and the men of Gebal cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.

6In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord .

²The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.

³The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple.

⁴He made narrow clerestory windows in the temple.

⁵Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms.

⁶The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges

around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.

⁷In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

⁸The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third.

⁹So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks.

¹⁰And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.

¹¹The word of the Lord came to Solomon:

¹²“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.

¹³And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

¹⁴So Solomon built the temple and completed it.

¹⁵He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine.

¹⁶He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.

¹⁷The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.

¹⁸The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

¹⁹He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there.

²⁰The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.

²¹Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.

²²So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

²³In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

²⁴One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits-ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip.

²⁵The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape.

²⁶The height of each cherub was ten cubits.

²⁷He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room.

²⁸He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

²⁹On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers.

³⁰He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.

³¹For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood with five- sided jambs.

³²And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold.

³³In the same way he made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall.

³⁴He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets.

³⁵He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

³⁶And he built the inner courtyard of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.

³⁷The foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv.

³⁸In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it.

7It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.

²He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams.

³It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns-forty- five beams, fifteen to a row.

⁴Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other.

⁵All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.

⁶He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide. In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof.

⁷He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.

⁸And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

⁹All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high- grade stone cut to size and trimmed with a saw on their inner and outer faces.

¹⁰The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits and some eight.

¹¹Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams.

¹²The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.

¹³King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,

¹⁴whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was a man of Tyre and a craftsman in bronze. Huram was highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.

¹⁵He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line.

¹⁶He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high.

¹⁷A network of interwoven chains festooned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital.

¹⁸He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital.

¹⁹The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high.

²⁰On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around.

²¹He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

²²The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed.

²³He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.

²⁴Below the rim, gourds encircled it-ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

²⁵The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three

facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.

²⁶It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.

²⁷He also made ten movable stands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.

²⁸This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights.

²⁹On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim-and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work.

³⁰Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side.

³¹On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half. Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round.

³²The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half.

³³The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal.

³⁴Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand.

³⁵At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand.

³⁶He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around.

³⁷This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

³⁸He then made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands.

³⁹He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple.

⁴⁰He also made the basins and shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord :

⁴¹the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl- shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

⁴²the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

⁴³the ten stands with their ten basins;

⁴⁴the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

⁴⁵the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. All these objects that Huram made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze.

⁴⁶The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan.

⁴⁷Solomon left all these things unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.

⁴⁸Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord ‘s temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence;

⁴⁹the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs;

⁵⁰the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

⁵¹When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was

finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated-the silver and gold and the furnishings-and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord ‘s temple.

8Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord ‘s covenant from Zion, the City of David.

²All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.

³When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark,

⁴and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up,

⁵and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

⁶The priests then brought the ark of the Lord ‘s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.

⁷The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles.

⁸These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.

⁹There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹⁰When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord .

¹¹And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.

¹²Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;

¹³I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”

¹⁴While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.

¹⁵Then he said: “Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said,

¹⁶‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’

¹⁷“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

¹⁸But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart.

¹⁹Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood-he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

²⁰“The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

²¹I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt.”

²²Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven

²³and said: “O Lord , God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below-you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

²⁴You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it-as it is today.

²⁵“Now Lord , God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.’

²⁶And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.

²⁷“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!

²⁸Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.

²⁹May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

³⁰Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

³¹“When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple,

³²then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own

head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence.

³³“When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,

³⁴then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers.

³⁵“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

³⁶then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

³⁷“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,

³⁸and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel-each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple-

³⁹then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each

man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men),

⁴⁰so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.

⁴¹“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name-

⁴²for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm-when he comes and prays toward this temple,

⁴³then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

⁴⁴“When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name,

⁴⁵then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

⁴⁶“When they sin against you-for there is no one who does not sin-and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near;

⁴⁷and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive,

and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;

⁴⁸and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name;

⁴⁹then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

⁵⁰And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy;

⁵¹for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.

⁵²“May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.

⁵³For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign Lord , brought our fathers out of Egypt.”

⁵⁴When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord , he rose from before the altar of the Lord ,

where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.

⁵⁵He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

⁵⁶“Praise be to the Lord , who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

⁵⁷May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.

⁵⁸May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.

⁵⁹And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord , be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need,

⁶⁰so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.

⁶¹But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

⁶²Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord .

⁶³Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord : twenty-

two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord .

⁶⁴On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord , and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.

⁶⁵So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him-a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all.

⁶⁶On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

9When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do,

²the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.

³The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before

me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

⁴“As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,

⁵I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

⁶“But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them,

⁷then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.

⁸And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’

⁹People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them-that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’ “

¹⁰At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two

buildings-the temple of the Lord and the royal palace-

¹¹King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and pine and gold he wanted.

¹²But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them.

¹³“What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he called them the Land of Cabul, a name they have to this day.

¹⁴Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.

¹⁵Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord ‘s temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.

¹⁶(Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

¹⁷And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon,

¹⁸Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land,

¹⁹as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses

-whatever he desired to build in

Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

²⁰All the people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites),

²¹that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites could not exterminate -these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day.

²²But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers.

²³They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon’s projects-550 officials supervising the men who did the work.

²⁴After Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the supporting terraces.

²⁵Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord , burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.

²⁶King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.

²⁷And Hiram sent his men-sailors who knew the sea-to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s men.

²⁸They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

10When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the Lord , she came to test him with hard questions.

²Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan-with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones-she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.

³Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.

⁴When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built,

⁵the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord , she was overwhelmed.

⁶She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.

⁷But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in

wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.

⁸How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

⁹Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord ‘s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

¹⁰And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹¹(Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones.

¹²The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)

¹³King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

¹⁴The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,

¹⁵not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the

Arabian kings and the governors of the land.

¹⁶King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield.

¹⁷He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁸Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.

¹⁹The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them.

²⁰Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.

²¹All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days.

²²The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

²³King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.

²⁴The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

²⁵Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift-articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

²⁶Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

²⁷The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

²⁸Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue – the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

²⁹They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

11King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter-Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.

²They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because

they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

³He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

⁴As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

⁵He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

⁶So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord ; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

⁷On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

⁸He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

⁹The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord , the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

¹⁰Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord ‘s command.

¹¹So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not

kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

¹²Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

¹³Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

¹⁴Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.

