# verses

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Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem at The Temple of God in front of the new courtyard


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and said, "O God, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist—no one stands a chance against you!


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And didn't you make the natives of this land leave as you brought your people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the descendants of Abraham your friend?


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saying, 'When the worst happens—whether war or flood or disease or famine—and we take our place before this Temple (we know you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and trouble, we know that you will listen and give victory.'


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"And now it's happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn't let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn't lay a hand on them.


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O dear God, won't you take care of them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't know what to do; we're looking to you."


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Then Jahaziel was moved by the Spirit of God to speak from the midst of the congregation. (Jahaziel was the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah the Levite of the Asaph clan.)


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He said, "Attention everyone—all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat—God's word: Don't be afraid; don't pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God's war, not yours.


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Tomorrow you'll go after them; see, they're already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you'll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel.


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You won't have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch God's saving work for you take shape. Don't be afraid, don't waver. March out boldly tomorrow—God is with you."


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Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground. All Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping God.


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The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) stood to their feet to praise God, the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs!


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They were up early in the morning, ready to march into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in God, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you'll come out on top!"


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After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing, Give thanks to God, His love never quits.


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As soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead.


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The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed.


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As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies—not a living soul among them.


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When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off—equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart it away!


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On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed God (that's how it got the name, Valley of Blessing).


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Jehoshaphat then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem—an exuberant parade. God had given them joyful relief from their enemies!


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When the surrounding kingdoms got word that God had fought Israel's enemies, the fear of God descended on them.


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That about sums up Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and ruled as king in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.


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He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa—no detours, no dead-ends—pleasing God with his life.


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But he failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines—people continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous god shops.


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The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, from start to finish, is written in the memoirs of Jehu son of Hanani, which are included in the Royal Annals of Israel's Kings.


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Late in life Jehoshaphat formed a trading syndicate with Ahaziah king of Israel—which was very wrong of him to do.


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Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah preached against Jehoshaphat's venture: "Because you joined forces with Ahaziah, God has shipwrecked your work." The ships were smashed and nothing ever came of the trade partnership.


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Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David. Jehoram his son was the next king.


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Jehoram's brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah—the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.


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Their father had lavished them with gifts—silver, gold, and other valuables, plus the fortress cities in Judah. But Jehoram was his firstborn son and he gave him the kingdom of Judah.


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But when Jehoram had taken over his father's kingdom and had secured his position, he killed all his brothers along with some of the government officials.


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But despite that, because of his covenant with David, God was not yet ready to destroy the descendants of David; he had, after all, promised to keep a light burning for David and his sons.


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Jehoram responded by setting out with his officers and chariots. Edom surrounded him, but in the middle of the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom hard.


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Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present. Even little Libnah revolted at that time. The evidence accumulated: Since Jehoram had abandoned God, the God of his ancestors, God was abandoning him.


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He even went so far as to build pagan sacred shrines in the mountains of Judah. He brazenly led Jerusalem away from God, seducing the whole country.


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One day he got a letter from Elijah the prophet. It read, "From God, the God of your ancestor David—a message: Because you have not kept to the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and Asa your grandfather, kings of Judah,


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but have taken up with the ways of the kings of Israel in the north, leading Judah and Jerusalem away from God, going step by step down the apostate path of Ahab and his crew—why, you even killed your own brothers, all of them better men than you!—


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God is going to afflict your people, your wives, your sons, and everything you have with a terrible plague.


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The trouble started with an invasion. God incited the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Ethiopians to attack Jehoram.


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They came to the borders of Judah, forced their way in, and plundered the place—robbing the royal palace of everything in it including his wives and sons. One son, his youngest, Ahaziah, was left behind.


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The terrible and fatal disease in his colon followed. After about two years he was totally incontinent and died writhing in pain.


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He was thirty-two years old when he became king and reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. There were no tears shed when he died—it was good riddance!—and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.


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The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, king. Raiders from the desert, who had come with the Arabs against the settlement, had killed all the older sons. That's how Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah became king.


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Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, but reigned only one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri.


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God also considered him evil, related by both marriage and sin to the Ahab clan. After the death of his father, he attended the sin school of Ahab, and graduated with a degree in doom.


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He did what they taught him, went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel in the war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. Joram, wounded by the Arameans,


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retreated to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received in Ramah in his war with Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah paid a visit to Joram son of Ahab on his sickbed at Jezreel.


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The fate of Ahaziah when he went to visit was God's judgment on him. When Ahaziah arrived at Jezreel, he and Joram met with Jehu son of Nimshi, whom God had already authorized to destroy the dynasty of Ahab.


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Jehu, already at work, executing doom on the dynasty of Ahab, came upon the captains of Judah and Ahaziah's nephews, part of the Ahaziah delegation, and killed them outright.


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Then he sent out a search party looking for Ahaziah himself. They found him hiding out in Samaria and hauled him back to Jehu. And Jehu killed him. They didn't, though, just leave his body there. Out of respect for his grandfather Jehoshaphat, famous as a sincere seeker after God, they gave him a decent burial. But there was no one left in Ahaziah's family capable of ruling the kingdom.


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When Ahaziah's mother Athaliah saw that her son was dead, she took over. She began by massacring the entire royal family.


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Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's son Joash, and kidnapped him from among the king's sons slated for slaughter. She hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. So Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and Ahaziah's sister—she was also the wife of Jehoiada the priest—saved Joash from the murderous Queen Athaliah.


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He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country.


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In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada decided to make his move and worked out a strategy with certain influential officers in the army. He picked Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri as his associates.


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They dispersed throughout Judah and called in the Levites from all the towns in Judah along with the heads of families. They met in Jerusalem.


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The gathering met in The Temple of God. They made a covenant there in The Temple. The priest Jehoiada showed them the young prince and addressed them: "Here he is—the son of the king. He is going to rule just as God promised regarding the sons of David.


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Now this is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath are to be posted as security guards at the gates;


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another third will guard the palace; and the other third will guard the foundation gate. All the people will gather in the courtyards of The Temple of God.


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No one may enter The Temple of God except the priests and designated Levites—they are permitted in because they've been consecrated, but all the people must do the work assigned them.


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The Levites are to form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going."


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All the Levites and officers obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest. Each took charge of his men, both those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hadn't exempted any of them from duty.


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Then the priest armed the officers with spears and the large and small shields originally belonging to King David that were stored in The Temple of God.


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Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple.


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Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God's covenant, and made him king. As Jehoiada and his sons anointed him they shouted, "Long live the king!"


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Athaliah, hearing all the commotion, the people running around and praising the king, came to The Temple to see what was going on.


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Astonished, she saw the young king standing at the entrance flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring, the choir and orchestra leading the praise. Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"


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Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, "Drag her outside—and kill anyone who tries to follow her!" (The priest had said, "Don't kill her inside The Temple of God.")


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Jehoiada now made a covenant between himself and the king and the people: they were to be God's special people.


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The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar.


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Jehoiada turned the care of God's Temple over to the priests and Levites, the way David had directed originally. They were to offer the Whole-Burnt-Offerings of God as set out in The Revelation of Moses, and with praise and song as directed by David.


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He also assigned security guards at the gates of God's Temple so that no one who was unprepared could enter.


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Then he got everyone together—officers, nobles, governors, and the people themselves—and escorted the king down from The Temple of God, through the Upper Gate, and placed him on the royal throne.


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Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed—Athaliah had been killed; no more Athaliah terror.


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Joash was seven years old when he became king; he was king for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Gazelle (Zibiah). She was from Beersheba.


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Taught and trained by Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what pleased God throughout Jehoiada's lifetime.


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He got the priests and Levites together and said, "Circulate through the towns of Judah every year and collect money from the people to repair The Temple of your God. You are in charge of carrying this out."


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Then the king called in Jehoiada the chief priest and said, "Why haven't you made the Levites bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax Moses, servant of God and the congregation, set for the upkeep of the place of worship? You can see how bad things are—wicked Queen Athaliah and her sons let The Temple of God go to ruin and took all its sacred artifacts for use in Baal worship."


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Then they sent out a tax notice throughout Judah and Jerusalem: "Pay the tax that Moses the servant of God set when Israel was in the wilderness."


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The people and their leaders were glad to do it and cheerfully brought their money until the chest was full.


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Whenever the Levites brought the chest in for a royal audit and found it to be full, the king's secretary and the official of the chief priest would empty the chest and put it back in its place. Day after day they did this and collected a lot of money.


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The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the managers of The Temple project; they in turn paid the masons and carpenters for the repair work on The Temple of God.


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The construction workers kept at their jobs steadily until the restoration was complete—the house of God as good as new!


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When they had finished the work, they returned the surplus money to the king and Jehoiada, who used the money for making sacred vessels for Temple worship, vessels for the daily worship, for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, bowls, and other gold and silver liturgical artifacts. Whole-Burnt-Offerings were made regularly in The Temple of God throughout Jehoiada's lifetime.


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They buried him in the royal cemetery because he had such a distinguished life of service to Israel and God and God's Temple.


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But after the death of Jehoiada things fell apart. The leaders of Judah made a formal presentation to the king and he went along with them.


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Things went from bad to worse; they deserted The Temple of God and took up with the cult of sex goddesses. An angry cloud hovered over Judah and Jerusalem because of this sin.


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Then the Spirit of God moved Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest to speak up: "God's word: Why have you deliberately walked away from God's commandments? You can't live this way! If you walk out on God, he'll walk out on you."


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But they worked out a plot against Zechariah, and with the complicity of the king—he actually gave the order!—they murdered him, pelting him with rocks, right in the court of The Temple of God.


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That's the thanks King Joash showed the loyal Jehoiada, the priest who had made him king. He murdered Jehoiada's son. Zechariah's last words were, "Look, God! Make them pay for this!"


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A year or so later Aramean troops attacked Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, massacred the leaders, and shipped all their plunder back to the king in Damascus.


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The Aramean army was quite small, but God used them to wipe out Joash's large army—their punishment for deserting God, the God of their ancestors. Arameans implemented God's judgment against Joash.


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They left Joash badly wounded and his own servants finished him off—it was a palace conspiracy, avenging the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed him in his bed. Afterward they buried him in the City of David, but he was not honored with a grave in the royal cemetery.


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The temple conspirators were Zabad, whose mother was Shimeath from Ammon, and Jehozabad, whose mother was Shimrith from Moab.


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The story of his sons, the many sermons preached to Joash, and the account of his repairs on The Temple of God can be found contained in the commentary on the royal history. Amaziah, Joash's son, was the next king.


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Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.


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He lived well before God, doing the right thing for the most part. But he wasn't wholeheartedly devoted to God.


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When he had the affairs of the kingdom well in hand, he executed the palace guard who had assassinated his father the king.


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But he didn't kill the sons of the assassins—he was mindful of what God commanded in The Revelation of Moses, that parents shouldn't be executed for their childrens' sins, nor children for their parents'. We each pay personally for our sins.


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Amaziah organized Judah and sorted out Judah and Benjamin by families and by military units. Men twenty years and older had to register—they ended up with 300,000 judged capable of military service.


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In addition he hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel in the north at a cost of about four and a half tons of silver.


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A holy man showed up and said, "No, O king—don't let those northern Israelite soldiers into your army; God is not on their side, nor with any of the Ephraimites.


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Instead, you go by yourself and be strong. God and God only has the power to help or hurt your cause."


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But Amaziah said to the holy man, "But what about all this money—these tons of silver I have already paid out to hire these men?" "God's help is worth far more to you than that," said the holy man.


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So Amaziah fired the soldiers he had hired from the north and sent them home. They were very angry at losing their jobs and went home seething.


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But Amaziah was optimistic. He led his troops into the Valley of Salt and killed 10,000 men of Seir.


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They took another 10,000 as prisoners, led them to the top of the Rock, and pushed them off a cliff. They all died in the fall, smashed on the rocks.


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But the troops Amaziah had dismissed from his army, angry over their lost opportunity for plunder, rampaged through the towns of Judah all the way from Samaria to Beth Horon, killing 3,000 people and taking much plunder.


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On his return from the destruction of the Edomites, Amaziah brought back the gods of the men of Seir and installed them as his own gods, worshiping them and burning incense to them.


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That ignited God's anger; a fiery blast of God's wrath put into words by a God-sent prophet: "What is this? Why on earth would you pray to inferior gods who couldn't so much as help their own people from you—gods weaker than Amaziah?"


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Amaziah interrupted him, "Did I ask for your opinion? Shut up or get thrown out!" The prophet quit speaking, but not before he got in one last word: "I have it on good authority: God has made up his mind to throw you out because of what you've done, and because you wouldn't listen to me."


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One day Amaziah sent envoys to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, challenging him to a fight: "Come and meet with me, I dare you. Let's have it out face to face!"


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Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, "One day a thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But then a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it.


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Just because you've defeated Edom in battle, you now think you're a big shot. Go ahead and be proud, but stay home. Why press your luck? Why bring defeat on yourself and Judah?"


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Amaziah wouldn't take no for an answer—God had already decided to let Jehoash defeat him because he had defected to the gods of Edom.


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So Jehoash king of Israel came on ahead and confronted Amaziah king of Judah. They met at Beth Shemesh, a town of Judah.


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Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. But Jehoash didn't stop at that; he went on to attack Jerusalem. He demolished the Wall of Jerusalem all the way from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a stretch of about six hundred feet.


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He looted the gold, silver, and furnishings—anything he found that was worth taking—from both the palace and The Temple of God—and, for good measure, he took hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.


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Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah continued as king fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.


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The rest of the life and times of Amaziah from start to finish is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.


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During those last days, after Amaziah had defected from God, they cooked up a plot against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he had to flee to Lachish. But they tracked him down in Lachish and killed him there.


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They brought him back on horseback and buried him in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.


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The people of Judah then took Uzziah, who was only sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.


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The first thing he did after his father was dead and buried was to recover Elath for Judah and rebuild it.


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Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king and reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.


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He was a loyal seeker of God. He was well trained by his pastor and teacher Zechariah to live in reverent obedience before God, and for as long as Zechariah lived, Uzziah lived a godly life. And God prospered him.


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He ventured out and fought the Philistines, breaking into the fortress cities of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He also built settlements around Ashdod and other Philistine areas.


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The Ammonites also paid tribute. Uzziah became famous, his reputation extending all the way to Egypt. He became quite powerful.


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Uzziah constructed defense towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the corner of the wall.


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He also built towers and dug cisterns out in the country. He had herds of cattle down in the foothills and out on the plains, had farmers and vinedressers at work in the hills and fields—he loved growing things.


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On the military side, Uzziah had a well-prepared army ready to fight. They were organized by companies under the direction of Jeiel the secretary, Maaseiah the field captain, and Hananiah of the general staff.


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Under them were reinforcement troops numbering 307,000, with 500 of them on constant alert—a strong royal defense against any attack.


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He also installed the latest in military technology on the towers and corners of Jerusalem for shooting arrows and hurling stones. He became well known for all this—a famous king. Everything seemed to go his way.


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But then the strength and success went to his head. Arrogant and proud, he fell. One day, contemptuous of God, he walked into The Temple of God like he owned it and took over, burning incense on the Incense Altar.


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They confronted Uzziah: "You must not, you cannot do this, Uzziah—only the Aaronite priests, especially consecrated for the work, are permitted to burn incense. Get out of God's Temple; you are unfaithful and a disgrace!"


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But Uzziah, censer in hand, was already in the middle of doing it and angrily rebuffed the priests. He lost his temper; angry words were exchanged—and then, even as they quarreled, a skin disease appeared on his forehead.


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As soon as they saw it, the chief priest Azariah and the other priests got him out of there as fast as they could. He hurried out—he knew that God then and there had given him the disease.


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Uzziah had his skin disease for the rest of his life and had to live in quarantine; he was not permitted to set foot in The Temple of God. His son Jotham, who managed the royal palace, took over the government of the country.


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The rest of the history of Uzziah, from start to finish, was written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.


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When Uzziah died, they buried him with his ancestors in a field next to the royal cemetery. His skin disease disqualified him from burial in the royal cemetery. His son Jotham became the next king.


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Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.


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In God's eyes he lived a good life, following the path marked out by his father Uzziah. Unlike his father, though, he didn't desecrate The Temple of God. But the people pushed right on in their lives of corruption.


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Jotham constructed the Upper Gate of The Temple of God, considerably extended the Wall of the Ophel,


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He fought and beat the king of the Ammonites—that year the Ammonites turned over three and a quarter tons of silver and about sixty-five bushels of wheat, and another sixty-five bushels of barley. They repeated this for the next two years.


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The rest of the history of Jotham, including his wars and achievements, are all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah.


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Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn't live right in the eyes of God; he wasn't at all like his ancestor David.


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Instead he followed in the track of Israel in the north, even casting metal figurines for worshiping the pagan Baal gods.


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He participated in the outlawed burning of incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and—incredibly!—indulged in the outrageous practice of "passing his sons through the fire," a truly abominable thing he picked up from the pagans God had earlier thrown out of the country.


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He also joined in the activities of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that flourished all over the place.


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God, fed up, handed him over to the king of Aram, who beat him badly and took many prisoners to Damascus. God also let the king of Israel loose on him and that resulted in a terrible slaughter:


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Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in one day, all of them first-class soldiers, and all because they had deserted God, the God of their ancestors.


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Furthermore, Zicri, an Ephraimite hero, killed the king's son Maaseiah, Azrikam the palace steward, and Elkanah, second in command to the king.


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And that wasn't the end of it—the Israelites captured 200,000 men, women, and children, besides huge cartloads of plunder that they took to Samaria.


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God's prophet Oded was in the neighborhood. He met the army when it entered Samaria and said, "Stop right where you are and listen! God, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and used you to punish them; but you took things into your own hands and used your anger, uncalled for and irrational,


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to turn your brothers and sisters from Judah and Jerusalem into slaves. Don't you see that this is a terrible sin against your God?


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Careful now; do exactly what I say—return these captives, every last one of them. If you don't, you'll find out how real anger, God's anger, works."


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Some of their Ephraimite leaders—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood up against the returning army


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and said, "Don't bring the captives here! We've already sinned against God; and now you are about to compound our sin and guilt. We're guilty enough as it is, enough to set off an explosion of divine anger."


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Personally designated men gathered the captives together, dressed the ones who were naked using clothing from the stores of plunder, put shoes on their feet, gave them all a square meal, provided first aid to the injured, put the weak ones on donkeys, and then escorted them to Jericho, the City of Palms, restoring them to their families. Then they went back to Samaria.


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Adding insult to injury the Philistines raided the cities in the foothills to the west and the southern desert and captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, along with Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages, and moved in, making themselves at home.


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Arrogant King Ahaz, acting as if he could do without God's help, had unleashed an epidemic of depravity. Judah, brought to its knees by God, was now reduced to begging for a handout.


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But the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, wouldn't help—he came instead and humiliated Ahaz even more by attacking and bullying him.


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Desperate, Ahaz ransacked The Temple of God, the royal palace, and every other place he could think of, scraping together everything he could, and gave it to the king of Assyria—and got nothing in return, not a bit of help.


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But King Ahaz didn't learn his lesson—at the very time that everyone was turning against him, he continued to be against God!


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He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus. He had just been defeated by Damascus; he thought, "If I worship the gods who helped Damascus, those gods just might help me too." But things only went from bad to worse: first Ahaz in ruins and then the country.


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He cleaned out The Temple of God of everything useful and valuable, boarded up the doors of The Temple, and then went out and set up pagan shrines for his own use all over Jerusalem.


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And not only in Jerusalem, but all over Judah—neighborhood shrines for worshiping any and every god on sale. And was God ever angry!


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The rest of Ahaz's infamous life, all that he did from start to finish, is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.


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When Ahaz died, they buried him in Jerusalem, but he was not honored with a burial in the cemetery of the kings. His son Hezekiah was the next king.


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Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old and was king in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.


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In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah, having first repaired the doors of The Temple of God, threw them open to the public.


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and said, "Levites, listen! Consecrate yourselves and consecrate The Temple of God—give this much-defiled place a good housecleaning.


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Our ancestors went wrong and lived badly before God—they discarded him, turned away from this house where we meet with God, and walked off.


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They boarded up the doors, turned out the lights, and canceled all the acts of worship of the God of Israel in the holy Temple.


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And because of that, God's anger flared up and he turned those people into a public exhibit of disaster, a moral history lesson—look and read!


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This is why our ancestors were killed, and this is why our wives and sons and daughters were taken prisoner and made slaves.


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"I have decided to make a covenant with the God of Israel and turn history around so that God will no longer be angry with us.


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Children, don't drag your feet in this! God has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in conducting and leading worship—this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well."


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The Levites stood at attention: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;


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They presented themselves and their brothers, consecrated themselves, and set to work cleaning up The Temple of God as the king had directed—as God directed!


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The priests started from the inside and worked out; they emptied the place of the accumulation of defiling junk—pagan rubbish that had no business in that holy place—and the Levites hauled it off to the Kidron Valley.


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They began the Temple cleaning on the first day of the first month and by the eighth day they had worked their way out to the porch—eight days it took them to clean and consecrate The Temple itself, and in eight more days they had finished with the entire Temple complex.


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Then they reported to Hezekiah the king, "We have cleaned up the entire Temple of God, including the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Table of the Bread of the Presence with their furnishings.


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We have also cleaned up and consecrated all the vessels which King Ahaz had gotten rid of during his misrule. Take a look; we have repaired them. They're all there in front of the Altar of God."


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Then Hezekiah the king went to work: He got all the leaders of the city together and marched to The Temple of God.


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They brought with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven he-goats to sacrifice as an Absolution-Offering for the royal family, for the Sanctuary, and for Judah as a whole; he directed the Aaronite priests to sacrifice them on the Altar of God.


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The priests butchered the bulls and then took the blood and sprinkled it on the Altar, and then the same with the rams and lambs.


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The priests butchered them and made an Absolution-Offering with their blood at the Altar to atone for the sin of all Israel—the king had ordered that the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Absolution-Offering be for all Israel.


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The king ordered the Levites to take their places in The Temple of God with their musical instruments—cymbals, harps, zithers—following the original instructions of David, Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; this was God's command conveyed by his prophets.


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Then Hezekiah gave the signal to begin: The Whole-Burnt-Offering was offered on the Altar; at the same time the sacred choir began singing, backed up by the trumpets and the David orchestra


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while the entire congregation worshiped. The singers sang and the trumpeters played all during the sacrifice of the Whole-Burnt-Offering.


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When the offering of the sacrifice was completed, the king and everyone there knelt to the ground and worshiped.


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Then Hezekiah the king and the leaders told the Levites to finish things off with anthems of praise to God using lyrics by David and Asaph the seer. They sang their praises with joy and reverence, kneeling in worship.


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Hezekiah then made this response: "The dedication is complete—you're consecrated to God. Now you're ready: Come forward and bring your sacrifices and Thank-Offerings to The Temple of God." And come they did. Everyone in the congregation brought sacrifices and Thank-Offerings and some, overflowing with generosity, even brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings,


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a generosity expressed in seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs—all for Whole-Burnt-Offerings for God!


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The total number of animals consecrated for sacrifice that day amounted to 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep.


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They ran out of priests qualified to slaughter all the Whole-Burnt-Offerings so their brother Levites stepped in and helped out while other priests consecrated themselves for the work. It turned out that the Levites had been more responsible in making sure they were properly consecrated than the priests had been.


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Besides the overflow of Whole-Burnt-Offerings there were also choice pieces for the Peace-Offerings and lavish libations that went with the Whole-Burnt-Offerings. The worship in The Temple of God was on a firm footing again!


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Hezekiah and the congregation celebrated: God had established a firm foundation for the lives of the people—and so quickly!


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Then Hezekiah invited all of Israel and Judah, with personal letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to The Temple of God in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Israel's God.


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The king and his officials and the congregation in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate Passover in the second month.


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They hadn't been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough of the priests were yet personally prepared and the people hadn't had time to gather in Jerusalem.


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and they sent out the invitation from one end of the country to the other, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north: "Come and celebrate the Passover to Israel's God in Jerusalem." No one living had ever celebrated it properly.


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The king gave the orders, and the couriers delivered the invitations from the king and his leaders throughout Israel and Judah. The invitation read: "O Israelites! Come back to God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he can return to you who have survived the predations of the kings of Assyria.


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Don't repeat the sins of your ancestors who turned their backs on God, the God of their ancestors who then brought them to ruin—you can see the ruins all around you.


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Don't be pigheaded as your ancestors were. Clasp God's outstretched hand. Come to his Temple of holy worship, consecrated for all time. Serve God, your God. You'll no longer be in danger of his hot anger.


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If you come back to God, your captive relatives and children will be treated compassionately and allowed to come home. Your God is gracious and kind and won't snub you—come back and he'll welcome you with open arms."


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So the couriers set out, going from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far north as Zebulun. But the people poked fun at them, treated them as a joke.


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But not all; some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to accept the invitation and come to Jerusalem.


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It was better in Judah—God worked powerfully among them to make it unanimous, responding to the orders sent out by the king and his officials, orders backed up by the word of God.


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It turned out that there was a tremendous crowd of people when the time came in the second month to celebrate the Passover (sometimes called the Feast of Unraised Bread).


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First they went to work and got rid of all the pagan altars that were in Jerusalem—hauled them off and dumped them in the Kidron Valley.


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Then, on the fourteenth day of the second month, they slaughtered the Passover lambs. The priests and Levites weren't ready; but now, embarrassed in their laziness, they consecrated themselves and brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings to The Temple of God.


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Ready now, they stood at their posts as designated by The Revelation of Moses the holy man; the priests sprinkled the blood the Levites handed to them.


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Because so many in the congregation had not properly prepared themselves by consecration and so were not qualified, the Levites took charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs so that they would be properly consecrated to God.


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There were a lot of people, especially those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, who did not eat the Passover meal because they had not prepared themselves adequately. Hezekiah prayed for these as follows: "May God who is all good, pardon and forgive


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everyone who sincerely desires God, the God of our ancestors. Even—especially!—these who do not meet the literal conditions stated for access to The Temple."


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All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover (Feast of Unraised Bread) for seven days, celebrated exuberantly. The Levites and priests praised God day after day, filling the air with praise sounds of percussion and brass.


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Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of God. When the feast and festival—that glorious seven days of worship, the making of offerings, and the praising of God, the God of their ancestors—were over, the tables cleared and the floors swept,


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they all decided to keep going for another seven days! So they just kept on celebrating, and as joyfully as they began.


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Hezekiah king of Judah gave 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the congregation's worship; the officials gave an additional 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And there turned out to be plenty of consecrated priests—qualified and well-prepared.


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The whole congregation of Judah, the priests and Levites, the congregation that came in from Israel, and the resident aliens from both Israel and Judah, were all in on the joyous celebration.


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Jerusalem was bursting with joy—nothing like this had taken place in Jerusalem since Solomon son of David king of Israel had built and dedicated The Temple.


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The priests and Levites had the last word: they stood and blessed the people. And God listened, listened as the ascending sound of their prayers entered his holy heaven.


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After the Passover celebration, they all took off for the cities of Judah and smashed the phallic stone monuments, chopped down the sacred Asherah groves, and demolished the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines and local god shops. They didn't stop until they had been all through Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then they all went back home and resumed their everyday lives.


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Hezekiah organized the groups of priests and Levites for their respective tasks, handing out job descriptions for conducting the services of worship: making the various offerings, and making sure that thanks and praise took place wherever and whenever God was worshiped.


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He also designated his personal contribution for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings for the morning and evening worship, for Sabbaths, for New Moon festivals, and for the special worship days set down in The Revelation of God.


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In addition, he asked the people who lived in Jerusalem to be responsible for providing for the priests and Levites so they, without distraction or concern, could give themselves totally to The Revelation of God.


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As soon as Hezekiah's orders had gone out, the Israelites responded generously: firstfruits of the grain harvest, new wine, oil, honey—everything they grew. They didn't hold back, turning over a tithe of everything.


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They also brought in a tithe of their cattle, sheep, and anything else they owned that had been dedicated to God. Everything was sorted and piled in mounds.


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When Hezekiah and his leaders came and saw the extent of the mounds of gifts, they praised God and commended God's people Israel.


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Azariah, chief priest of the family of Zadok, answered, "From the moment of this huge outpouring of gifts to The Temple of God, there has been plenty to eat for everyone with food left over. God has blessed his people—just look at the evidence!"


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they brought in all the offerings of tithes and sacred gifts. They put Conaniah the Levite in charge with his brother Shimei as assistant.


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Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were project managers under the direction of Conaniah and Shimei, carrying out the orders of King Hezekiah and Azariah the chief priest of The Temple of God.


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Kore son of Imnah the Levite, security guard of the East Gate, was in charge of the Freewill-Offerings of God and responsible for distributing the offerings and sacred gifts.


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Faithful support out in the priestly cities was provided by Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah. They were even-handed in their distributions to their coworkers (all males thirty years and older) in each of their respective divisions


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as they entered The Temple of God each day to do their assigned work (their work was all organized by divisions).


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The divisions comprised officially registered priests by family and Levites twenty years and older by job description.


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The official family tree included everyone in the entire congregation—their small children, wives, sons, and daughters. The ardent dedication they showed in bringing themselves and their gifts to worship was total—no one was left out.


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The Aaronites, the priests who lived out on the pastures that belonged to the priest-cities, had reputable men on hand to distribute regular rations to every priest—everyone listed in the official family tree of the Levites.


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Hezekiah carried out this work and kept it up everywhere in Judah. He was the very best—good, right, and true before his God.


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Everything he took up, whether it had to do with worship in God's Temple or the carrying out of God's Law and Commandments, he did well in a spirit of prayerful worship. He was a great success.


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And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them.


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he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea.


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There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?"


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Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields.


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He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying,


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"Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side.


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He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines.


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Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah:


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"A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks.


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Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, 'God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying—you're all going to end up dead.


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Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, 'There is only one legitimate place to worship'?


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Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me?


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Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god?


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Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?"


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The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God's servant Hezekiah.


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Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse."


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The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission.


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King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven.


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God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.


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God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them.


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People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah's stock soared.


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But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem.


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But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived.


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Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables,


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barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks.


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He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich.


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Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.


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But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart.


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The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.


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When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor. Manasseh his son was the next king.


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In God's opinion he was a bad king—an evil king. He reintroduced all the moral rot and spiritual corruption that had been scoured from the country when God dispossessed the pagan nations in favor of the children of Israel.


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He rebuilt the sex-and-religion shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down, he built altars and phallic images for the sex god Baal and the sex goddess Asherah and worshiped the cosmic powers, taking orders from the constellations.


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the very Jerusalem Temple dedicated exclusively by God's decree to God's Name ("in Jerusalem I place my Name").


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He burned his own sons in a sacrificial rite in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced witchcraft and fortunetelling. He held s-ances and consulted spirits from the underworld. Much evil—in God's view a career in evil. And God was angry.


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As a last straw he placed a carved image of the sex goddess Asherah that he had commissioned in The Temple of God, a flagrant and provocative violation of God's well-known command to both David and Solomon, "In this Temple and in this city Jerusalem, my choice out of all the tribes of Israel, I place my Name—exclusively and forever."


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He had promised, "Never again will I let my people Israel wander off from this land I've given to their ancestors. But on this condition, that they keep everything I've commanded in the instructions my servant Moses passed on to them."


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But Manasseh led Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem off the beaten path into practices of evil exceeding even the evil of the pagan nations that God had earlier destroyed.


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Then God directed the leaders of the troops of the king of Assyria to come after Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose, shackles on his feet, and took him off to Babylon.


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Now that he was in trouble, he went to his knees in prayer asking for help—total repentance before the God of his ancestors.


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As he prayed, God was touched; God listened and brought him back to Jerusalem as king. That convinced Manasseh that God was in control.