¹⁵Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom.

¹⁶Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom.

¹⁷But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father.

¹⁸They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking men from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.

¹⁹Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage.

²⁰The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children.

²¹While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”

²²“What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” Pharaoh asked. “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but do let me go!”

²³And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.

²⁴He gathered men around him and became the leader of a band of rebels when David destroyed the forces of Zobah ; the rebels went to Damascus, where they settled and took control.

²⁵Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel.

²⁶Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.

²⁷Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces and had filled in the

gap in the wall of the city of David his father.

²⁸Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.

²⁹About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country,

³⁰and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.

³¹Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.

³²But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.

³³I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.

³⁴” ‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake

of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes.

³⁵I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes.

³⁶I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.

³⁷However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel.

³⁸If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.

³⁹I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’ “

⁴⁰Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.

⁴¹As for the other events of Solomon’s reign-all he did and the wisdom he displayed-are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon?

⁴²Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

⁴³Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father.

And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

12Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.

²When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.

³So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:

⁴“Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

⁶Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

⁷They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

⁸But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

⁹He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

¹⁰The young men who had grown up with him replied, “Tell these people who have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter’-tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

¹¹My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’ “

¹²Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.”

¹³The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders,

¹⁴he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”

¹⁵So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord , to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own

house, O David!” So the Israelites went home.

¹⁷But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

¹⁸King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.

¹⁹So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

²⁰When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.

²¹When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin-a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men-to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.

²²But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

²³“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,

²⁴‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’ ” So they obeyed

the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

²⁵Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.

²⁶Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.

²⁷If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

²⁸After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

²⁹One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

³⁰And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.

³¹Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.

³²He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made.

And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.

³³On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

13By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.

²He cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord : “O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ “

³That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”

⁴When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back.

⁵Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord .

⁶Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord , and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.

⁷The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.”

⁸But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here.

⁹For I was commanded by the word of the Lord : ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’ “

¹⁰So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

¹¹Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king.

¹²Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken.

¹³So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it

¹⁴and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied.

¹⁵So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.”

¹⁶The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.

¹⁷I have been told by the word of the Lord : ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’ “

¹⁸The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord : ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (But he was lying to him.)

¹⁹So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

²⁰While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back.

²¹He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.

²²You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.’ “

²³When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.

²⁴As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.

²⁵Some people who passed by saw the body thrown down there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.

²⁶When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord . The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him.”

²⁷The prophet said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they did so.

²⁸Then he went out and found the body thrown down on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor mauled the donkey.

²⁹So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him.

³⁰Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, “Oh, my brother!”

³¹After burying him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.

³²For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”

³³Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places.

³⁴This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.

14At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill,

²and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there-the one who told me I would be king over this people.

³Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

⁴So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh. Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age.

⁵But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”

⁶So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news.

⁷Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel.

⁸I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes.

⁹You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back.

¹⁰” ‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel-slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone.

¹¹Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

¹²“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die.

¹³All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord , the God of Israel, has found anything good.

¹⁴“The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now.

¹⁵And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the Lord to anger by making Asherah poles.

¹⁶And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

¹⁷Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died.

¹⁸They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.

¹⁹The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

²⁰He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

²¹Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.

²²Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord . By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.

²³They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.

²⁴There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

²⁵In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

²⁶He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.

²⁷So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard

on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

²⁸Whenever the king went to the Lord ‘s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

²⁹As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

³⁰There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

³¹And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

15In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah,

²and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

³He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.

⁴Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong.

⁵For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed

to keep any of the Lord ‘s commands all the days of his life-except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

⁶There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime.

⁷As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

⁸And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

⁹In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah,

¹⁰and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , as his father David had done.

¹²He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made.

¹³He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

¹⁴Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

¹⁵He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

¹⁶There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

¹⁷Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord ‘s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.

¹⁹“Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

²⁰Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali.

²¹When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.

²²Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah-no one was exempt-and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.

²³As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased.

²⁴Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

²⁵Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

²⁶He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁷Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it.

²⁸Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

²⁹As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite-

³⁰because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the Lord , the God of Israel, to anger.

³¹As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

³²There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

³³In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty- four years.

³⁴He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

16Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha:

²“I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins.

³So I am about to consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

⁴Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.”

⁵As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

⁶Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

⁷Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord , provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam-and also because he destroyed it.

⁸In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

⁹Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah.

¹⁰Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.

¹¹As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend.

¹²So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu-

¹³because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they

provoked the Lord , the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.

¹⁴As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

¹⁵In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.

¹⁶When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp.

¹⁷Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.

¹⁸When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died,

¹⁹because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.

²⁰As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

²¹Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri.

²²But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

²³In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.

²⁴He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

²⁵But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.

²⁶He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord , the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.

²⁷As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

²⁸Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

²⁹In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.

³⁰Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.

³¹He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.

³²He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

³³Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord , the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

³⁴In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

17Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

²Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah:

³“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.

⁴You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”

⁵So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.

⁶The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

⁷Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

⁸Then the word of the Lord came to him:

⁹“Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.”

¹⁰So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?”

¹¹As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

¹²“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread-only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it-and die.”

¹³Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.

¹⁴For this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’ “

¹⁵She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.

¹⁶For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

¹⁷Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.

¹⁸She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

¹⁹“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.

²⁰Then he cried out to the Lord , “O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?”

²¹Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord , “O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

²²The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

²³Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

²⁴Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

18After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

²So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,

³and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord .

⁴While Jezebel was killing off the Lord ‘s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

⁵Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.”

⁶So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

⁷As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him,

bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸“Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ “

⁹“What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?

¹⁰As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you.

¹¹But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’

¹²I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth.

¹³Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord ? I hid a hundred of the Lord ‘s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water.

¹⁴And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

¹⁸“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord ‘s commands and have followed the Baals.

¹⁹Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

²⁰So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

²¹Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

²²Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord ‘s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

²³Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.

²⁴Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord . The god who answers by fire-he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”

²⁶So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

²⁸So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.

²⁹Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord , which was in ruins.

³¹Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”

³²With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord , and he dug a trench

around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

³³He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time.

³⁵The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O Lord , God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.

³⁷Answer me, O Lord , answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord , are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord -he is God! The Lord -he is God!”