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After that Manasseh rebuilt the outside defensive wall of the City of David to the west of the Gihon spring in the valley. It went from the Fish Gate and around the hill of Ophel. He also increased its height. He tightened up the defense system by posting army captains in all the fortress cities of Judah.


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He also did a good spring cleaning on The Temple, carting out the pagan idols and the goddess statue. He took all the altars he had set up on The Temple hill and throughout Jerusalem and dumped them outside the city.


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He put the Altar of God back in working order and restored worship, sacrificing Peace-Offerings and Thank-Offerings. He issued orders to the people: "You shall serve and worship God, the God of Israel."


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But the people didn't take him seriously—they used the name "God" but kept on going to the old pagan neighborhood shrines and doing the same old things.


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The rest of the history of Manasseh—his prayer to his God, and the sermons the prophets personally delivered by authority of God, the God of Israel—this is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.


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His prayer and how God was touched by his prayer, a list of all his sins and the things he did wrong, the actual places where he built the pagan shrines, the installation of the sex-goddess Asherah sites, and the idolatrous images that he worshiped previous to his conversion—this is all described in the records of the prophets.


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but he never did repent to God as Manasseh repented. He just kept at it, going from one thing to another.


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The citizens in their turn then killed the king's assassins. The citizens then crowned Josiah, Amon's son, as king.


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He behaved well before God. He kept straight on the path blazed by his ancestor David, not one step to the left or right.


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When he had been king for eight years—he was still only a teenager—he began to seek the God of David his ancestor. Four years later, the twelfth year of his reign, he set out to cleanse the neighborhood of sex-and-religion shrines, and get rid of the sacred Asherah groves and the god and goddess figurines, whether carved or cast, from Judah.


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He wrecked the Baal shrines, tore down the altars connected with them, and scattered the debris and ashes over the graves of those who had worshiped at them.


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He burned the bones of the priests on the same altars they had used when alive. He scrubbed the place clean, Judah and Jerusalem, clean inside and out.


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The clean-up campaign ranged outward to the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and the surrounding neighborhoods—as far north as Naphtali.


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Throughout Israel he demolished the altars and Asherah groves, pulverized the god and goddess figures, chopped up the neighborhood shrines into firewood. With Israel once more intact, he returned to Jerusalem.


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One day in the eighteenth year of his kingship, with the cleanup of country and Temple complete, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the mayor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the historian to renovate The Temple of God.


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First they turned over to Hilkiah the high priest all the money collected by the Levitical security guards from Manasseh and Ephraim and the rest of Israel, and from Judah and Benjamin and the citizens of Jerusalem.


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who then passed it on to the workers repairing God's Temple—the carpenters, construction workers, and masons—so they could buy the lumber and dressed stone for rebuilding the foundations the kings of Judah had allowed to fall to pieces.


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The workmen were honest and diligent. Their foremen were Jahath and Obadiah, the Merarite Levites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites—these managed the project. The Levites—they were all skilled musicians—


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were in charge of the common laborers and supervised the workers as they went from job to job. The Levites also served as accountants, managers, and security guards.


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While the money that had been given for The Temple of God was being received and dispersed, Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of The Revelation of Moses.


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He reported to Shaphan the royal secretary, "I've just found the Book of God's Revelation, instructing us in God's way—found it in The Temple!" He gave it to Shaphan,


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who then gave it to the king. And along with the book, he gave this report: "The job is complete—everything you ordered done is done.


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They took all the money that was collected in The Temple of God and handed it over to the managers and workers."


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And then Shaphan told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." Shaphan proceeded to read it out to the king.


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And then he called for Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal aide.


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He ordered them all: "Go and pray to God for me and what's left of Israel and Judah. Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! God's anger must be burning furiously against us—our ancestors haven't obeyed a thing written in this book of God, followed none of the instructions directed to us."


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Hilkiah and those picked by the king went straight to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, who was in charge of the palace wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter. The men consulted with her.


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'God has spoken, I'm on my way to bring the doom of judgment on this place and this people. Every word written in the book read by the king of Judah will happen.


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And why? Because they've deserted me and taken up with other gods; they've made me thoroughly angry by setting up their god-making businesses. My anger is raging white-hot against this place and nobody is going to put it out.'


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"And also tell the king of Judah, since he sent you to ask God for direction, God's comment on what he read in the book:


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'Because you took seriously the doom of judgment I spoke against this place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I'm taking you seriously. God's word.


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I'll take care of you; you'll have a quiet death and be buried in peace. You won't be around to see the doom that I'm going to bring upon this place and people.' " The men took her message back to the king.


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and then proceeding to The Temple of God bringing everyone in his train—priests and prophets and people ranging from the least to the greatest. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of God.


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The king stood by his pillar and before God solemnly committed himself to the covenant: to follow God believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to confirm with his life the entire covenant, all that was written in the book.


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Then he made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin commit themselves. And they did it. They committed themselves to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.


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Josiah did a thorough job of cleaning up the pollution that had spread throughout Israelite territory and got everyone started fresh again, serving and worshiping their God. All through Josiah's life the people kept to the straight and narrow, obediently following God, the God of their ancestors.


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Josiah celebrated the Passover to God in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.


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He gave the priests detailed instructions and encouraged them in the work of leading worship in The Temple of God.


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He also told the Levites who were in charge of teaching and guiding Israel in all matters of worship (they were especially consecrated for this), "Place the sacred Chest in The Temple that Solomon son of David, the king of Israel, built. You don't have to carry it around on your shoulders any longer! Serve God and God's people Israel.


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Organize yourselves by families for your respective responsibilities, following the instructions left by David king of Israel and Solomon his son.


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"Take your place in the sanctuary—a team of Levites for every grouping of your fellow citizens, the laity.


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Your job is to kill the Passover lambs, then consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs so that everyone will be able to keep the Passover exactly as God commanded through Moses."


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Josiah personally donated 30,000 sheep, lambs, and goats and 3,000 bulls—everything needed for the Passover celebration was there.


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His officials also pitched in on behalf of the people, including the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders in The Temple of God, gave 2,600 lambs and 300 bulls to the priests for the Passover offerings.


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Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with the Levitical chiefs Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, donated 5,000 lambs and 500 bulls to the Levites for the Passover offerings.


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Preparations were complete for the service of worship; the priests took up their positions and the Levites were at their posts as instructed by the king.


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They killed the Passover lambs, and while the priests sprinkled the blood from the lambs, the Levites skinned them out.


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Then they set aside the Whole-Burnt-Offering for presentation to the family groupings of the people so that each group could offer it to God following the instructions in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.


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They roasted the Passover lamb according to the instructions and boiled the consecrated offerings in pots and kettles and pans and promptly served the people.


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After the people had eaten the holy meal, the Levites served themselves and the Aaronite priests—the priests were busy late into the night making the offerings at the Altar.


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The Asaph singers were all in their places following the instructions of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. The security guards were on duty at each gate—the Levites also served them because they couldn't leave their posts.


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Everything went without a hitch in the worship of God that day as they celebrated the Passover and the offering of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar of God. It went just as Josiah had ordered.


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The Passover hadn't been celebrated like this since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings had done it. But Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were there that week, plus the citizens of Jerusalem—they did it.


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Some time later, after Josiah's reformation of The Temple, Neco king of Egypt marched out toward Carchemish on the Euphrates River on his way to war. Josiah went out to fight him.


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Neco sent messengers to Josiah saying, "What do we have against each other, O king of Judah? I haven't come to fight against you but against the country with whom I'm at war. God commanded me to hurry, so don't get in my way; you'll only interfere with God, who is on my side in this, and he'll destroy you."


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But Josiah was spoiling for a fight and wouldn't listen to a thing Neco said (in actuality it was God who said it). Though King Josiah disguised himself when they met on the plain of Megiddo,


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So his servants took him out of his chariot and laid him down in an ambulance chariot and drove him back to Jerusalem. He died there and was buried in the family cemetery. Everybody in Judah and Jerusalem attended the funeral.


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Jeremiah composed an anthem of lament for Josiah. The anthem is still sung by the choirs of Israel to this day. The anthem is written in the Laments.


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The rest of the history of Josiah, his exemplary and devout life, conformed to The Revelation of God.


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The whole story, from start to finish, is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah.


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Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to rule. He was king in Jerusalem for a mere three months.


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The king of Egypt dethroned him and forced the country to pay him nearly four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold.


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Neco king of Egypt then made Eliakim, Jehoahaz's brother, king of Judah and Jerusalem, but changed his name to Jehoiakim; then he took Jehoahaz back with him to Egypt.


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Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to rule; he was king for eleven years in Jerusalem. In God's opinion he was an evil king.


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Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made war against him, and bound him in bronze chains, intending to take him prisoner to Babylon.


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The rest of the history of Jehoiakim, the outrageous sacrilege he committed and what happened to him as a consequence, is all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Jehoiachin his son became the next king.


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Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king. But he ruled for only three months and ten days in Jerusalem. In God's opinion he was an evil king.


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In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him brought to Babylon along with the valuables remaining in The Temple of God. Then he made his uncle Zedekiah a puppet king over Judah and Jerusalem.


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Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years.


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As far as God was concerned, he was just one more evil king; there wasn't a trace of contrition in him when the prophet Jeremiah preached God's word to him.


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Then he compounded his troubles by rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar, who earlier had made him swear in God's name that he would be loyal. He became set in his own stubborn ways—he never gave God a thought; repentance never entered his mind.


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The evil mindset spread to the leaders and priests and filtered down to the people—it kicked off an epidemic of evil, repeating the abominations of the pagans and polluting The Temple of God so recently consecrated in Jerusalem.


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God, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent warning messages to them. Out of compassion for both his people and his Temple he wanted to give them every chance possible.


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But they wouldn't listen; they poked fun at God's messengers, despised the message itself, and in general treated the prophets like idiots. God became more and more angry until there was no turning back—


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God called in Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who came and killed indiscriminately—and right in The Temple itself; it was a ruthless massacre: young men and virgins, the elderly and weak—they were all the same to him.


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And then he plundered The Temple of everything valuable, cleaned it out completely; he emptied the treasuries of The Temple of God, the treasuries of the king and his officials, and hauled it all, people and possessions, off to Babylon.


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He burned The Temple of God to the ground, knocked down the wall of Jerusalem, and set fire to all the buildings—everything valuable was burned up.


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Any survivor was taken prisoner into exile in Babylon and made a slave to Nebuchadnezzar and his family. The exile and slavery lasted until the kingdom of Persia took over.


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This is exactly the message of God that Jeremiah had preached: the desolate land put to an extended sabbath rest, a seventy-year Sabbath rest making up for all the unkept Sabbaths.


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In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—this fulfilled the message of God preached by Jeremiah—God moved Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom; he wrote it out as follows:


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"From Cyrus king of Persia a proclamation: God, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship at Jerusalem in Judah. All who belong to God's people are urged to return—and may your God be with you! Move forward!"


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During the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy by giving King Cyrus the desire to send this proclamation throughout his empire (he also put it into the permanent records of the realm):


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"Cyrus, king of Persia, hereby announces that Jehovah, the God of heaven who gave me my vast empire, has now given me the responsibility of building him a Temple in Jerusalem, in the land of Judah.


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All Jews throughout the kingdom may now return to Jerusalem to rebuild this Temple of Jehovah, who is the God of Israel and of Jerusalem. May his blessings rest upon you.


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Those Jews who do not go should contribute toward the expenses of those who do and also supply them with clothing, transportation, supplies for the journey, and a freewill offering for the Temple."


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Then God gave a great desire to the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and to the priests and Levites, to return to Jerusalem at once to rebuild the Temple.


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And all the Jewish exiles who chose to remain in Persia gave them whatever assistance they could, as well as gifts for the Temple.


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King Cyrus himself donated the gold bowls and other valuable items, which King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple at Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods.


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He instructed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to present these gifts to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah.


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The items Cyrus donated included: 1,000 gold trays, 1,000 silver trays, ,29 censers, 30 bowls of solid gold, 2,410 silver bowls (of various designs), 1,000 miscellaneous items.


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Here is the list of the Jewish exiles who now returned to Jerusalem and to the other cities of Judah, from which their parents had been deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.


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The leaders were:  Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. Here is a census of those who returned (listed by subclans):


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Here are the statistics concerning the returning priests: From the families of Jedaiah of the subclan of Jeshua, 973;


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Here are the statistics concerning the Levites who returned: From the families of Jeshua and Kadmiel of the subclan of Hodaviah, 74;


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From the descendants of the gatekeepers (the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai), 139.


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Those who made the trip also included the descendants of King Solomon's officials: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,


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Another group returned to Jerusalem at this time from the Persian cities of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer. However, they had lost their genealogies and could not prove that they were really Israelites.


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Three subclans of priests--Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (he married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and took her family name)--also returned to Jerusalem.


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But they too had lost their genealogies, so the leaders refused to allow them to continue as priests;


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they would not even allow them to eat the priests' share of food from the sacrifices until the Urim and Thummim could be consulted to find out from God whether they actually were descendants of priests or not.


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So a total of 42,360 persons returned to Judah; in addition to 7,337 slaves and 200 choir members, both men and women.


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and each gave as much as he could. The total value of their gifts amounted to $300,000 of gold, $170,000 of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.


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So the priests and Levites and some of the common people settled in Jerusalem and its nearby villages; and the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple workers, and the rest of the people returned to the other cities of Judah from which they had come.


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During the month of September everyone who had returned to Judah came to Jerusalem from their homes in the other towns.


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Then Jeshua (son of Jozadak) with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel) and his clan, rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel and sacrificed burnt offerings upon it, as instructed in the laws of Moses, the man of God.


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The altar was rebuilt on its old site, and it was used immediately to sacrifice morning and evening burnt offerings to the Lord; for the people were fearful of attack.


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And they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles as prescribed in the laws of Moses, sacrificing the burnt offerings specified for each day of the feast.


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They also offered the special sacrifices required for the Sabbaths, the new moon celebrations, and the other regular annual feasts of the Lord. Voluntary offerings of the people were also sacrificed.


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It was on the fifteenth day of September that the priests began sacrificing the burnt offerings to the Lord. (This was before they began building the foundation of the Temple.)


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Then they hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying for them with food, wine, and olive oil. The logs were brought down from the Lebanon mountains and floated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Joppa, for King Cyrus had included this provision in his grant.


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The actual construction of the Temple began in June of the second year of their arrival at Jerusalem. The work force was made up of all those who had returned, and they were under the direction of Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel), Jeshua (son of Jozadak), and their fellow priests and the Levites. The Levites who were twenty years old or older were appointed to supervise the workmen.


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The supervision of the entire project was given to Jeshua, Kadmiel, Henadad, and their sons and relatives, all of whom were Levites.


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When the builders completed the foundation of the Temple, the priests put on their official robes and blew their trumpets; and the descendants of Asaph crashed their cymbals to praise the Lord in the manner ordained by King David.


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They sang rounds of praise and thanks to God, singing this song: "He is good, and his love and mercy toward Israel will last forever." Then all the people gave a great shout, praising God because the foundation of the Temple had been laid.


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But many of the priests and Levites and other leaders--the old men who remembered Solomon's beautiful Temple--wept aloud, while others were shouting for joy!


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When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles had returned and were rebuilding the Temple,


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they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and suggested, "Let us work with you, for we are just as interested in your God as you are; we have sacrificed to him ever since King Esar-haddon of Assyria brought us here."


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But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the other Jewish leaders replied, "No, you may have no part in this work. The Temple of the God of Israel must be built by the Israelis, just as King Cyrus has commanded."


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sending agents to tell lies about them to King Cyrus. This went on during his entire reign and lasted until King Darius took the throne.


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And afterwards, when King Ahasuerus began to reign, they wrote him a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem


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and did the same thing during the reign of Artaxerxes. Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel and their associates wrote a letter to him in the Aramaic language, and it was translated to him.


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Others who participated were Governor Rehum, Shimshai (a scribe), several judges and other local leaders, the Persians, the Babylonians, the men of Erech and Susa,


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and men from several other nations. (They had been taken from their own lands by the great and noble Osnappar and relocated in Jerusalem, Samaria, and throughout the neighboring lands west of the Euphrates River.)


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Here is the text of the letter they sent to King Artaxerxes: "Sir: Greetings from your loyal subjects west of the Euphrates River.


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Please be informed that the Jews sent to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this historically rebellious and evil city; they have already rebuilt its walls and have repaired the foundations of the Temple.


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But we wish you to know that if this city is rebuilt, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their taxes to you.


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"Since we are grateful to you as our patron, and we do not want to see you taken advantage of and dishonored in this way, we have decided to send you this information.


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We suggest that you search the ancient records to discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past; in fact, it was destroyed because of its long history of sedition against the kings and countries who attempted to control it.


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We wish to declare that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, you might as well forget about this part of your empire beyond the Euphrates, for it will be lost to you."


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Then the king made this reply to Governor Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and to their companions living in Samaria and throughout the area west of the Euphrates River:


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I have ordered a search made of the records and have indeed found that Jerusalem has in times past been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings; in fact, rebellion and sedition are normal there!


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I find, moreover, that there have been some very great kings in Jerusalem who have ruled the entire land beyond the Euphrates River and have received vast tribute, custom, and toll.


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Therefore, I command that these men must stop their work until I have investigated the matter more thoroughly.


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When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai, they hurried to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.


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But there were prophets in Jerusalem and Judah at that time--Haggai, and Zechariah (the son of Iddo)--who brought messages from the God of Israel to


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Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel) and Jeshua (son of Jozadak), encouraging them to begin building again! So they did and the prophets helped them.


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But Tattenai, the governor of the lands west of the Euphrates, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions soon arrived in Jerusalem and demanded, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and finish these walls?"


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But because the Lord was overseeing the entire situation, our enemies did not force us to stop building, but let us continue while King Darius looked into the matter and returned his decision.


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Following is the letter which Governors Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai and the other officials sent to King Darius:


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"We wish to inform you that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God of Judah. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is being laid in the city walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.


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Their answer was, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and we are rebuilding the Temple that was constructed here many centuries ago by a great king of Israel.


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But afterwards our ancestors angered the God of heaven, and he abandoned them and let King Nebuchadnezzar destroy this Temple and exile the people to Babylonia.'


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"But they insist that King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple should be rebuilt,


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and they say King Cyrus returned the gold and silver bowls which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon. They say these items were delivered into the safekeeping of a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah.


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The king instructed him to return the bowls to Jerusalem and to let the Temple of God be built there as before.


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So Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the Temple at Jerusalem; and the people have been working on it ever since, though it is not yet completed.


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We request that you search in the royal library of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever made such a decree; and then let us know your pleasure in this matter."


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So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, where documents were stored.


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Eventually the record was found in the palace at Ecbatana, in the province of Media. This is what it said:


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"In this first year of the reign of King Cyrus, a decree has been sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem where the Jews offer sacrifices. It is to be rebuilt, and the foundations are to be strongly laid. The height will be ninety feet and the width will be ninety feet.


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There will be three layers of huge stones in the foundation, topped with a layer of new timber. All expenses will be paid by the king.


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And the gold and silver bowls, which were taken from the Temple of God by Nebuchadnezzar, shall be taken back to Jerusalem and put into the Temple as they were before."


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So King Darius II sent this message to Governor Shethar-bozenai and the other officials west of the Euphrates: "Do not disturb the construction of the Temple. Let it be rebuilt on its former site,


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Moreover, I decree that you are to pay the full construction costs without delay from my taxes collected in your territory.


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Give the priests in Jerusalem young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; and give them wheat, wine, salt, and olive oil each day without fail.


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Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for me and my sons.


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Anyone who attempts to change this message in any way shall have the beams pulled from his house and built into a gallows on which he will be hanged; and his house shall be reduced to a pile of rubble.


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The God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem will destroy any king and any nation that alters this commandment and destroys this Temple. I, Darius, have issued this decree; let it be obeyed with all diligence."


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Governors Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions complied at once with the command of King Darius.


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So the Jewish leaders continued in their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (son of Iddo). The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by God and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia.


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During the dedication celebration 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs were sacrificed; and twelve male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel.


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Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various service corps to do the work of God as instructed in the laws of Moses.


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And some of the heathen people who had been relocated in Judah turned from their immoral customs and joined the Israelis in worshiping the Lord God.


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hey, with the entire nation, ate the Passover feast and celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king of Assyria to be generous to Israel and to assist in the construction of the Temple.


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Here is the genealogy of Ezra, who traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia: Ezra was the son of Seriah; Seriah was the son of Azariah; Azariah was the son of Hilkiah;


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Bukki was the son of Abishua; Abishua was the son of Phinehas; Phinehas was the son of Eleazar; Eleazar was the son of Aaron, the chief priest.


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As a Jewish religious leader, Ezra was well versed in Jehovah's laws, which Moses had given to the people of Israel. He asked to be allowed to return to Jerusalem, and the king granted his request; for the Lord his God was blessing him.


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Many ordinary people as well as priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple workers traveled with him.


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This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the laws of the Lord and to become a Bible teacher, teaching those laws to the people of Israel.


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"From: Artaxerxes, the king of kings. "To: Ezra the priest, the teacher of the laws of the God of heaven.


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"I decree that any Jew in my realm, including the priests and Levites, may return to Jerusalem with you.


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I and my Council of Seven hereby instruct you to take a copy of God's laws to Judah and Jerusalem and to send back a report of the religious progress being made there.


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We also commission you to take with you to Jerusalem the silver and gold, which we are presenting as an offering to the God of Israel.


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"Moreover, you are to collect voluntary Temple offerings of silver and gold from the Jews and their priests in all of the provinces of Babylon.


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These funds are to be used primarily for the purchase of oxen, rams, lambs, grain offerings, and drink offerings, all of which will be offered upon the altar of your Temple when you arrive in Jerusalem.


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The money that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your brothers feel is the will of your God.


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And take with you the gold bowls and other items we are giving you for the Temple of your God at Jerusalem.


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If you run short of money for the construction of the Temple or for any similar needs, you may requisition funds from the royal treasury.


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"I, Artaxerxes the king, send this decree to all the treasurers in the provinces west of the Euphrates River: 'You are to give Ezra whatever he requests of you (for he is a priest and teacher of the laws of the God of heaven),


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and whatever else the God of heaven demands for his Temple; for why should we risk God's wrath against the king and his sons?


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I also decree that no priest, Levite, choir member, gatekeeper, Temple attendant, or other worker in the Temple shall be required to pay taxes of any kind.'


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"And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom God has given you to select and appoint judges and other officials to govern all the people west of the Euphrates River; if they are not familiar with the laws of your God, you are to teach them.


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Anyone refusing to obey the law of your God and the law of the king shall be punished immediately by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment."


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Well, praise the Lord God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem!


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And praise God for demonstrating such loving-kindness to me by honoring me before the king and his Council of Seven and before all of his mighty princes! I was given great status because the Lord my God was with me; and I persuaded some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.


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These are the names and genealogies of the leaders who accompanied me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:


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From the clan of Phinehas--Gershom; From the clan of Ithamar--Daniel; From the subclan of David of the clan of Shecaniah--Hattush;


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From the clan of Adonikam--Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men (they arrived at a later time);


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We assembled at the Ahava River and camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived; and I found that not one Levite had volunteered!


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So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, the Levite leaders; I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were very wise men.


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I sent them to Iddo, the leader of the Jews at Casiphia, to ask him and his brothers and the Temple attendants to send us priests for the Temple of God at Jerusalem.


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And God was good! He sent us an outstanding man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers; he was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, the son of Levi and grandson of Israel.


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and 220 Temple attendants. (The Temple attendants were assistants to the Levites--a job classification of Temple employees first instituted by King David.) These 220 men were all listed by name.


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Then I declared a fast while we were at the Ahava River so that we would humble ourselves before our God; and we prayed that he would give us a good journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.


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For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and cavalry to accompany us and protect us from the enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king that our God would protect all those who worshiped him, and that disaster could come only to those who had forsaken him!


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to be in charge of transporting the silver, gold, the gold bowls, and the other items that the king and his council and the leaders and people of Israel had presented to the Temple of God.


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I weighed the money as I gave it to them and found it to total $1,300,000 in silver; $200,000 in silver utensils; many millions in gold;


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and twenty gold bowls worth a total of $100,000. There were also two beautiful pieces of brass that were as precious as gold.


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I consecrated these men to the Lord and then consecrated the treasures--the equipment and money and bowls that had been given as free-will offerings to the Lord God of our fathers.


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"Guard these treasures well!" I told them; "present them without a penny lost to the priests and the Levite leaders and the elders of Israel at Jerusalem, where they are to be placed in the treasury of the Temple."


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So the priests and the Levites accepted the responsibility of taking them to God's Temple in Jerusalem.


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We broke camp at the Ahava River at the end of March and started off to Jerusalem; and God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way.


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On the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed in the Temple by Meremoth (the son of Uriah the priest), Eleazar (son of Phinehas), Jozabad (son of Jeshua), and Noadiah (son of Binnui)--all of whom were Levites.


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Then everyone in our party sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel--twelve oxen for the nation of Israel; ninety-six rams; seventy-seven lambs; and twelve goats as a sin offering.


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The king's decrees were delivered to his lieutenants and the governors of all the provinces west of the Euphrates River, and of course they then cooperated in the rebuilding of the Temple of God.


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But then the Jewish leaders came to tell me that many of the Jewish people and even some of the priests and Levites had taken up the horrible customs of the heathen people who lived in the land--the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.


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The men of Israel had married girls from these heathen nations and had taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy people of God were being polluted by these mixed marriages, and the political leaders were some of the worst offenders.


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When I heard this, I tore my clothing and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down utterly baffled.


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Then many who feared the God of Israel because of this sin of his people came and sat with me until the time of the evening burnt offering.


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Finally I stood before the Lord in great embarrassment; then I fell to my knees and lifted my hands to the Lord,


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and cried out, "O my God, I am ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you, for our sins are piled higher than our heads and our guilt is as boundless as the heavens.


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Our whole history has been one of sin; that is why we and our kings and our priests were slain by the heathen kings--we were captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today.


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But now we have been given a moment of peace, for you have permitted a few of us to return to Jerusalem from our exile. You have given us a moment of joy and new life in our slavery.


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For we were slaves, but in your love and mercy you did not abandon us to slavery; instead, you caused the kings of Persia to be favorable to us. They have even given us their assistance in rebuilding the Temple of our God and in giving us Jerusalem as a walled city in Judah.


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"And now, O God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned you and broken your laws!


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The prophets warned us that the land we would possess was totally defiled by the horrible practices of the people living there. From one end to the other it is filled with corruption.


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You told us not to let our daughters marry their sons, and not to let our sons marry their daughters, and not to help those nations in any way. You warned us that only if we followed this rule could we become a prosperous nation and forever leave that prosperity to our children as an inheritance.


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And now, even after our punishment in exile because of our wickedness (and we have been punished far less than we deserved), and even though you have let some of us return,


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we have broken your commandments again and intermarried with people who do these awful things. Surely your anger will destroy us now until not even this little remnant escapes.


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O Lord God of Israel, you are a just God; what hope can we have if you give us justice as we stand here before you in our wickedness?"


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As I lay on the ground in front of the Temple, weeping and praying and making this confession, a large crowd of men, women, and children gathered around and cried with me.


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Then Shecaniah (the son of Jehiel of the clan of Elam) said to me, "We acknowledge our sin against our God, for we have married these heathen women. But there is hope for Israel in spite of this.


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For we agree before our God to divorce our heathen wives and to send them away with our children; we will follow your commands and the commands of the others who fear our God. We will obey the laws of God.


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So I stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel swear that they would do as Shecaniah had said; and they all agreed.


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Then I went into the room of Jehohanan in the Temple and refused all food and drink, for I was mourning because of the sin of the returned exiles.


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Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that everyone should appear at Jerusalem within three days and that the leaders and elders had decided that


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Within three days, on the fifth day of December, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had arrived and were sitting in the open space before the Temple; and they were trembling because of the seriousness of the matter and because of the heavy rainfall.


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Then I, Ezra the priest, arose and addressed them: "You have sinned, for you have married heathen women; now we are even more deeply under God's condemnation than we were before.


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Confess your sin to the Lord God of your fathers and do what he demands: separate yourselves from the heathen people about you and from these women.


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But this isn't something that can be done in a day or two, for there are many of us involved in this sinful affair. And it is raining so hard that we can't stay out here much longer.


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Let our leaders arrange trials for us. Everyone who has a heathen wife will come at the scheduled time with the elders and judges of his city; then each case will be decided and the situation will be cleared up, and the fierce wrath of our God will be turned away from us."


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Only Jonathan (son of Asahel), Jahzeiah (son of Tikvah), Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite opposed this course of action.


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So this was the plan that was followed: Some of the clan leaders and I were designated as judges; we began our work on December 15


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(they vowed to divorce their wives and acknowledged their guilt by offering rams as sacrifices):  Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, Gedaliah.


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The Levites who were guilty:  Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahaiah, Judah, Eliezer.


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Here is the list of ordinary citizens who were declared guilty: From the clan of Parosh:  Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, Benaiah.


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From the clan of Pahath-moab:  Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, Manasseh.


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From the clan of Harim:  Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.


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The autobiography of Nehemiah, the son of Hecaliah: In December of the twentieth year of the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, when I was at the palace at Shushan,


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one of my fellow Jews named Hanani came to visit me with some men who had arrived from Judah. I took the opportunity to inquire about how things were going in Jerusalem. "How are they getting along--," I asked, "the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from their exile here?"


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"Well," they replied, "things are not good; the wall of Jerusalem is still torn down, and the gates are burned."


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When I heard this, I sat down and cried. In fact, I refused to eat for several days, for I spent the time in prayer to the God of heaven.


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"O Lord God," I cried out; "O great and awesome God who keeps his promises and is so loving and kind to those who love and obey him! Hear my prayer!


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Listen carefully to what I say! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you;


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yes, I and my people have committed the horrible sin of not obeying the commandments you gave us through your servant Moses.


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Oh, please remember what you told Moses! You said, 'If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations;


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but if you return to me and obey my laws, even though you are exiled to the farthest corners of the universe, I will bring you back to Jerusalem. For Jerusalem is the place in which I have chosen to live.'


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O Lord, please hear my prayer! Heed the prayers of those of us who delight to honor you. Please help me now as I go in and ask the king for a great favor--put it into his heart to be kind to me." (I was the king's cupbearer.)


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"Why so sad? You aren't sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles." (For until then I had always been cheerful when I was with him.) I was badly frightened,


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but I replied, "Sir, why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been burned down."


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"Well, what should be done?" the king asked. With a quick prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, "If it please Your Majesty and if you look upon me with your royal favor, send me to Judah to rebuild the city of my fathers!"


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The king replied, with the queen sitting beside him, "How long will you be gone? When will you return?" So it was agreed! And I set a time for my departure!


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Then I added this to my request: "If it please the king, give me letters to the governors west of the Euphrates River instructing them to let me travel through their countries on my way to Judah;


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also a letter to Asaph, the manager of the king's forest, instructing him to give me timber for the beams and for the gates of the fortress near the Temple, and for the city walls, and for a house for myself." And the king granted these requests, for God was being gracious to me.


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When I arrived in the provinces west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king's letters to the governors there. (The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and troops to protect me!)


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But when Sanballat (the Horonite) and Tobiah (an Ammonite who was a government official) heard of my arrival, they were very angry that anyone was interested in helping Israel.


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taking only a few men with me; for I hadn't told a soul about the plans for Jerusalem that God had put into my heart. I was mounted on my donkey and the others were on foot,


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and we went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal's Well and over to the Dung Gate to see the broken walls and burned gates.


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Then we went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble.


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So we circled the city, and I followed the brook, inspecting the wall, and entered again at the Valley Gate.


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The city officials did not know I had been out there or why, for as yet I had said nothing to anyone about my plans--not to the political or religious leaders, or even to those who would be doing the work.