⁴⁰Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

⁴¹And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

⁴²So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

⁴³“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

⁴⁴The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ “

⁴⁵Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

⁴⁶The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

19Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

²So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

³Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

⁴while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord ,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

⁵Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”

⁶He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

⁷The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

⁸So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

⁹There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹¹The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord , for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the

mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord , but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

¹²After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

¹³When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹⁵The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

¹⁶Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

¹⁷Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

¹⁸Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel- all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

¹⁹So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

²⁰Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

²¹So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

20Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it.

²He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says:

³‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’ “

⁴The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”

⁵The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children.

⁶But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’ “

⁷The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

⁸The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”

⁹So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’ ” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

¹⁰Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

¹¹The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’ “

¹²Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.

¹³Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this

vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord .’ “

¹⁴“But who will do this?” asked Ahab. The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.’ ” “And who will start the battle?” he asked. The prophet answered, “You will.”

¹⁵So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all.

¹⁶They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.

¹⁷The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben- Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”

¹⁸He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

¹⁹The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them

²⁰and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben- Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen.

²¹The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots

and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

²²Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”

²³Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.

²⁴Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers.

²⁵You must also raise an army like the one you lost-horse for horse and chariot for chariot-so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

²⁶The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

²⁷When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

²⁸The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast

army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord .’ “

²⁹For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day.

³⁰The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

³¹His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

³²Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’ ” The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

³³The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said. “Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben- Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

³⁴“I will return the cities my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad offered. “You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

³⁵By the word of the Lord one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but the man refused.

³⁶So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord , as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him.

³⁸Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes.

³⁹As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.’

⁴⁰While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” “That is your sentence,” the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

⁴¹Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

⁴²He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.’ “

⁴³Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

21Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

²Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

³But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

⁴So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

⁵His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

⁶He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ “

⁷Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him.

⁹In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

¹⁰But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”

¹¹So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them.

¹²They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

¹³Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

¹⁴Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

¹⁵As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”

¹⁶When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.

¹⁷Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:

¹⁸“Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.

¹⁹Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood-yes, yours!’ “

²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord .

²¹‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel- slave or free.

²²I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.’

²³“And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

²⁴“Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.”

²⁵(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord , urged on by Jezebel his wife.

²⁶He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)

²⁷When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

²⁸Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:

²⁹“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

22For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.

²But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel.

³The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?”

⁴So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

⁵But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord .”

⁶So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-about four hundred men- and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

⁷But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

⁸The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord , but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.

⁹So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

¹⁰Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.

¹¹Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ “

¹²All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack

Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

¹³The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

¹⁴But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

¹⁵When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

¹⁶The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord ?”

¹⁷Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ “

¹⁸The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

¹⁹Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord : I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.

²⁰And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.

²¹Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

²²” ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. ” ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. ” ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord . ‘Go and do it.’

²³“So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

²⁴Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

²⁵Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

²⁶The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son

²⁷and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’ “

²⁸Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

²⁹So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

³⁰The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

³¹Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

³²When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out,

³³the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.

³⁴But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.”

³⁵All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.

³⁶As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town; everyone to his land!”

³⁷So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there.

³⁸They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.

³⁹As for the other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and inlaid with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

⁴⁰Ahab rested with his fathers. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

⁴¹Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord . The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁴⁴Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

⁴⁶He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa.

⁴⁷There was then no king in Edom; a deputy ruled.

⁴⁸Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail-they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.

⁴⁹At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with your men,” but Jehoshaphat refused.

⁵⁰Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the

city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him.

⁵¹Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

⁵²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord , because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

⁵³He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the Lord , the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.

2nd Samuel

Posted on March 20, 2025March 20, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

2nd Samuel

⁹“Then he said to me, ‘Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death,

1After the death of Saul, David

returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.

²On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

³“Where have you come from?” David asked him. He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

⁴“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.” He said, “The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

⁵Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him.

⁷When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’

⁸“He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ ” ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.

but I’m still alive.’

¹⁰“So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them.

¹²They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite,” he answered.

¹⁴David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord ‘s anointed?”

¹⁵Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died.

¹⁶For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord ‘s anointed.’ “

¹⁷David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,

¹⁸and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

¹⁹“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰“Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

²¹“O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain . For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul-no longer rubbed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.

²³“Saul and Jonathan- in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

²⁴“O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

²⁵“How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

²⁶I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.

²⁷“How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!”

2In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord . “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The Lord said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered.

²So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

³David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns.

⁴Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When David was told that it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,

⁵he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead to say to them, “The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him.

⁶May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this.

⁷Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

⁸Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken

Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

⁹He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.

¹⁰Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

¹¹The length of time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹²Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

¹³Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

¹⁴Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.” “All right, let them do it,” Joab said.

¹⁵So they stood up and were counted off-twelve men for Benjamin and Ish- Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

¹⁶Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.

¹⁷The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s men.

¹⁸The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.

¹⁹He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him.

²⁰Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” he answered.

²¹Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

²²Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”

²³But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

²⁴But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon.

²⁵Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves

into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

²⁶Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?”

²⁷Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning. “

²⁸So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

²⁹All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing.

³¹But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner.

³²They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.

3The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger,

while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

²Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

³his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

⁴the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

⁵and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul.

⁷Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish- Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

⁸Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said and he answered, “Am I a dog’s head-on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman!

⁹May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised him on oath

¹⁰and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”

¹¹Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

¹²Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

¹³“Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”

¹⁴Then David sent messengers to Ish- Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

¹⁵So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

¹⁶Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

¹⁷Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king.

¹⁸Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the

Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’ “

¹⁹Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do.

²⁰When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men.

²¹Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a compact with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²²Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

²³When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

²⁴So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone!

²⁵You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”

²⁶Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it.

²⁷Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.

²⁸Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.

²⁹May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house! May Joab’s house never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”

³⁰(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

³¹Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier.

³²They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.

³³The king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died as the lawless die?

³⁴Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before wicked men.” And all the people wept over him again.

³⁵Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”

³⁶All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.

³⁷So on that day all the people and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

³⁸Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?

³⁹And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”

4When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.

²Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin- Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,

³because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.

⁴(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

⁵Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.

⁶They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

⁷They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

⁸They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

⁹David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble,

¹⁰when a man told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

¹¹How much more-when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed-should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!”

¹²So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

5All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.

²In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’ “

³When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the Lord , and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

⁶The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.”

⁷Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.

⁸On that day, David said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies. ” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

⁹David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward.

¹⁰And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.