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But now I told them, "You know full well the tragedy of our city; it lies in ruins and its gates are burned. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and rid ourselves of this disgrace!"


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Then I told them about the desire God had put into my heart, and of my conversation with the king, and the plan to which he had agreed. They replied at once, "Good! Let's rebuild the wall!" And so the work began.


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But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed and said, "What are you doing, rebelling against the king like this?"


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But I replied, "The God of heaven will help us, and we, his servants, will rebuild this wall; but you may have no part in this affair."


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Then Eliashib the High Priest and the other priests rebuilt the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel; then they rebuilt the Sheep Gate, hung its doors, and dedicated it.


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Men from the city of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was the work crew led by Zaccur (son of Imri).


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The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah; they did the whole thing--cut the beams, hung the doors, and made the bolts and bars.


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Meremoth (son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz) repaired the next section of wall, and beyond him were Meshullam (son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel) and Zadok (son of Baana).


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The Old Gate was repaired by Joiada (son of Paseah) and Meshullam (son of Besodeiah). They laid the beams, set up the doors, and installed the bolts and bars.


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Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon; Jadon from Meronoth; and men from Gibeon and Mizpah, who were citizens of the province.


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Uzziel (son of Harhaiah) was a goldsmith by trade, but he too worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. Repairs were not needed from there to the Broad Wall.


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Jedaiah (son of Harumaph) repaired the wall beside his own house, and next to him was Hattush (son of Hashabneiah).


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Then came Malchijah (son of Harim) and Hasshub (son of Pahath-moab), who repaired the Furnace Tower in addition to a section of the wall.


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Shallum (son of Hallohesh) and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the mayor of the other half of Jerusalem.


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The people from Zanoah, led by Hanun, built the Valley Gate, hung the doors, and installed the bolts and bars; then they repaired the 1,500 feet of wall to the Dung Gate.


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The Dung Gate was repaired by Malchijah (son of Rechab), the mayor of the Beth-haccherem area; and after building it, he hung the doors and installed the bolts and bars.


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Shallum (son of Col-hozeh), the mayor of the Mizpah district, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, roofed it, hung its doors, and installed its locks and bars. Then he repaired the wall from the Pool of Siloam to the king's garden and the stairs that descend from the City of David section of Jerusalem.


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Next to him was Nehemiah (son of Azbuk), the mayor of half the Beth-zur district; he built as far as the royal cemetery, the water reservoir, and the old Officers' Club building.


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Next was a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum (son of Bani). Then came Hashabiah, the mayor of half the Keilah district, who supervised the building of the wall in his own district.


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Next down the line were his clan brothers led by Bavvai (son of Henadad), the mayor of the other half of the Keilah district.


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Next to them the workers were led by Ezer (son of Jeshua), the mayor of another part of Mizpah; they also worked on the section of wall across from the Armory where the wall turns.


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Next to him was Baruch (son of Zabbai), who built from the turn in the wall to the home of Eliashib the High Priest.


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Meremoth (son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz) built a section of the wall extending from a point opposite the door of Eliashib's house to the side of the house.


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Benjamin, Hasshub, and Azariah (son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah) repaired the sections next to their own houses.


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Next was Binnui (son of Henadad), who built the portion of the wall from Azariah's house to the corner.


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Palal (son of Uzai) carried on the work from the corner to the foundations of the upper tower of the king's castle beside the prison yard. Next was Pedaiah (son of Parosh).


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The Temple attendants living in Ophel repaired the wall as far as the East Water Gate and the Projecting Tower.


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Then came the Tekoites, who repaired the section opposite the Castle Tower and over to the wall of Ophel.


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The priests repaired the wall beyond the Horse Gate, each one doing the section immediately opposite his own house.


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Zadok (son of Immer) also rebuilt the wall next to his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah (son of Shecaniah), the gatekeeper of the East Gate.


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Next was Hananiah (son of Shelemiah); Hanun (the sixth son of Zalaph); and Meshullam (son of Berechiah), who built next to his own house.


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Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the Temple attendants' and merchants' Guild Hall, opposite the Muster Gate; then to the upper room at the corner.


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Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage, and insulted and mocked us and laughed at us, and so did his friends and the Samaritan army officers.


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"What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they are doing?" he scoffed. "Do they think they can build the wall in a day if they offer enough sacrifices? And look at those charred stones they are pulling out of the rubbish and using again!"


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Tobiah, who was standing beside him, remarked, "If even a fox walked along the top of their wall, it would collapse!"


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Then I prayed, "Hear us, O Lord God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back upon their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!


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Do not ignore their sin. Do not blot it out, for they have despised you in despising us who are building your wall."


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At last the wall was completed to half its original height around the entire city--for the workers worked hard.


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But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going right ahead and that the breaks in the wall were being repaired, they became furious.


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Then some of the leaders began complaining that the workmen were becoming tired; and there was so much rubble to be removed that we could never get it done by ourselves.


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And whenever the workers who lived in the nearby cities went home for a visit, our enemies tried to talk them out of returning to Jerusalem.


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Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious; fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!"


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Our enemies learned that we knew of their plot, and that God had exposed and frustrated their plan. Now we all returned to our work on the wall;


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"The work is so spread out," I explained to them, "and we are separated so widely from each other, that when you hear the trumpet blow, you must rush to where I am; and God will fight for us."


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I told everyone living outside the walls to move into Jerusalem so that their servants could go on guard duty as well as work during the day.


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During this period none of us--I, nor my brothers, nor the servants, nor the guards who were with me--ever took off our clothes except for washing. And we carried our weapons with us at all times.


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About this time there was a great outcry of protest from parents against some of the rich Jews who were profiteering on them.


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"We are their brothers, and our children are just like theirs," the people protested. "Yet we must sell our children into slavery to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to redeem them, for our fields, too, are mortgaged to these men."


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so after thinking about it I spoke out against these rich government officials. "What is this you are doing?" I demanded. "How dare you demand a mortgage as a condition for helping another Israelite!" Then I called a public trial to deal with them.


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At the trial I shouted at them, "The rest of us are doing all we can to help our Jewish brothers who have returned from exile as slaves in distant lands, but you are forcing them right back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?" And they had nothing to say in their own defense.


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Then I pressed further. "What you are doing is very evil," I exclaimed. "Should you not walk in the fear of our God? Don't we have enough enemies among the nations around us who are trying to destroy us?


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The rest of us are lending money and grain to our fellow-Jews without any interest. I beg you, gentlemen, stop this business of usury.


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Restore their fields, vineyards, oliveyards, and homes to them this very day and drop your claims against them."


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So they agreed to do it and said that they would assist their brothers without requiring them to mortgage their lands and sell them their children. Then I summoned the priests and made these men formally vow to carry out their promises.


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And I invoked the curse of God upon any of them who refused. "May God destroy your homes and livelihood if you fail to keep this promise," I declared. And all the people shouted, "Amen," and praised the Lord. And the rich men did as they had promised.


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I would like to mention that for the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah--from the twentieth until the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes--my aides and I accepted no salaries or other assistance from the people of Israel.


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This was quite a contrast to the former governors who had demanded food and wine and $100 a day in cash, and had put the population at the mercy of their aides who tyrannized them; but I obeyed God and did not act that way.


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I stayed at work on the wall and refused to speculate in land; I also required my officials to spend time on the wall.


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All this despite the fact that I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides visitors from other countries!


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The provisions required for each day were one ox, six fat sheep, and a large number of domestic fowls; and we needed a huge supply of all kinds of wines every ten days. Yet I refused to make a special levy against the people, for they were already having a difficult time.


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When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that we had almost completed the rebuilding of the wall--though we had not yet hung all the doors of the gates--


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they sent me a message asking me to meet them in one of the villages in the Plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to kill me,


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so I replied by sending back this message to them: "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?"


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"Geshem tells me that everywhere he goes he hears that the Jews are planning to rebel, and that is why you are building the wall. He claims you plan to be their king--that is what is being said.


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He also reports that you have appointed prophets to campaign for you at Jerusalem by saying, 'Look! Nehemiah is just the man we need!' "You can be very sure that I am going to pass along these interesting comments to King Artaxerxes! I suggest that you come and talk it over with me--for that is the only way you can save yourself!"


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A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah (son of Delaiah, who was the son of Mehetabel), for he said he was receiving a message from God. "Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door," he exclaimed, "for they are coming tonight to kill you."


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But I replied, "Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!"


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Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me.


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"O my God," I prayed, "don't forget all the evil of Tobiah, Sanballat, Noadiah the prophetess, and all the other prophets who have tried to discourage me."


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When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated, and they realized that the work had been done with the help of our God.


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During those fifty-two days many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the wealthy politicians of Judah.


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For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah (son of Arah) and because his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam (son of Berechiah).


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They all told me what a wonderful man Tobiah was, and then they told him everything I had said; and Tobiah sent many threatening letters to frighten me.


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After the wall was finished and we had hung the doors in the gates and had appointed the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites,


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I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and to Hananiah, the commander of the fortress--a very faithful man who revered God more than most people do.


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I issued instructions to them not to open the Jerusalem gates until well after sunrise, and to close and lock them while the guards were still on duty. I also directed that the guards be residents of Jerusalem, and that they must be on duty at regular times, and that each homeowner who lived near the wall must guard the section of wall next to his own home.


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For the city was large, but the population was small; and only a few houses were scattered throughout the city.


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Then the Lord told me to call together all the leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. For I had found the record of the genealogies of those who had returned to Judah before, and this is what was written in it:


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"The following is a list of the names of the Jews who returned to Judah after being exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.


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"Their leaders were:  Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. "The others who returned at that time were:


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"Here are the statistics concerning the returning priests: From the family of Jeshua of the subclan of Jedaiah, 973;


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"Here are the statistics concerning the Levites: From the family of Kadmiel of the subclan of Hodevah of the clan of Jeshua, 74;


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"Following is a list of the descendants of Solomon's officials who returned to Judah:  Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,


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Another group returned to Jerusalem at that time from the Persian cities of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer. But they had lost their genealogies and could not prove their Jewish ancestry;


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There were also several subclans of priests named after Hobaiah. Hakkoz, and Barzillai (he married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and took her family name),


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or even to receive the priests' share of food from the sacrifices until the Urim and Thummim had been consulted to find out from God whether or not they actually were descendants of priests.


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Some of their leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave $5,000 in gold, 50 gold bowls, and 530 sets of clothing for the priests.


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and the common people gave $100,000 in gold, $70,000 in silver, and sixty-seven sets of clothing for the priests.


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The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the choir members, the Temple attendants, and the rest of the people now returned home to their own towns and villages throughout Judah. But during the month of September, they came back to Jerusalem.


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Now, in mid-September, all the people assembled at the plaza in front of the Water Gate and requested Ezra, their religious leader, to read to them the law of God, which he had given to Moses.


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So Ezra the priest brought out to them the scroll of Moses' laws. He stood on a wooden stand made especially for the occasion so that everyone could see him as he read.


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Everyone stood up as he opened the scroll. And all who were old enough to understand paid close attention.


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To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddenah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.


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Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people said, "Amen," and lifted their hands toward heaven; then they bowed and worshiped the Lord with their faces toward the ground.


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As Ezra read from the scroll, Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites went among the people


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All the people began sobbing when they heard the commands of the law. Then Ezra the priest, and I as governor, and the Levites who were assisting me, said to them, "Don't cry on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God--


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it is a time to celebrate with a hearty meal and to send presents to those in need, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. You must not be dejected and sad!"


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And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, "That's right! Don't weep! For this is a day of holy joy, not of sadness."


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So the people went away to eat a festive meal and to send presents; it was a time of great and joyful celebration because they could hear and understand God's words.


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The next day the clan leaders and the priests and Levites met with Ezra to go over the law in greater detail.


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As they studied it, they noted that Jehovah had told Moses that the people of Israel should live in tents during the Festival of Tabernacles to be held that month.


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He had said also that a proclamation should be made throughout the cities of the land, especially in Jerusalem, telling the people to go to the hills to get branches from olive, myrtle, palm, and fig trees and to make huts in which to live for the duration of the feast.


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So the people went out and cut branches and used them to build huts on the roofs of their houses, or in their courtyards, or in the court of the Temple, or on the plaza beside the Water Gate, or at the Ephraim Gate Plaza.


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They lived in these huts for the seven days of the feast, and everyone was filled with joy! (This procedure had not been carried out since the days of Joshua.)


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Ezra read from the scroll on each of the seven days of the feast, and on the eighth day there was a solemn closing service as required by the laws of Moses.


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On October 10 the people returned for another observance; this time they fasted and clothed themselves with sackcloth and sprinkled dirt in their hair.


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The laws of God were read aloud to them for two or three hours, and for several more hours they took turns confessing their own sins and those of their ancestors. And everyone worshiped the Lord their God.


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Some of the Levites were on the platform praising the Lord God with songs of joy. These men were Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani.


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Then the Levite leaders called out to the people, "Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting. Praise his glorious name! It is far greater than we can think or say." The leaders in this part of the service were Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah.


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Then Ezra prayed, "You alone are God. You have made the skies and the heavens, the earth and the seas, and everything in them. You preserve it all; and all the angels of heaven worship you.


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"You are the Lord God who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.


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When he was faithful to you, you made a contract with him to forever give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites; and now you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.


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"You saw the troubles and sorrows of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea.


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You displayed great miracles against Pharaoh and his people, for you knew how brutally the Egyptians were treating them; you have a glorious reputation because of those never-to-be-forgotten deeds.


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You divided the sea for your people so they could go through on dry land! And then you destroyed their enemies in the depths of the sea; they sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.


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You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.


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"You came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them good laws and true commandments,


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including the laws about the holy Sabbath; and you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey them all.


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"You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go in and conquer the land you had sworn to give them;


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"They refused to obey and didn't pay any attention to the miracles you did for them; instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to take them back into slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, always ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and full of love and mercy; you didn't abandon them,


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even though they made a calf-idol and proclaimed, 'This is our God! He brought us out of Egypt!' They sinned in so many ways,


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but in your great mercy you didn't abandon them to die in the wilderness! The pillar of cloud led them forward day by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night.


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You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them bread from heaven or water for their thirst.


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For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing in all that time. Their clothes didn't wear out, and their feet didn't swell!


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"Then you helped them conquer great kingdoms and many nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land; they completely took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan.


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You caused a population explosion among the Israelis and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.


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You subdued whole nations before them--even the kings and the people of the Canaanites were powerless!


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Your people captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took over houses full of good things, with cisterns and vineyards and oliveyards and many, many fruit trees; so they ate and were full and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings.


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"But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They threw away your law, killed the prophets who told them to return to you, and they did many other terrible things.


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So you gave them to their enemies. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven, and in great mercy you sent them saviors who delivered them from their enemies.


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But when all was going well, your people turned to sin again, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever your people returned to you and cried to you for help, once more you listened from heaven, and in your wonderful mercy delivered them!


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You punished them in order to turn them toward your laws; but even though they should have obeyed them, they were proud and wouldn't listen, and continued to sin.


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You were patient with them for many years. You sent your prophets to warn them about their sins, but still they wouldn't listen. So once again you allowed the heathen nations to conquer them.


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But in your great mercy you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!


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"And now, O great and awesome God, you who keep your promises of love and kindness--do not let all the hardships we have gone through become as nothing to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and princes and priests and prophets and ancestors from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now.


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Every time you punished us you were being perfectly fair; we have sinned so greatly that you gave us only what we deserved.


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They did not worship you despite the wonderful things you did for them and the great goodness you showered upon them. You gave them a large, fat land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness.


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"So now we are slaves here in the land of plenty that you gave to our ancestors! Slaves among all this abundance!


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The lush yield of this land passes into the hands of the kings whom you have allowed to conquer us because of our sins. They have power over our bodies and our cattle, and we serve them at their pleasure and are in great misery.


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Because of all this, we again promise to serve the Lord! And we and our princes and Levites and priests put our names to this covenant."