¹¹Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

¹²And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

¹⁴These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

¹⁶Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

¹⁸Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;

¹⁹so David inquired of the Lord , “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.”

²⁰So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.

²¹The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

²²Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;

²³so David inquired of the Lord , and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

²⁴As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”

²⁵So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

6David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all.

²He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.

³They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart

⁴with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.

⁵David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord , with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

⁶When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled.

⁷The Lord ‘s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;

therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸Then David was angry because the Lord ‘s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

⁹David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

¹⁰He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

¹¹The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

¹²Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed- Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.

¹³When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

¹⁴David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might,

¹⁵while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

¹⁶As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul

watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord , she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord .

¹⁸After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty.

¹⁹Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

²¹David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord , who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord ‘s people Israel-I will celebrate before the Lord .

²²I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

²³And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

7After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

²he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

³Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?

⁶I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.

⁷Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ‘

⁸“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel.

⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your

enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.

¹⁰And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning

¹¹and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. ” ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you:

¹²When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.

¹⁵But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me ; your throne will be established forever.’ “

¹⁷Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord , and he said: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord , and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

¹⁹And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign Lord , you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord ?

²⁰“What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign Lord .

²¹For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

²²“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord ! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

²³And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?

²⁴You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O Lord , have become their God.

²⁵“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,

²⁶so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.

²⁷“O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.

²⁸O Sovereign Lord , you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

²⁹Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord , have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

8In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

²David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

³Moreover, David fought Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River.

⁴David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them.

⁶He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

⁷David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

⁹When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

¹⁰he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze.

¹¹King David dedicated these articles to the Lord , as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued:

¹²Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also

dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

¹⁴He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

¹⁵David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.

¹⁶Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

¹⁷Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary;

¹⁸Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were royal advisers.

9David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

²Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “Your servant,” he replied.

³The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”

⁴“Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

⁶When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “Your servant,” he replied.

⁷“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

⁸Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

⁹Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

¹⁰You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

¹²Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.

¹³And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.

10In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.

²David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites,

³the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?”

⁴So Hanun seized David’s men, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

⁶When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David’s nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean

foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.

⁷On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men.

⁸The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

⁹Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans.

¹⁰He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites.

¹¹Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.

¹²Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”

¹³Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.

¹⁴When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So

Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped.

¹⁶Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the River ; they went to Helam, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁷When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him.

¹⁸But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

¹⁹When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

11In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

²One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,

³and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

⁴Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.

⁵The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

⁶So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David.

⁷When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.

⁸Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

⁹But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.

¹⁰When David was told, “Uriah did not go home,” he asked him, “Haven’t you just come from a distance? Why didn’t you go home?”

¹¹Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

¹²Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

¹³At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

¹⁴In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

¹⁵In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”

¹⁶So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were.

¹⁷When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

¹⁸Joab sent David a full account of the battle.

¹⁹He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle,

²⁰the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?

²¹Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub- Besheth ? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so

that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’ “

²²The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say.

²³The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance to the city gate.

²⁴Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”

²⁵David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”

²⁶When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.

²⁷After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord .

12The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.

²The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,

³but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

⁴“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

⁵David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

⁶He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

⁷Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

⁸I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.

⁹Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with

the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

¹⁰Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

¹¹“This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.

¹²You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ “

¹³Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord .” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

¹⁴But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.”

¹⁵After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

¹⁶David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground.

¹⁷The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

¹⁸On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

¹⁹David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

²⁰Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

²¹His servants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

²²He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’

²³But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

²⁴Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him;

²⁵and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.

²⁶Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel.

²⁷Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply.

²⁸Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.”

²⁹So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it.

³⁰He took the crown from the head of their king -its weight was a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones-and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city

³¹and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

13In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.

²Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar,

for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.

³Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

⁴He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

⁵“Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’ “

⁶So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”

⁷David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.”

⁸So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it.

⁹Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him.

¹⁰Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.

¹¹But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”

¹²“Don’t, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing.

¹³What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.”

¹⁴But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

¹⁵Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”

¹⁶“No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.” But he refused to listen to her.

¹⁷He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her.”

¹⁸So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the

kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore.

¹⁹Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.

²⁰Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.

²¹When King David heard all this, he was furious.

²²Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.

²³Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there.

²⁴Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?”

²⁵“No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing.

²⁶Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?”

²⁷But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.

²⁸Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave.”

²⁹So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.

³⁰While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.”

³¹The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

³²But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s expressed intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

³³My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”

³⁴Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I

see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”

³⁵Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons are here; it has happened just as your servant said.”

³⁶As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.

³⁷Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned for his son every day.

³⁸After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years.

³⁹And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.

14Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

²So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead.

³Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the

ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, O king!”

⁵The king asked her, “What is troubling you?” She said, “I am indeed a widow; my husband is dead.

⁶I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him.

⁷Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”

⁸The king said to the woman, “Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf.”

⁹But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “My lord the king, let the blame rest on me and on my father’s family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt.”

¹⁰The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you again.”

¹¹She said, “Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.” “As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

¹²Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” “Speak,” he replied.

¹³The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son?

¹⁴Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.

¹⁵“And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will do what his servant asks.

¹⁶Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from the inheritance God gave us.’

¹⁷“And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’ “

¹⁸Then the king said to the woman, “Do not keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.” “Let my lord the king speak,” the woman said.

¹⁹The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right

or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.

²⁰Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God-he knows everything that happens in the land.”

²¹The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

²²Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”

²³Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

²⁴But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.

²⁵In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.

²⁶Whenever he cut the hair of his head- he used to cut his hair from time to time when it became too heavy for him-he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.

²⁷Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. The daughter’s name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman.

²⁸Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face.

²⁹Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come.

³⁰Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

³²Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!” ‘ Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”

³³So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

15In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.

²He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

³Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.”

⁴And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice.”

⁵Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.

⁶Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord .

⁸While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron. ‘ “

⁹The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron.

¹⁰Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’ “

¹¹Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter.

¹²While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.

¹³A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

¹⁴Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us and put the city to the sword.”

¹⁵The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.”

¹⁶The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace.

¹⁷So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at a place some distance away.

¹⁸All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.

¹⁹The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland.

²⁰You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you.”

²¹But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”

²²David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.

²³The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert.

²⁴Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.

²⁵Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord ‘s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.

²⁶But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”

²⁷The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take your two sons with you.

²⁸I will wait at the fords in the desert until word comes from you to inform me.”