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These men signed on behalf of the entire nation--for the common people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the choir members, the Temple servants, and all the rest who, with their wives and sons and daughters who were old enough to understand, had separated themselves from the heathen people of the land in order to serve God.


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For we all heartily agreed to this oath and vowed to accept the curse of God unless we obeyed God's laws as issued by his servant Moses.


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We also agreed not to let our daughters marry non-Jewish men and not to let our sons marry non-Jewish girls.


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We further agreed that if the heathen people in the land should bring any grain or other produce to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we would refuse to buy it. And we agreed not to do any work every seventh year and to forgive and cancel the debts of our brother Jews.


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We also agreed to charge ourselves annually with a Temple tax so that there would be enough money to care for the Temple of our God;


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for we needed supplies of the special Bread of the Presence, as well as grain offerings and burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moon feasts, and the annual feasts. We also needed to purchase the other items necessary for the work of the Temple and for the atonement of Israel.


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Then we tossed a coin to determine when--at regular times each year--the families of the priests, Levites, and leaders should supply the wood for the burnt offerings at the Temple as required in the law.


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We also agreed always to bring the first part of every crop to the Temple--whether it be a ground crop or from our fruit and olive trees.


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We agreed to give to God our oldest sons and the firstborn of all our cattle, herds, and flocks, just as the law requires; we presented them to the priests who minister in the Temple of our God.


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They stored the produce in the Temple of our God--the best of our grain crops, and other contributions, the first of our fruit, and the first of the new wine and olive oil. And we promised to bring to the Levites a tenth of everything our land produced, for the Levites were responsible to collect the tithes in all our rural towns.


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A priest--a descendant of Aaron--would be with the Levites as they received these tithes, and a tenth of all that was collected as tithes was delivered to the Temple and placed in the storage areas.


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The people and the Levites were required by law to bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple and place them in the sacred containers for use by the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the choir singers. So we agreed together not to neglect the Temple of our God.


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The Israeli officials were living in Jerusalem, the Holy City, at this time; but now a tenth of the people from the other cities and towns of Judah and Benjamin were selected by lot to live there too.


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Following is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to Jerusalem (though most of the leaders, the priests, the Levites, the Temple assistants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants continued to live in their own homes in the various cities of Judah).


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Leaders from the tribe of Judah: Athaiah (son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez);


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Maaseiah (son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite).


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Leaders from the tribe of Benjamin: Sallu (son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah).


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Seraiah (son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub the chief priest).


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And there were 242 priests under the leadership of Adaiah (son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah).


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There were also 128 stalwart men under the leadership of Amashsai (son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer); who was assisted by Zabdiel (son of Haggedolim).


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Mattaniah (son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph) was the one who began the thanksgiving services with prayer; Bakbukiah and Abda (son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun) were his assistants.


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The supervisor of the Levites in Jerusalem and of those serving at the Temple was Uzzi (son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica), a descendant of Asaph, whose clan became the Tabernacle singers.


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Pethahiah (son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah, a son of Judah) assisted in all matters of public administration.


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Some of the towns where the people of Judah lived were:  Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel (and their surrounding villages),


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Zanoah, Adullam (and their surrounding villages), Lachish and its nearby fields, Azekah and its towns. So the people spread from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.


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The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived at:  Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel (and its surrounding villages),


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Here is a list of the priests who accompanied Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel) and Jeshua:  Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,


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The Levites who went with them were:  Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah--who was the one in charge of the thanksgiving service.


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Jeshua was the father of Joiakim; Joiakim was the father of Eliashib; Eliashib was the father of Joiada;


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The following were the clan leaders of the priests who served under the High Priest Joiakim: Meraiah, leader of the Seraiah clan; Hananiah, leader of the Jeremiah clan;


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A genealogical record of the heads of the clans of the priests and Levites was compiled during the reign of King Darius of Persia, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua--all of whom were Levites.


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In The Book of the Chronicles the Levite names were recorded down to the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.


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These were the chiefs of the Levites at that time:  Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua (son of Kadmiel). Their fellow-clansmen helped them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, just as commanded by David, the man of God.


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The gatekeepers who had charge of the collection centers at the gates were:  Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub.


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These were the men who were active in the time of Joiakim (son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak), and when I was the governor, and when Ezra was the priest and teacher of religion.


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During the dedication of the new Jerusalem wall, all the Levites throughout the land came to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies and to take part in the joyous occasion with their thanksgiving, cymbals, psalteries, and harps.


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The choir members also came to Jerusalem from the surrounding villages and from the villages of the Netophathites;


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they also came from Beth-gilgal and the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own villages as suburbs of Jerusalem.


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I led the Judean leaders to the top of the wall and divided them into two long lines to walk in opposite directions along the top of the wall, giving thanks as they went.


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The priests who played the trumpets were Zechariah (son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph),


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Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. (They used the original musical instruments of King David.) Ezra the priest led this procession.


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When they arrived at the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead and climbed the stairs that go up beside the castle to the old City of David; then they went to the Water Gate on the east.


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The other group, of which I was a member, went around the other way to meet them. We walked from the Tower of Furnaces to the Broad Wall,


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then from the Ephraim Gate to the Old Gate, passed the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and went on to the gate of the Tower of the Hundred; then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Prison Gate.


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the trumpet-playing priests-- Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah,


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and by the singers-- Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. They sang loudly and clearly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choirmaster.


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Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given us cause for great joy. The women and children rejoiced, too, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem was heard far away!


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On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the treasuries, the wave offerings, the tithes, and first-of-the-harvest offerings, and to collect these from the farms as decreed by the laws of Moses. These offerings were assigned to the priests and Levites, for the people of Judah appreciated the priests and Levites and their ministry.


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They also appreciated the work of the singers and gatekeepers, who assisted them in worshiping God and performing the purification ceremonies as required by the laws of David and his son Solomon.


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(It was in the days of David and Asaph that the custom began of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanks to God.)


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So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, the people brought a daily supply of food for the members of the choir, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests.


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On that same day, as the laws of Moses were being read, the people found a statement which said that the Ammonites and Moabites should never be permitted to worship at the Temple.


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For they had not been friendly to the people of Israel. Instead, they had hired Balaam to curse them--although God turned the curse into a blessing.


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Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as custodian of the Temple storerooms and who was also a good friend of Tobiah,


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had converted a storage room into a beautiful guest room for Tobiah. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, frankincense, bowls, and tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil. Moses had decreed that these offerings belonged to the priests, Levites, the members of the choir, and the gatekeepers.


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I was not in Jerusalem at the time, for I had returned to Babylon in the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes (though I later received his permission to go back again to Jerusalem).


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When I arrived back in Jerusalem and learned of this evil deed of Eliashib--that he had prepared a guest room in the Temple for Tobiah--


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Then I demanded that the room be thoroughly cleaned, and I brought back the Temple bowls, the grain offerings, and frankincense.


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I also learned that the Levites had not been given what was due them, so they and the choir singers who were supposed to conduct the worship services had returned to their farms.


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I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, "Why has the Temple been forsaken?" Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties.


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And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple treasury.


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I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite in charge of the administration of the storehouses; and I appointed Hanan (son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah) as their assistant. These men had an excellent reputation, and their job was to make an honest distribution to their fellow-Levites.


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One day I was on a farm and saw some men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, hauling in sheaves, and loading their donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce, which they took that day into Jerusalem. So I opposed them publicly.


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There were also some men from Tyre bringing in fish and all sorts of wares and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Jerusalem.


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Wasn't it enough that your fathers did this sort of thing and brought the present evil days upon us and upon our city? And now you are bringing more wrath upon the people of Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way."


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So from then on I commanded that the gates of the city be shut as darkness fell on Friday evenings and not be opened until the Sabbath had ended; and I sent some of my servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day.


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but I spoke sharply to them and said, "What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you." And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath.


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Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the sanctity of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed, O my God! Have compassion upon me in accordance with your great goodness.


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About the same time I realized that some of the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab,


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and that many of their children spoke in the language of Ashdod and couldn't speak the language of Judah at all.


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So I confronted these parents and cursed them and punched a few of them and knocked them around and pulled out their hair; and they vowed before God that they would not let their children intermarry with non-Jews.


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"Wasn't this exactly King Solomon's problem?" I demanded. "There was no king who could compare with him, and God loved him and made him the king over all Israel; but even so he was led into idolatry by foreign women.


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One of the sons of Jehoiada (the son of Eliashib the High Priest) was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I chased him out of the Temple.


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Remember them, O my God, for they have defiled the priesthood and the promises and vows of the priests and Levites.


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So I purged out the foreigners and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work.


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They supplied wood for the altar at the proper times and cared for the sacrifices and the first offerings of every harvest. Remember me, my God, with your kindness.


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It was the third year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, emperor of vast Media-Persia, with its 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.


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This was the year of the great celebration at Shushan Palace, to which the emperor invited all his governors, aides, and army officers, bringing them in from every part of Media-Persia for the occasion.


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When it was all over, the king gave a special party for the palace servants and officials--janitors and cabinet officials alike--for seven days of revelry, held in the courtyard of the palace garden.


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The decorations were green, white, and blue, fastened with purple ribbons tied to silver rings imbedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver benches stood on pavements of black, red, white, and yellow marble.


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Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, for the king was feeling very generous.


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The only restriction on the drinking was that no one should be compelled to take more than he wanted, but those who wished could have as much as they pleased. For the king had instructed his officers to let everyone decide this matter for himself.


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On the final day when the king was feeling high, half drunk from wine, he told the seven eunuchs who were his personal aides--Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas--


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to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown upon her head so that all the men could gaze upon her beauty--for she was a very beautiful woman.


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But when they conveyed the emperor's order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. The king was furious


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but first consulted his lawyers, for he did nothing without their advice. They were men of wisdom who knew the temper of the times as well as Persian law and justice, and the king trusted their judgment.


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These men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan--seven high officials of Media-Persia. They were his personal friends as well as being the chief officers of the government.


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"What shall we do about this situation?" he asked them. "What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king's orders, properly sent through his aides?"


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Memucan answered for the others, "Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but every official and citizen of your empire.


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For women everywhere will begin to disobey their husbands when they learn what Queen Vashti has done.


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And before this day is out, the wife of every one of us officials throughout your empire will hear what the queen did and will start talking to us husbands the same way, and there will be contempt and anger throughout your realm.


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We suggest that, subject to your agreement, you issue a royal edict, a law of the Medes and Persians that can never be changed, that Queen Vashti be forever banished from your presence and that you choose another queen more worthy than she.


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When this decree is published throughout your great kingdom, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will be respected by their wives!"


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and sent letters to all of his provinces, in all the local languages, stressing that every man should rule his home and should assert his authority.


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But after King Ahasuerus' anger had cooled, he began brooding over the loss of Vashti, realizing that he would never see her again.


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So his aides suggested, "Let us go and find the most beautiful girls in the empire and bring them to the king for his pleasure.


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We will appoint agents in each province to select young lovelies for the royal harem. Hegai, the eunuch in charge, will see that they are given beauty treatments,


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and after that, the girl who pleases you most shall be the queen instead of Vashti." This suggestion naturally pleased the king very much, and he put the plan into immediate effect.


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Now there was a certain Jew at the palace named Mordecai (son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite).


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He had been captured when Jerusalem was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar and had been exiled to Babylon along with King Jeconiah of Judah and many others.


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This man had a beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah (also called Esther), whose father and mother were dead, and whom he had adopted into his family and raised as his own daughter.


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So now, as a result of the king's decree, Esther was brought to the king's harem at Shushan Palace along with many other young girls.


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Hegai, who was responsible for the harem, was very much impressed with her and did his best to make her happy; he ordered a special menu for her, favored her for the beauty treatments, gave her seven girls from the palace as her maids, and gave her the most luxurious apartment in the harem.


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He came daily to the court of the harem to ask about Esther and to find out what was happening to her.


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The instructions concerning these girls were that before being taken to the king's bed, each would be given six months of beauty treatments with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments.


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Then, as each girl's turn came for spending the night with King Ahasuerus, she was given her choice of clothing or jewelry she wished, to enhance her beauty.


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She was taken to the king's apartment in the evening and the next morning returned to the second harem where the king's wives lived. There she was under the care of Shaashgaz, another of the king's eunuchs and lived there the rest of her life, never seeing the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and called for her by name.


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When it was Esther's turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem, dressing according to his instructions. And all the other girls exclaimed with delight when they saw her.


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Well, the king loved Esther more than any of the other girls. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti.


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To celebrate the occasion, he threw another big party for all his officials and servants, giving generous gifts to everyone and making grants to the provinces in the form of remission of taxes.


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Later the king demanded a second bevy of beautiful girls. By that time Mordecai had become a government official.


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Esther still hadn't told anyone she was a Jewess, for she was still following Mordecai's orders, just as she had in his home.


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One day as Mordecai was on duty at the palace, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh--who were guards at the palace gate--became angry at the king and plotted to assassinate him.


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Mordecai heard about it and passed on the information to Queen Esther, who told the king, crediting Mordecai with the information.


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An investigation was made, the two men found guilty, and impaled alive. This was all duly recorded in the book of the history of King Ahasuerus' reign.


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Soon afterwards King Ahasuerus appointed Haman (son of Hammedatha the Agagite) as prime minister. He was the most powerful official in the empire next to the king himself.


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Now all the king's officials bowed before him in deep reverence whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow.


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day after day, but he still refused. Finally they spoke to Haman about it to see whether Mordecai could get away with it because of his being a Jew, which was the excuse he had given them.


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but decided not to lay hands on Mordecai alone, but to move against all of Mordecai's people, the Jews, and destroy all of them throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.


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The most propitious time for this action was determined by throwing dice. This was done in April of the twelfth year of the reign of Ahasuerus, and February of the following year was the date indicated.


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Haman now approached the king about the matter. "There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your kingdom," he began, "and their laws are different from those of any other nation, and they refuse to obey the king's laws; therefore, it is not in the king's interest to let them live.


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If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will pay $20,000,000 into the royal treasury for the expenses involved in this purge."


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The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his ring from his finger and giving it to Haman, telling him,


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Two or three weeks later, Haman called in the king's secretaries and dictated letters to the governors and officials throughout the empire, to each province in its own languages and dialects; these letters were signed in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his ring.


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They were then sent by messengers into all the provinces of the empire, decreeing that the Jews--young and old, women and children--must all be killed on the 28th day of February of the following year and their property given to those who killed them.


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"A copy of this edict," the letter stated, "must be proclaimed as law in every province and made known to all your people, so that they will be ready to do their duty on the appointed day."


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The edict went out by the king's speediest couriers, after being first proclaimed in the city of Shushan. Then the king and Haman sat down for a drinking spree as the city fell into confusion and panic.


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When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail.


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Then he stood outside the gate of the palace, for no one was permitted to enter in mourning clothes.


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And throughout all the provinces there was great mourning among the Jews, fasting, weeping, and despair at the king's decree; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.


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When Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed and sent clothing to him to replace the sackcloth, but he refused it.


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Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant, and told him to go out to Mordecai and find out what the trouble was and why he was acting like that.


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and heard the whole story from him, and about the $20,000,000 Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasury for the destruction of the Jews.


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Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the king's decree dooming all Jews, and told him to show it to Esther and to tell her what was happening and that she should go to the king to plead for her people.


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"All the world knows that anyone, whether man or woman, who goes into the king's inner court without his summons is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter; and the king has not called for me to come to him in more than a month."


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This was Mordecai's reply to Esther: "Do you think you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed?


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If you keep quiet at a time like this, God will deliver the Jews from some other source, but you and your relatives will die; what's more, who can say but that God has brought you into the palace for just such a time as this?"


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"Go and gather together all the Jews of Shushan and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; and I and my maids will do the same; and then, though it is strictly forbidden, I will go in to see the king; and if I perish, I perish."


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Three days later Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court just beyond the royal hall of the palace, where the king was sitting upon his royal throne.


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And when he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her, holding out the golden scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched its tip.


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Then the king asked her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!"