²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

³⁰But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.

³¹Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “O Lord , turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

³²When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head.

³³David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me.

³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice.

³⁵Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace.

³⁶Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”

³⁷So David’s friend Hushai arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.

16When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.

²The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert.”

³The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?” Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the house of Israel will

give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’ “

⁴Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” “I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”

⁵As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out.

⁶He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left.

⁷As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel!

⁸The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!”

⁹Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”

¹⁰But the king said, “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’ “

¹¹David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.

¹²It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today.”

¹³So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt.

¹⁴The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.

¹⁵Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.

¹⁶Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s friend, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷Absalom asked Hushai, “Is this the love you show your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

¹⁸Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord , by these people, and by all the men of Israel-his I will be, and I will remain with him.

¹⁹Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.”

²⁰Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”

²¹Ahithophel answered, “Lie with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father’s nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened.”

²²So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

²³Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.

17Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.

²I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king

³and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.”

⁴This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

⁵But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say.”

⁶When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.”

⁷Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time.

⁸You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops.

⁹Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place. If he should attack your troops first, whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’

¹⁰Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.

¹¹“So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba-as numerous as the sand on the seashore-be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle.

¹²Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive.

¹³If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a piece of it can be found.”

¹⁴Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

¹⁵Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so.

¹⁶Now send a message immediately and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the desert; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’ “

¹⁷Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A servant girl was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city.

¹⁸But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left quickly and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.

¹⁹His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.

²⁰When Absalom’s men came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.” The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹After the men had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.”

²²So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

²⁴David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

²⁵Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether, an Israelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.

²⁶The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim

²⁸brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,

²⁹honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert.”

18David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

²David sent the troops out-a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”

³But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”

⁴The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all the men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.

⁵The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

⁶The army marched into the field to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great-twenty thousand men.

⁸The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.

⁹Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.

¹⁰When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”

¹¹Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt.”

¹²But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. ‘

¹³And if I had put my life in jeopardy – and nothing is hidden from the king-you would have kept your distance from me.”

¹⁴Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into

Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.

¹⁵And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.

¹⁶Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them.

¹⁷They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

¹⁸During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

¹⁹Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.”

²⁰“You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.

²²Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab

replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”

²³He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

²⁴While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone.

²⁵The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the man came closer and closer.

²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”

²⁷The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”

²⁸Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”

²⁹The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me,

your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”

³⁰The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.

³¹Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has delivered you today from all who rose up against you.”

³²The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”

³³The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you-O Absalom, my son, my son!”

19Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”

²And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.”

³The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.

⁴The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines.

⁶You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.

⁷Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now.”

⁸So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, “The king is sitting in the gateway,” they all came before him. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes.

⁹Throughout the tribes of Israel, the people were all arguing with each other, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines. But now he has fled the country because of Absalom;

¹⁰and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”

¹¹King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Ask the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his

palace, since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters?

¹²You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?’

¹³And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.’ “

¹⁴He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. They sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your men.”

¹⁵Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan. Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan.

¹⁶Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

¹⁷With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul’s household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was.

¹⁸They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king

¹⁹and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your

servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind.

²⁰For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.”

²¹Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the Lord ‘s anointed.”

²²David replied, “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?”

²³So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath.

²⁴Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely.

²⁵When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

²⁶He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me.

²⁷And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like

an angel of God; so do whatever pleases you.

²⁸All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”

²⁹The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the fields.”

³⁰Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has arrived home safely.”

³¹Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there.

³²Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.

³³The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”

³⁴But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

³⁵I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

³⁶Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way?

³⁷Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever pleases you.”

³⁸The king said, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever pleases you. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.”

³⁹So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai returned to his home.

⁴⁰When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over.

⁴¹Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?”

⁴²All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”

⁴³Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; and besides, we have a greater claim on David than you have. So why do you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah responded even more harshly than the men of Israel.

20Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!”

²So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

³When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.

⁴Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”

⁵But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

⁶David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men

and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”

⁷So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.

⁸While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.

⁹Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

¹⁰Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.

¹¹One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”

¹²Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

¹³After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.

¹⁴Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.

¹⁵All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,

¹⁶a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”

¹⁷He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he answered. She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” “I’m listening,” he said.

¹⁸She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it.

¹⁹We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord ‘s inheritance?”

²⁰“Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!

²¹That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from

the city.” The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”

²²Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

²³Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;

²⁴Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

²⁵Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

²⁶and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.

21During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord . The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

²The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.)

³David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the Lord ‘s inheritance?”

⁴The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.” “What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.

⁵They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel,

⁶let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul-the Lord ‘s chosen one.” So the king said, “I will give them to you.”

⁷The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

⁸But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

⁹He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the Lord . All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.

¹⁰Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night.

¹¹When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done,

¹²he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)

¹³David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.

¹⁴They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.

¹⁵Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.

¹⁶And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword , said he would kill David.

¹⁷But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”

¹⁸In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

¹⁹In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

²⁰In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot-twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha.

²¹When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.

²²These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

22David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

²He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

³my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my

salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior- from violent men you save me.

⁴I call to the Lord , who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

⁵“The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

⁶The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

⁷In my distress I called to the Lord ; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

⁸“The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry.

⁹Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

¹⁰He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

¹¹He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

¹²He made darkness his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.

¹³Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.

¹⁴The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

¹⁵He shot arrows and scattered the enemies , bolts of lightning and routed them.

¹⁶The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord , at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

¹⁷“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁸He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁹They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

²⁰He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

²¹“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

²²For I have kept the ways of the Lord ; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

²³All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

²⁴I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

²⁵The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

²⁶“To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

²⁷to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁸You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

²⁹You are my lamp, O Lord ; the Lord turns my darkness into light.

³⁰With your help I can advance against a troop ; with my God I can scale a wall.

³¹“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

³²For who is God besides the Lord ? And who is the Rock except our God?

³³It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

³⁴He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

³⁵He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.

³⁷You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

³⁸“I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

³⁹I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

⁴⁰You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

⁴¹You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

⁴²They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the Lord , but he did not answer.

⁴³I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

⁴⁴“You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me,

⁴⁵and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me.

⁴⁶They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁷“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

⁴⁸He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me,

⁴⁹who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.

⁵⁰Therefore I will praise you, O Lord , among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

⁵¹He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”

23These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs :

²“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.

³The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,

⁴he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.’

⁵“Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?

⁶But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.

⁷Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.”

⁸These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

⁹Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated,

¹⁰but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

¹¹Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

¹²But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.

¹⁵David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of

water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

¹⁶So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord .

¹⁷“Far be it from me, O Lord , to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

¹⁸Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.

¹⁹Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²⁰Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

²¹And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

²²Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.

²³He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁴Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

²⁵Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

²⁶Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

²⁷Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

³⁰Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash,

³¹Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³²Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan

³³son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

³⁴Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri,

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

³⁸Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite

³⁹and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty- seven in all.

24Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

²So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”

³But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

⁴The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

⁵After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.

⁶They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.

⁷Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.

⁸After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able- bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

¹⁰David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord , “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord , I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

¹¹Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

¹²“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ “

¹³So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months

of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹⁴David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord , for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

¹⁵So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

¹⁶When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord , “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.”

¹⁸On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

¹⁹So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.

²⁰When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he

went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

²¹Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord , that the plague on the people may be stopped.”

²²Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

²³O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

²⁴But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

²⁵David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

1st Samuel

Posted on March 20, 2025March 20, 2025 by robertmacsbible_hpehg4

1st Samuel

⁸Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why

1There was a certain man from

Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

²He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord .

⁴Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

⁵But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.

⁶And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.

⁷This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord , her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

⁹Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord ‘s temple.

¹⁰In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord .

¹¹And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

¹²As she kept on praying to the Lord , Eli observed her mouth.

¹³Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk

¹⁴and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.”

¹⁵“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord .

¹⁶Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

¹⁷Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

¹⁸She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

¹⁹Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

²⁰So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

²¹When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,

²²Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord , and he will live there always.”

²³“Do what seems best to you,” Elkanah her husband told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

²⁴After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour

and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.

²⁵When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,

²⁶and she said to him, “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord .

²⁷I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

²⁸So now I give him to the Lord . For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord .” And he worshiped the Lord there.

2Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord ; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

²“There is no one holy like the Lord ; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

³“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

⁴“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶“The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

⁸He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord ‘s; upon them he has set the world.

⁹He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;

¹⁰those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

¹¹Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.

¹²Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord .

¹³Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

¹⁴He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork

brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

¹⁵But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

¹⁶If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned up first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would then answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

¹⁷This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord ‘s sight, for they were treating the Lord ‘s offering with contempt.

¹⁸But Samuel was ministering before the Lord -a boy wearing a linen ephod.

¹⁹Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

²⁰Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord .” Then they would go home.

²¹And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord .

²²Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to

all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

²³So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours.

²⁴No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord ‘s people.

²⁵If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord , who will intercede for him?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord ‘s will to put them to death.

²⁶And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.

²⁷Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh?

²⁸I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father’s house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites.

²⁹Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

³⁰“Therefore the Lord , the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and your father’s house would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

³¹The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line

³²and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man.

³³Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.

³⁴” ‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you-they will both die on the same day.

³⁵I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always.

³⁶Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.” ‘ “

3The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the

word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

²One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.

³The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord , where the ark of God was.

⁴Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

⁵And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord : The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.

⁹So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord , for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel!

Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

¹¹And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.

¹²At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family- from beginning to end.

¹³For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them.

¹⁴Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ “

¹⁵Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord . He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,

¹⁶but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

¹⁷“What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.”

¹⁸So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord ; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

¹⁹The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.

²⁰And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord .

²¹The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

4And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.

²The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.

³When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord ‘s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵When the ark of the Lord ‘s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised

such a great shout that the ground shook.

⁶Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,

⁷the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before.

⁸Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert.

⁹Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.

¹¹The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

¹²That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head.

¹³When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

¹⁴Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?” The man hurried over to Eli,

¹⁵who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes were set so that he could not see.

¹⁶He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.” Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

¹⁷The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

¹⁸When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years.

¹⁹His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains.

²⁰As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

²¹She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”- because of the capture of the ark of God

and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.

²²She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

5After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

²Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.

³When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord ! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.

⁴But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord ! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.

⁵That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

⁶The Lord ‘s hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumors.

⁷When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.”

⁸So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?” They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

⁹But after they had moved it, the Lord ‘s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.

¹⁰So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.”

¹¹So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy upon it.

¹²Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

6When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months,

²the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord ? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

³They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means send a guilt

offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.”

⁴The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?” They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.

⁵Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and pay honor to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land.

⁶Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

⁷“Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.

⁸Take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way,

⁹but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us and that it happened to us by chance.”

¹⁰So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves.

¹¹They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors.

¹²Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.

¹³Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight.

¹⁴The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord .

¹⁵The Levites took down the ark of the Lord , together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord .

¹⁶The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.

¹⁷These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord -one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron.

¹⁸And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers-the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock, on which they set the ark of the Lord , is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

¹⁹But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the Lord . The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them,

²⁰and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord , this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

²¹Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord . Come down and take it up to your place.”

7So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord . They took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord .

²It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord .

³And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and

serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

⁴So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

⁵Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you.”

⁶When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord . On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord .” And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.

⁸They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.”

⁹Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord . He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

¹⁰While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.

¹¹The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”

¹³So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.

¹⁴The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places.

¹⁷But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord .

8When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.

²The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.

³But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

⁴So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

⁵They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

⁶But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord .

⁷And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

⁸As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

⁹Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

¹⁰Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.

¹¹He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.

¹²Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and

commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

¹⁴He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.

¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.

¹⁶Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.

¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

¹⁹But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.

²⁰Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord .

²²The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel

said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”

9There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.

²He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites-a head taller than any of the others.

³Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”

⁴So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

⁵When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

⁶But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

⁷Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our

sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.”

⁹(Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)

¹⁰“Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

¹¹As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”

¹²“He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place.

¹³As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”

¹⁴They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

¹⁵Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel:

¹⁶“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.”

¹⁷When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

¹⁸Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹“I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart.

²⁰As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father’s family?”

²¹Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”

²²Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited- about thirty in number.

²³Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”

²⁴So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’ ” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

²⁵After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house.

²⁶They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together.

²⁷As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”-and the servant did so-“but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.”

10Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?

²When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is

asking, “What shall I do about my son?” ‘

³“Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine.

⁴They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

⁵“After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.

⁶The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

⁷Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

⁸“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

⁹As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.

¹⁰When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.