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And Esther replied, "If it please Your Majesty, I want you and Haman to come to a banquet I have prepared for you today."


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The king turned to his aides. "Tell Haman to hurry!" he said. So the king and Haman came to Esther's banquet.


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During the wine course the king said to Esther, "Now tell me what you really want, and I will give it to you, even if it is half of the kingdom!"


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that if Your Majesty loves me and wants to grant my request, that you come again with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I shall prepare for you. And tomorrow I will explain what this is all about."


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What a happy man was Haman as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai there at the gate, not standing up or trembling before him, he was furious.


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However, he restrained himself, went on home, and gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,


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and boasted to them about his wealth, his many children, and promotions the king had given him, and how he had become the greatest man in the kingdom next to the king himself.


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Then he delivered his punch line: "Yes, and Esther the queen invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us; and tomorrow we are invited again!


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But yet," he added, "all this is nothing when I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there in front of the king's gate, refusing to bow to me."


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"Well," suggested Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends, "get ready a 75-foot-high gallows, and in the morning ask the king to let you hang Mordecai on it; and when this is done you can go on your merry way with the king to the banquet." This pleased Haman immensely, and he ordered the gallows built.


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That night the king had trouble sleeping and decided to read awhile. He ordered the historical records of his kingdom from the library,


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and in them he came across the item telling how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, watchmen at the palace gates, who had plotted to assassinate him.


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"Who is on duty in the outer court?" the king inquired. Now, as it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai from the gallows he was building.


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So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would he want to honor more than me?"


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So he replied, "Bring out some of the royal robes the king himself has worn, and the king's own horse, and the royal crown,


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and instruct one of the king's most noble princes to robe the man and to lead him through the streets on the king's own horse, shouting before him, 'This is the way the king honors those who truly please him!' "


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"Excellent!" the king said to Haman. "Hurry and take these robes and my horse, and do just as you have said--to Mordecai the Jew, who works at the Chancellery. Follow every detail you have suggested."


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So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, and mounted him on the king's own steed, and led him through the streets of the city, shouting, "This is the way the king honors those he delights in."


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When Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends what had happened, they said, "If Mordecai is a Jew, you will never succeed in your plans against him; to continue to oppose him will be fatal."


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While they were still discussing it with him, the king's messengers arrived to conduct Haman quickly to the banquet Esther had prepared.


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Again, during the wine course, the king asked her, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? What do you wish? Whatever it is, I will give it to you, even if it is half of my kingdom!"


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And at last Queen Esther replied, "If I have won your favor, O king, and if it please Your Majesty, save my life and the lives of my people.


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For I and my people have been sold to those who will destroy us. We are doomed to destruction and slaughter. If we were only to be sold as slaves, perhaps I could remain quiet, though even then there would be incalculable damage to the king that no amount of money could begin to cover."


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Esther replied, "This wicked Haman is our enemy." Then Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen.


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The king jumped to his feet and went out into the palace garden as Haman stood up to plead for his life to Queen Esther, for he knew that he was doomed.


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In despair he fell upon the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king returned from the palace garden. "Will he even rape the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?" the king roared. Instantly the death veil was placed over Haman's face.


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Then Harbona, one of the king's aides, said, "Sir, Haman has just ordered a 75-foot gallows constructed, to hang Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination! It stands in Haman's courtyard." "Hang Haman on it," the king ordered.


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On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the estate of Haman, the Jews' enemy, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king that he was her cousin and foster father.


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The king took off his ring--which he had taken back from Haman--and gave it to Mordecai  appointing him Prime Minister; and Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's estate.


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And now once more Esther came before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop Haman's plot against the Jews.


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and said, "If it please Your Majesty, and if you love me, send out a decree reversing Haman's order to destroy the Jews throughout the king's provinces.


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Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "I have given Esther the palace of Haman, and he has been hanged upon the gallows because he tried to destroy you.


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Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews, telling them whatever you want to in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring so that it can never be reversed."


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Immediately the king's secretaries were called in--it was now the 23rd day of the month of July--and they wrote as Mordecai dictated--a decree to the Jews and to the officials, governors, and princes of all the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 in all: the decree was translated into the languages and dialects of all the people of the kingdom.


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Mordecai wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed the message with the king's ring and sent the letters by swift carriers--riders on camels, mules, and young dromedaries used in the king's service.


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This decree gave the Jews everywhere permission to unite in the defense of their lives and their families, to destroy all the forces opposed to them, and to take their property.


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The day chosen for this throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus was the 28th day of February!


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It further stated that a copy of this decree, which must be recognized everywhere as law, must be broadcast to all the people so that the Jews would be ready and prepared to overcome their enemies.


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So the mail went out swiftly, carried by the king's couriers and speeded by the king's commandment. The same decree was also issued at Shushan Palace.


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Then Mordecai put on the royal robes of blue and white and the great crown of gold, with an outer cloak of fine linen and purple, and went out from the presence of the king through the city streets filled with shouting people.


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And in every city and province, as the king's decree arrived, the Jews were filled with joy and had a great celebration and declared a holiday. And many of the people of the land pretended to be Jews, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.


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So on the 28th day of February, the day the two decrees of the king were to be put into effect--the day the Jews' enemies had hoped to vanquish them, though it turned out quite to the contrary--


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the Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to defend themselves against any who might try to harm them; but no one tried, for they were greatly feared.


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And all the rulers of the provinces--the governors, officials, and aides--helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai;


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for Mordecai was a mighty name in the king's palace and his fame was known throughout all the provinces, for he had become more and more powerful.


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They also killed the ten sons of Haman (son of Hammedatha), the Jews' enemy-- Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha. But they did not try to take Haman's property.


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he called for Queen Esther. "The Jews have killed 500 men in Shushan alone," he exclaimed, "and also Haman's ten sons. If they have done that here, I wonder what has happened in the rest of the provinces! But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you. Tell me and I will do it."


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And Esther said, "If it please Your Majesty, let the Jews who are here at Shushan do again tomorrow as they have done today, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows."


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So the king agreed, and the decree was announced at Shushan, and they hung up the bodies of Haman's ten sons.


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Then the Jews at Shushan gathered together the next day also and killed 300 more men, though again they took no property.


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Meanwhile the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered together and stood for their lives and destroyed all their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not take their goods.


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Throughout the provinces this was done on the 28th day of February, and the next day they rested, celebrating their victory with feasting and gladness.


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But the Jews at Shushan went on killing their enemies the second day also and rested the next day, with feasting and gladness.


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And so it is that the Jews in the unwalled villages throughout Israel to this day have an annual celebration on the second day when they rejoice and send gifts to each other.


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Mordecai wrote a history of all these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the king's provinces,


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to celebrate with feasting, gladness, and the giving of gifts these historic days when the Jews were saved from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned to gladness and their mourning into happiness.


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as a reminder of the time when Haman (son of Hammedatha the Agagite), the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted to destroy them at the time determined by a throw of the dice;


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and to remind them that when the matter came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman's plot to boomerang, and he and his sons were hanged on the gallows.


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That is why this celebration is called "Purim" because the word for "throwing dice" in Persian is pur.


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All the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews; they declared they would never fail to celebrate these two days at the appointed time each year.


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It would be an annual event from generation to generation, celebrated by every family throughout the countryside and cities of the empire, so that the memory of what had happened would never perish from the Jewish race.


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Meanwhile Queen Esther (daughter of Abihail and later adopted by Mordecai the Jew) had written a letter throwing her full support behind Mordecai's letter inaugurating his annual Feast of Purim.


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In addition, letters were sent to all the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus with messages of good will and encouragement


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to confirm these two days annually as the Feast of Purim, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and by Queen Esther; indeed, the Jews themselves had decided upon this tradition as a remembrance of the time of their national fasting and prayer.


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His great deeds, and also the full account of the greatness of Mordecai and the honors given him by the king, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia.


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Mordecai the Jew was the Prime Minister, with authority next to that of King Ahasuerus himself. He was, of course, very great among the Jews and respected by all his countrymen because he did his best for his people and was a friend at court for all of them.


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and was immensely wealthy, for he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest cattleman in that entire area.


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Every year when Job's sons had birthdays, they invited their brothers and sisters to their homes for a celebration. On these occasions they would eat and drink with great merriment.


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When these birthday parties ended--and sometimes they lasted several days--Job would summon his children to him and sanctify them, getting up early in the morning and offering a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and turned away from God in their hearts." This was Job's regular practice.


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One day as the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the Accuser, came with them.


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"Where have you come from?" the Lord asked Satan. And Satan replied, "From Earth, where I've been watching everything that's going on."


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Then the Lord asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth--a good man who fears God and will have nothing to do with evil."


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"You have always protected him and his home and his property from all harm. You have prospered everything he does--look how rich he is! No wonder he 'worships' you!


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And the Lord replied to Satan, "You may do anything you like with his wealth, but don't harm him physically." So Satan went away;


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and sure enough, not long afterwards when Job's sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother's house, tragedy struck.


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A messenger rushed to Job's home with this news: "Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them,


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when the Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals, and killed all the farmhands except me. I am the only one left."


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While this messenger was still speaking, another arrived with more bad news: "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the herdsmen, and I alone have escaped to tell you."


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Before this man finished, still another messenger rushed in: "Three bands of Chaldeans have driven off your camels and killed your servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you."


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As he was still speaking, another arrived to say, "Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home,


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when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and engulfed the house so that the roof fell in on them and all are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you."


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"I came naked from my mother's womb," he said, "and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."


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"Where have you come from?" the Lord asked Satan. "From Earth, where I've been watching everything that's going on," Satan replied.


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"Well, have you noticed my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "He is the finest man in all the earth--a good man who fears God and turns away from all evil. And he has kept his faith in me despite the fact that you persuaded me to let you harm him without any cause."


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"Skin for skin," Satan replied. "A man will give anything to save his life. Touch his body with sickness, and he will curse you to your face!"


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So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot.


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His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to be godly when God has done all this to you? Curse him and die."


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But he replied, "You talk like some heathen woman. What? Shall we receive only pleasant things from the hand of God and never anything unpleasant?" So in all this Job said nothing wrong.


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When three of Job's friends heard of all the tragedy that had befallen him, they got in touch with each other and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.


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Job was so changed that they could scarcely recognize him. Wailing loudly in despair, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air and put earth on their heads to demonstrate their sorrow.


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Then they sat upon the ground with him silently for seven days and nights, no one speaking a word; for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.


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May it be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the month of that year.


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Let the stars of the night disappear. Let it long for light but never see it, never see the morning light.


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Curse it for its failure to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to come to all this trouble.


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along with prime ministers and kings with all their pomp, and wealthy princes whose castles are full of rich treasures.


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"Oh, why should light and life be given to those in misery and bitterness, who long for death, and it won't come; who search for death as others search for food or money?


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Why is a man allowed to be born if God is only going to give him a hopeless life of uselessness and frustration?


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and have encouraged those who are weak or falling, or lie crushed upon the ground or are tempted to despair.


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"At such a time as this should not trust in God still be your confidence? Shouldn't you believe that God will care for those who are good?


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Stop and think! Have you ever known a truly good and innocent person who was punished? Experience teaches that it is those who sow sin and trouble who harvest the same.


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I felt the spirit's presence, but couldn't see it standing there. Then out of the dreadful silence came this voice:


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"If God cannot trust his own messengers (for even angels make mistakes), how much less men made of dust, who are crushed to death as easily as moths!


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They are alive in the morning, but by evening they are dead, gone forever with hardly a thought from anyone.


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"How enviable the man whom God corrects! Oh, do not despise the chastening of the Lord when you sin.


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For the Lord has struck me down with his arrows; he has sent his poisoned arrows deep within my heart. All God's terrors are arrayed against me.


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a man complains when there is no salt in his food. And how tasteless is the uncooked white of an egg--


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"Oh, that God would grant the thing I long for most--to die beneath his hand and be freed from his painful grip.


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This, at least, gives me comfort despite all the pain--that I have not denied the words of the holy God.


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"One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you have accused me without the slightest fear of God.


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When caravans from Tema and from Sheba stop for water there, their hopes are dashed. And so my hopes in you are dashed--you turn away from me in terror and refuse to help.


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"It is wonderful to speak the truth, but your criticisms are not based on fact. Are you going to condemn me just because I impulsively cried out in desperation?


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"Has my sin harmed you, O God, Watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your target, and made my life so heavy a burden to me?


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Why not just pardon my sin and take it all away? For all too soon I'll lie down in the dust and die, and when you look for me, I shall be gone."


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if you were pure and good, he would hear your prayer and answer you and bless you with a happy home.


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for we were born but yesterday and know so little; our days here on earth are as transient as shadows.


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But the wisdom of the past will teach you. The experience of others will speak to you, reminding you that


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those who forget God have no hope. They are like rushes without any mire to grow in; or grass without water to keep it alive. Suddenly it begins to wither, even before it is cut.


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"Yes, I know all that. You're not telling me anything new. But how can a man be truly good in the eyes of God?


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When he sends death to snatch a man away, who can stop him? Who dares to ask him, 'What are you doing?'


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The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked. God blinds the eyes of the judges and lets them be unfair. If not he, then who?


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then he would pour even greater sorrows upon me. For I know that you will not hold me innocent, O God,


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Even if I were to wash myself with purest water and cleanse my hands with lye to make them utterly clean,


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even so you would plunge me into the ditch and mud; and even my clothing would be less filthy than you consider me to be!


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"And I cannot defend myself, for you are no mere man as I am. If you were, then we could discuss it fairly,


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Does it really seem right to you to oppress and despise me, a man you have made; and to send joy and prosperity to the wicked?


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'Yet all the time your real motive in making me was to destroy me if I sinned, and to refuse to forgive my iniquity.


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Just the slightest wickedness, and I am done for. And if I'm good, that doesn't count. I am filled with frustration.


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Again and again you witness against me and pour out an ever-increasing volume of wrath upon me and bring fresh armies against me.


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Then I would have been spared this miserable existence. I would have gone directly from the womb to the grave.


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Can't you see how little time I have left? Oh, let me alone that I may have a little moment of comfort


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a land as dark as midnight, a land of the shadow of death where only confusion reigns and where the brightest light is dark as midnight.' "


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Oh, that he would make you truly see yourself, for he knows everything you've done. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!


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"Do you know the mind and purposes of God? Will long searching make them known to you? Are you qualified to judge the Almighty?


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He is as faultless as heaven is high--but who are you? His mind is fathomless--what can you know in comparison?


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"Before you turn to God and stretch out your hands to him, get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you.


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Only then, without the spots of sin to defile you, can you walk steadily forward to God without fear.


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Well, I know a few things myself--you are no better than I am. And who doesn't know these things you've been saying?


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I, the man who begged God for help, and God answered him, have become a laughingstock to my neighbors. Yes, I, a righteous man, am now the man they scoff at.


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For robbers prosper. Go ahead and provoke God--it makes no difference! He will supply your every need anyway!


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"And how great is his might! What he destroys can't be rebuilt. When he closes in on a man, there is no escape.


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He takes away the understanding of presidents and kings, and leaves them wandering, lost and groping, without a guiding light.


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"Must you go on 'speaking for God' when he never once has said the things that you are putting in his mouth?


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Be careful that he doesn't find out what you are doing! Or do you think you can fool God as well as men?


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These tremendous statements you have made have about as much value as ashes. Your defense of God is as fragile as a clay vase!


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God may kill me for saying this--in fact, I expect him to. Nevertheless, I am going to argue my case with him.


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This at least will be in my favor, that I am not godless, to be rejected instantly from his presence.


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Who can argue with me over this? If you could prove me wrong, I would stop defending myself and die.


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You send me to prison and shut me in on every side. I am like a fallen, rotten tree, like a moth-eaten coat.


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He blossoms for a moment like a flower--and withers; as the shadow of a passing cloud, he quickly disappears.


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You have set mankind so brief a span of life--months is all you give him! Not one bit longer may he live.


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So give him a little rest, won't you? Turn away your angry gaze and let him have a few moments of relief before he dies.