¹¹When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

¹²A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

¹³After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.

¹⁴Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?” “Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

¹⁶Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

¹⁷Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah

¹⁸and said to them, “This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

¹⁹But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, ‘No, set a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”

²⁰When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

²¹Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found.

²²So they inquired further of the Lord , “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

²³They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others.

²⁴Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

²⁵Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord . Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home.

²⁶Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷But some troublemakers said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

11Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”

²But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

³The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”

⁴When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.

⁵Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

⁶When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.

⁷He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow

Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.

⁸When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.’ ” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated.

¹⁰They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.”

¹¹The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹²The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.”

¹³But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.”

¹⁵So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the Lord . There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord , and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

12Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you.

²Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day.

³Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”

⁴“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said.

⁶Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt.

⁷Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence

before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your fathers.

⁸“After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹“But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.

¹⁰They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’

¹¹Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely.

¹²“But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’-even though the Lord your God was your king.

¹³Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you.

¹⁴If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God-good!

¹⁵But if you do not obey the Lord , and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!

¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

¹⁸Then Samuel called upon the Lord , and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

¹⁹The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord , but serve the Lord with all your heart.

²¹Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.

²²For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.

²³As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to

pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.

²⁴But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

²⁵Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

13Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.

²Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.

³Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

⁴So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.

⁶When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.

⁷Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.

⁸He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.

⁹So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. ” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.

¹⁰Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

¹¹“What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,

¹²I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord ‘s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

¹³“You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

¹⁴But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his

own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord ‘s command.”

¹⁵Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.

¹⁶Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash.

¹⁷Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual,

¹⁸another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.

¹⁹Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!”

²⁰So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.

²¹The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

²²So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

²³Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.

14One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

²Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men,

³among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord ‘s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

⁴On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh.

⁵One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

⁶Jonathan said to his young armor- bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

⁷“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

⁸Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us.

⁹If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them.

¹⁰But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

¹¹So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.”

¹²The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

¹³Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him.

¹⁴In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

¹⁵Then panic struck the whole army- those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties-and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

¹⁶Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions.

¹⁷Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.

¹⁸Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)

¹⁹While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

²⁰Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.

²¹Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.

²³So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

²⁴Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be any man who eats food before

evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.

²⁵The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground.

²⁶When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.

²⁸Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be any man who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

²⁹Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”

³¹That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted.

³²They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they

butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood.

³³Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.” “You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.”

³⁴Then he said, “Go out among the men and tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’ ” So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.

³⁵Then Saul built an altar to the Lord ; it was the first time he had done this.

³⁶Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.” “Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.”

³⁷So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer him that day.

³⁸Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today.

³⁹As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.” But not one of the men said a word.

⁴⁰Saul then said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.” “Do what seems best to you,” the men replied.

⁴¹Then Saul prayed to the Lord , the God of Israel, “Give me the right answer.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.

⁴²Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?”

⁴⁴Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die-he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

⁴⁶Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

⁴⁷After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them.

⁴⁸He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.

⁴⁹Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal.

⁵⁰His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle.

⁵¹Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.

⁵²All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

15Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord .

²This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

³Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ “

⁴So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim-two hundred

thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.

⁵Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine.

⁶Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt.

⁸He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword.

⁹But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

¹⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel:

¹¹“I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

¹²Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor

and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

¹³When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord ‘s instructions.”

¹⁴But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

¹⁵Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

¹⁶“Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied.

¹⁷Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.

¹⁸And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’

¹⁹Why did you not obey the Lord ? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord ?”

²⁰“But I did obey the Lord ,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.

²¹The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

²²But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

²³For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord , he has rejected you as king.”

²⁴Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord ‘s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.

²⁵Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord .”

²⁶But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord , and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

²⁷As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors-to one better than you.

²⁹He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”

³⁰Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.”

³¹So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord .

³²Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him confidently, thinking, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

³³But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

²But Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord .’

³Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

⁴Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord . Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord ‘s anointed stands here before the Lord .”

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”

⁹Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.”

¹⁰Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

¹¹So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is

tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

¹²So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”

¹³So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

¹⁵Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

¹⁶Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

²²Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

17Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.

²Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.

³The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

⁴A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.

⁵He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ;

⁶on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.

⁷His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

⁸Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.

⁹If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”

¹⁰Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”

¹¹On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

¹²Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was old and well advanced in years.

¹³Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah.

¹⁴David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul,

¹⁵but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

¹⁷Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

¹⁸Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.

¹⁹They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

²⁰Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

²¹Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other.

²²David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers.

²³As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.

²⁴When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.

²⁵Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.”

²⁶David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

²⁷They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

²⁹“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”

³⁰He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.

³¹What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

³²David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

³³Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”

³⁴But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,

³⁵I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

³⁶Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

³⁷The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

³⁸Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.

³⁹David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.

⁴⁰Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

⁴¹Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.

⁴²He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.

⁴³He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴“Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

⁴⁵David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

⁴⁶This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord ‘s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

⁴⁸As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

⁴⁹Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone

sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

⁵²Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

⁵³When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

⁵⁴David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.

⁵⁵As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and

brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

⁵⁸“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”

18After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

²From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.

³And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

⁴Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

⁵Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.

⁷As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

⁸Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with

tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”

⁹And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

¹⁰The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand

¹¹and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

¹²Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul.

¹³So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.

¹⁴In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.

¹⁵When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

¹⁷Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord .” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in

Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”

¹⁹So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

²¹“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²²Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.’ “

²³They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son- in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴When Saul’s servants told him what David had said,

²⁵Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the

king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,

²⁷David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

²⁸When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,

²⁹Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

19Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David

²and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there.

³I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

⁴Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he

has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.

⁵He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”

⁶Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”

⁷So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

⁸Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

⁹But an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp,

¹⁰Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

¹¹Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”

¹²So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.

¹³Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

¹⁴When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”

¹⁵Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.”

¹⁶But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

¹⁷Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’ “

¹⁸When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.

¹⁹Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”;

²⁰so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied.

²¹Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.

²²Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.

²³So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.

²⁴He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

20Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?”

²“Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It’s not so!”

³But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

⁴Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

⁵So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed

to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.

⁶If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’

⁷If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me.

⁸As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord . If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

⁹“Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

¹⁰David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

¹²Then Jonathan said to David: “By the Lord , the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?

¹³But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and

send you away safely. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father.

¹⁴But show me unfailing kindness like that of the Lord as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,

¹⁵and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family-not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”

¹⁷And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

¹⁸Then Jonathan said to David: “Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

¹⁹The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel.

²⁰I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.

²¹Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger.

²²But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away.

²³And about the matter you and I discussed-remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.”

²⁴So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat.

²⁵He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.

²⁶Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean-surely he is unclean.”

²⁷But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

²⁸Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.

²⁹He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

³⁰Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to

your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?

³¹As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!”

³²“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father.

³³But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

³⁴Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

³⁵In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him,

³⁶and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

³⁷When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”

³⁸Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

³⁹(The boy knew nothing of all this; only Jonathan and David knew.)

⁴⁰Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

⁴¹After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together-but David wept the most.

⁴²Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord , saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

21David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

²David answered Ahimelech the priest, “The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.

³Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

⁴But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here-provided the men have kept themselves from women.”

⁵David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!”

⁶So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

⁷Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord ; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd.

⁸David asked Ahimelech, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s business was urgent.”

⁹The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

¹⁰That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.

¹¹But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ” ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

¹²David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

¹³So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?

¹⁵Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

22David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

²All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

³From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?”

⁴So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

⁵But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the

land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

⁶Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him.

⁷Saul said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

⁸Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

⁹But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

¹⁰Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father’s whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king.

¹²Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” “Yes, my lord,” he answered.

¹³Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son

of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

¹⁴Ahimelech answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household?

¹⁵Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

¹⁶But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father’s whole family.”

¹⁷Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord , because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” But the king’s officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord .

¹⁸The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

¹⁹He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David.

²¹He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord .

²²Then David said to Abiathar: “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father’s whole family.

²³Stay with me; don’t be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.”

23When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,”

²he inquired of the Lord , saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴Once again David inquired of the Lord , and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”

⁵So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

⁶(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

⁷Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

⁸And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”

¹⁰David said, “O Lord , God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me.

¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord , God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will.”

¹²Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will.”

¹³So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

¹⁴David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

¹⁵While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life.

¹⁶And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.

¹⁷“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”

¹⁸The two of them made a covenant before the Lord . Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

¹⁹The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?

²⁰Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king.”

²¹Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me.

²²Go and make further preparation. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty.

²³Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

²⁵Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

²⁶Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them,

²⁷a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.”

²⁸Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.

²⁹And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

24After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.”

²So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.

⁴The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give

your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵Afterward, David was conscience- stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.

⁶He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord ‘s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord .”

⁷With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

⁹He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?

¹⁰This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord ‘s anointed.’

¹¹See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion.

I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.

¹²May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.

¹³As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?

¹⁵May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

¹⁶When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud.

¹⁷“You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.

¹⁸You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.

¹⁹When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today.

²⁰I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.

²¹Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”

²²So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

25Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon.

²A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.

³His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.

⁴While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.

⁵So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name.

⁶Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

⁷” ‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing.

⁸Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’ “

⁹When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.

¹⁰Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.

¹¹Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

¹²David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.

¹³David said to his men, “Put on your swords!” So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

¹⁴One of the servants told Nabal’s wife Abigail: “David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them.

¹⁵Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.

¹⁶Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them.

¹⁷Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

¹⁸Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.

¹⁹Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

²⁰As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them.

²¹David had just said, “It’s been useless- all my watching over this fellow’s property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good.

²²May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”

²³When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.

²⁴She fell at his feet and said: “My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let

your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say.

²⁵May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name-his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.

²⁶“Now since the Lord has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal.

²⁷And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you.

²⁸Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the Lord will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the Lord ‘s battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live.

²⁹Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.

³⁰When the Lord has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel,

³¹my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord

has brought my master success, remember your servant.”

³²David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me.

³³May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.

³⁴Otherwise, as surely as the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”

³⁵Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

³⁶When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until daybreak.

³⁷Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.

³⁸About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

³⁹When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord , who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and

has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

⁴⁰His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master’s servants.”

⁴²Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.

⁴³David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.

⁴⁴But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

26The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”

²So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David.

³Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there,

⁴he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.

⁵Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.

⁶David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” “I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.

⁷So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.

⁸Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.”

⁹But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord ‘s anointed and be guiltless?

¹⁰As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

¹¹But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord ‘s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

¹²So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone

wake up. They were all sleeping, because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.

¹³Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them.

¹⁴He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”

¹⁵David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king.

¹⁶What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord ‘s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”

¹⁷Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?” David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.”

¹⁸And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of?

¹⁹Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord ! They have now driven me from my

share in the Lord ‘s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

²⁰Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord . The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea-as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.”

²²“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it.

²³The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord ‘s anointed.

²⁴As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”

²⁵Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

27But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

²So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath.

³David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

⁴When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

⁶So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

⁷David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)

⁹Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

¹⁰When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or

“Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.”

¹¹He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’ ” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

¹²Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever.”

28In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”

²David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

³Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

⁴The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa.

⁵When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.

⁶He inquired of the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.

⁷Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said.

⁸So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

⁹But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰Saul swore to her by the Lord , “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

¹¹Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said.

¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

¹³The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.”

¹⁴“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and

prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and become your enemy?

¹⁷The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors-to David.

¹⁸Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today.

¹⁹The Lord will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.”

²⁰Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night.

²¹When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.

²²Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

²³He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast.

²⁵Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

29The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

²As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.

³The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

⁴But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he

regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?

⁵Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: ” ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

⁶So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you.

⁷Turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

⁸“But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’

¹⁰Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.”

¹¹So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

30David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it,

²and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

³When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

⁴So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.

⁵David’s two wives had been captured- Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

⁶David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

⁷Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him,

⁸and David inquired of the Lord , “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

⁹David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind,

¹⁰for two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the ravine. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit.

¹¹They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat-

¹²part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

¹³David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?” He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago.

¹⁴We raided the Negev of the Kerethites and the territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”

¹⁵David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?” He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”

¹⁶He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.

¹⁷David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred

young men who rode off on camels and fled.

¹⁸David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

¹⁹Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.

²⁰He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

²¹Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them.

²²But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

²³David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us.

²⁴Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.”

²⁵David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the plunder of the Lord ‘s enemies.”

²⁷He sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir;

²⁸to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa

²⁹and Racal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites;

³⁰to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach

³¹and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where David and his men had roamed.

31Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

²The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.

³The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

⁴Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would

not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

⁵When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

⁶So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

⁷When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.

¹⁰They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

¹¹When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹²all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.

¹³Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.