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Though its roots have grown old in the earth, and its stump decays, it may sprout and bud again at the touch of water, like a new seedling.


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so a man lies down for the last time and does not rise again until the heavens are no more; he shall not awaken, nor be roused from his sleep.


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Oh, that you would hide me with the dead and forget me there until your anger ends; but mark your calendar to think of me again!


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"If a man dies, shall he live again? This thought gives me hope, so that in all my anguish I eagerly await sweet death!


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"Mountains wear away and disappear. Water grinds the stones to sand. Torrents tear away the soil. So every hope of man is worn away.


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Always you are against him, and then he passes off the scene. You make him old and wrinkled, then send him away.


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"You are supposed to be a wise man, and yet you give us all this foolish talk. You are nothing but a windbag.


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Have you no fear of God? No reverence for him? Your sins are telling your mouth what to say! Your words are based on clever deception,


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Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Are you called into his counsel room? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?


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Why, God doesn't even trust the angels! Even the heavens can't be absolutely pure compared with him!


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How much less someone like you, who is corrupt and sinful, drinking in sin as a sponge soaks up water!


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confirmed by the experience of wise men who have been told this same thing from their fathers--our ancestors


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He wanders around begging for food. He lives in fear, distress, and anguish. His enemies conquer him as a king defeats his foes.


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Armed with his tin shield, he clenches his fist against God, defying the Almighty, stubbornly assaulting him.


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"This wicked man is fat and rich, and has lived in conquered cities after killing off their citizens.


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No, darkness shall overtake him forever; the breath of God shall destroy him; the flames shall burn up all he has.


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"Let him no longer trust in foolish riches; let him no longer deceive himself, for the money he trusts in will be his only reward.


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For the godless are barren: they can produce nothing truly good. God's fire consumes them with all their possessions.


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But perhaps I'd sermonize the same as you--if you were I and I were you. I would spout off my criticisms against you and shake my head at you.


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God hates me and angrily tears at my flesh; he has gnashed upon me with his teeth and watched to snuff out any sign of life.


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These 'comforters' have gaping jaws to swallow me; they slap my cheek. My enemies gather themselves against me.


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"I was living quietly until he broke me apart. He has taken me by the neck and dashed me to pieces, then hung me up as his target.


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Will no one anywhere confirm my innocence? But you, O God, have kept them back from understanding this. Oh, do not let them triumph.


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Fair-minded men are astonished when they see me. "Yet, finally, the innocent shall come out on top, above the godless;


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the righteous shall move onward and forward; those with pure hearts shall become stronger and stronger.


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"If I die, I go out into darkness, and call the grave my father, and the worm my mother and my sister.


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Just because you tear your clothes in anger, is this going to start an earthquake? Shall we all go and hide?


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"The truth remains that if you do not prosper, it is because you are wicked. And your bright flame shall be put out.


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Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope!


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You have tried to make me feel ashamed of myself for calling you a sinner, but my spirit won't let me stop.


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yet he shall perish forever, cast away like his own dung. Those who knew him will wonder where he is gone.


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The arrow is pulled from his body--and the glittering point comes out from his gall. The terrors of death are upon him.


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"His treasures will be lost in deepest darkness. A raging fire will devour his goods, consuming all he has left.


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they spend their time singing and dancing. They are wealthy and need deny themselves nothing; they are prosperous to the end.


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"Look, everything the wicked touch has turned to gold! But I refuse even to deal with people like that.


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Yet the wicked get away with it every time. They never have trouble, and God skips them when he distributes his sorrows and anger.


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'Well,' you say, 'at least God will punish their children!' But I say that God should punish the man who sins, not his children! Let him feel the penalty himself.


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Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?


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"For instance, you must have refused to loan money to needy friends unless they gave you all their clothing as a pledge--yes, you must have stripped them to the bone.


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But no doubt you gave men of importance anything they wanted and let the wealthy live wherever they chose.


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But you reply, 'That is why he can't see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness?


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For thick clouds swirl about him so that he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.'


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"Don't you realize that those treading the ancient paths of sin are snatched away in youth, and the foundations of their lives washed out forever?


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(God forbid that I should say a thing like that.) Yet they forgot that he had filled their homes with good things.


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"Quit quarreling with God! Agree with him and you will have peace at last! His favor will surround you if you will only admit that you were wrong.


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If you are attacked and knocked down, you will know that there is someone who will lift you up again. Yes, he will save the humble


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"My complaint today is still a bitter one, and my punishment far more severe than my fault deserves.


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I would tell him all about my side of this argument, and listen to his reply, and understand what he wants.


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I seek him in his workshop in the North but cannot find him there; nor can I find him in the South; there, too, he hides himself.


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But he knows every detail of what is happening to me; and when he has examined me, he will pronounce me completely innocent--as pure as solid gold!


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Nevertheless, his mind concerning me remains unchanged, and who can turn him from his purposes? Whatever he wants to do, he does.


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God has given me a fainting heart; he, the Almighty, has terrified me with darkness all around me, thick, impenetrable darkness everywhere.


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and even the donkeys of the poor and fatherless are taken. Poor widows must surrender the little they have as a pledge to get a loan.


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Like the wild donkeys in the desert, the poor must spend all their time just getting barely enough to keep soul and body together. They are sent into the desert to search for food for their children.


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"The wicked snatch fatherless children from their mother's breasts, and take a poor man's baby as a pledge before they will loan him any money or grain.


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That is why they must go about naked, without clothing, and are forced to carry food while they are starving.


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They are forced to press out the olive oil without tasting it and to tread out the grape juice as they suffer from thirst.


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The bones of the dying cry from the city; the wounded cry for help; yet God does not respond to their moaning.


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They are murderers who rise in the early dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night they are thieves and adulterers,


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waiting for the twilight 'when no one will see me,' they say. They mask their faces so no one will know them.


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"But how quickly they disappear from the face of the earth. Everything they own is cursed. They leave no property for their children.


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Even the sinner's own mother shall forget him. Worms shall feed sweetly on him. No one will remember him any more. For wicked men are broken like a tree in the storm.


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For they have taken advantage of the childless who have no protecting sons. They refuse to help the needy widows.


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"Yet sometimes it seems as though God preserves the rich by his power and restores them to life when anyone else would die.


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But though they are very great now, yet in a moment they shall be gone like all others, cut off like heads of grain.


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How can mere man stand before God and claim to be righteous? Who in all the earth can boast that he is clean?


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"These are some of the minor things he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who then can withstand his thunder?"


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"I vow by the living God, who has taken away my rights, even the Almighty God who has embittered my soul,


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For he does not delight himself in the Almighty or pay any attention to God except in times of crisis.


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but really, I don't need to, for you yourselves know as much about him as I do; yet you are saying all these useless things to me.


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Those who survive shall be brought down to the grave by disease and plague, with no one to mourn them, not even their wives.


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yes, he may order them made by his tailor, but the innocent shall wear that clothing and shall divide his silver among them.


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Men know how to put light into darkness so that a mine shaft can be sunk into the earth, and the earth searched and its deep secrets explored.


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for they are deep within the mines. No wild animal has ever walked upon those treasures; no lion has set his paw there.


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Wisdom is far more valuable than gold and glass. It cannot be bought for jewels mounted in fine gold.


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For it is hid from the eyes of all mankind; even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.


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And God surely knows where it is to be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth, under all the heavens.


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He knows where wisdom is and declares it to all who will listen. He established it and examined it thoroughly.


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And this is what he says to all mankind: 'Look, to fear the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.' "


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"For I, as an honest judge, helped the poor in their need and the fatherless who had no one to help them.


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I helped those who were ready to perish, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows' hearts to sing for joy.


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They longed for me to speak as those in drought-time long for rain. They waited eagerly with open mouths.


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I told them what they should do and corrected them as their chief, or as a king instructs his army, and as one who comforts those who mourn.


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They are gaunt with famine and have been cast out into deserts and the wastelands, desolate and gloomy.


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These sons of theirs have also turned out to be fools, yes, children of no name, outcasts of civilization.


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For God has placed my life in jeopardy. These young men, having humbled me, now cast off all restraint before me.


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They block my road and do everything they can to hasten my calamity, knowing full well that I have no one to help me.


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"I live in terror now. They hold me in contempt, and my prosperity has vanished as a cloud before a strong wind.


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I expected my fall to be broken, just as one who falls stretches out his hand or cries for help in his calamity.


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I am black but not from sunburn. I stand up and cry to the assembly for help.  But I might as well save my breath,


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or if I have stepped off God's pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin,


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or if I have seen anyone freezing and not given him clothing or fleece from my sheep to keep him warm,


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if I have done any of these things, then let my arm be torn from its socket! Let my shoulder be wrenched out of place!


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Rather that than face the judgment sent by God; that I dread more than anything else. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?


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this, too, must be punished by the judges. For if I had done such things, it would mean that I denied the God of heaven.


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fearing the crowd and its contempt so that I refused to acknowledge my sin and do not go out of my way to help others--


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(oh, that there were someone who would listen to me and try to see my side of this argument. Look, I will sign my signature to my defense; now let the Almighty show me that I am wrong; let him approve the indictments made against me by my enemies.


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Then I would tell him exactly what I have done and why, presenting my defense as one he listens to).


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"Or if my land accuses me because I stole the fruit it bears, or if I have murdered its owners to get their land for myself,


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then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley." Job's words are ended.


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Then Elihu (son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the Clan of Ram) became angry because Job refused to admit he had sinned and to acknowledge that God had just cause for punishing him.


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But he was also angry with Job's three friends because they had been unable to answer Job's arguments and yet had condemned him.


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but it is not mere age that makes men wise. Rather, it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty that makes him intelligent.


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"I have waited all this time, listening very carefully to your arguments, but not one of them has convinced Job that he is a sinner or has proved that he is.


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Don't insist that I be cautious lest I insult someone, and don't make me flatter anyone. Let me be frank lest God should strike me dead.


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"Look, I am the one you were wishing for, someone to stand between you and God and to be both his representative and yours.


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You need not be frightened of me. I am not some person of renown to make you nervous and afraid. I, too, am made of common clay.


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You say God is using a fine-toothed comb to try to find a single fault, and so to count you as his enemy.


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"All right, here is my reply: In this very thing, you have sinned by speaking of God that way. For God is greater than man.


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causing them to change their minds, and keeping them from pride, and warning them of the penalties of sin, and keeping them from falling into some trap.


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so that a man loses all taste and appetite for food and doesn't care for even the daintiest dessert.


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"But if a messenger from heaven is there to intercede for him as a friend, to show him what is right,


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And when he prays to God, God will hear and answer and receive him with joy, and return him to his duties.


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But if you have anything to say at this point, go ahead. I want to hear it, for I am anxious to justify you.


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and we should choose to follow what is right. But first of all we must define among ourselves what is good.


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I am called a liar, even though I am innocent. I am horribly punished, even though I have not sinned.'


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For he doesn't care how great a man may be, and doesn't pay any more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all.


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In a moment they die, and at midnight great and small shall suddenly pass away, removed by no human hand.


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Without making a big issue over it, God simply shatters the greatest of men and puts others in their places.


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causing the cry of the poor to come to the attention of God. Yes, he hears the cries of those being oppressed.


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he may prevent a vile man from ruling, thus saving a nation from ruin, and he can depose an entire nation just as easily.


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"Must God tailor his justice to your demands? Must he change the order of the universe to suit your whims? The answer must be obvious even to you!


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"Do you think it is right for you to claim, 'I haven't sinned, but I'm no better off before God than if I had'?


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If you sin, does that shake the heavens and knock God from his throne? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have upon him?


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The oppressed may shriek beneath their wrongs and groan beneath the power of the rich; yet none of them cry to God, asking, 'Where is God my Maker who gives songs in the night


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"But when anyone does cry out this question to him, he never replies by instant punishment of the tyrants.


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and it is even more false to say that he doesn't see what is going on. He does bring about justice at last if you will only wait.


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"Let me go on and I will show you the truth of what I am saying. For I have not finished defending God!


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then he takes the trouble to point out to them the reason, what they have done that is wrong, or how they have behaved proudly.


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If they won't listen to him, they shall perish in battle and die because of their lack of good sense.


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"How he wanted to lure you away from danger into a wide and pleasant valley and to prosper you there.


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Watch out! Don't let your anger at others lead you into scoffing at God! Don't let your suffering embitter you at the only one who can deliver you.


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Do you really think that if you shout loudly enough against God, he will be ashamed and repent? Will this put an end to your chastisement?


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Turn back from evil, for it was to prevent you from getting into a life of evil that God sent this suffering.


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Do you understand the balancing of the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill? Do you know why you become warm when the south wind is blowing and everything is still?


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"You who think you know so much, teach the rest of us how we should approach God. For we are too dull to know!


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neither can we gaze at the terrible majesty of God breaking forth upon us from heaven, clothed in dazzling splendor.


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We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty, and yet he is so just and merciful that he does not destroy us.


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What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?


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"Who decreed the boundaries of the seas when they gushed from the depths? Who clothed them with clouds and thick darkness


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Has the location of the gates of Death been revealed to you? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!


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Where does the light come from, and how do you get there? Or tell me about the darkness. Where does it come from?


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But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced!


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"Have you visited the treasuries of the snow, or seen where hail is made and stored? For I have reserved it for the time when I will need it in war.


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Can you ensure the proper sequence of the seasons, or guide the constellation of the Bear with her satellites across the heavens?


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Who is wise enough to number all the clouds? Who can tilt the water jars of heaven, when everything is dust and clods?


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Can you stalk prey like a lioness, to satisfy the young lions' appetites as they lie in their dens or lie in wait in the jungle?


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Who provides for the ravens when their young cry out to God as they try to struggle up from their nest in hunger?


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Do you know how many months of pregnancy they have before they bow themselves to give birth to their young and carry their burden no longer?


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At the sound of the bugle he shouts, 'Aha!' He smells the battle when far away. He rejoices at the shouts of battle and the roar of the captain's commands.


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"Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? Or will you yield? Do you--God's critic--have the answers?"


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"Stand up like a man and brace yourself for battle. Let me ask you a question, and give me the answer.


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How ferocious he is among all of God's creation, so let whoever hopes to master him bring a sharp sword!


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"If you lay your hands upon him, you will long remember the battle that ensues and you will never try it again!


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No one dares to stir him up, let alone try to conquer him. And if no one can stand before him, who can stand before me?


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His overlapping scales are his pride, making a tight seal so no air can get between them, and nothing can penetrate.


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"When he sneezes, the sunlight sparkles like lightning across the vapor droplets. His eyes glow like sparks.


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Iron is nothing but straw to him, and brass is rotten wood. Arrows cannot make him flee. Slingstones are as ineffective as straw.


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His belly is covered with scales as sharp as shards; they tear up the ground as he drags through the mud.


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"He makes the water boil with his commotion. He churns the depths. He leaves a shining wake of froth behind him. One would think the sea was made of frost!


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You ask who it is who has so foolishly denied your providence. It is I. I was talking about things I knew nothing about and did not understand, things far too wonderful for me.


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After the Lord had finished speaking with Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "I am angry with you and with your two friends, for you have not been right in what you have said about me, as my servant Job was.


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Now take seven young bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves; and my servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf, and won't destroy you as I should because of your sin, your failure to speak rightly concerning my servant Job."


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So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer on their behalf.


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Then, when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his wealth and happiness! In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!


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Then all of his brothers, sisters, and former friends arrived and feasted with him in his home, consoling him for all his sorrow and comforting him because of all the trials the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.


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So the Lord blessed Job at the end of his life more than at the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.


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And in all the land there were no other girls as lovely as the daughters of Job; and their father put them into his will along with their brothers.


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Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men's advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God.


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But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.


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They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.


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For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom.


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For a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah, Christ the King.


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For the Lord declares, "This is the King of my choice, and I have enthroned him in Jerusalem, my holy city."


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His chosen one replies, "I will reveal the everlasting purposes of God, for the Lord has said to me, 'You are my Son. This is your Coronation Day. Today I am giving you your glory.' "


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Fall down before his Son and kiss his feet before his anger is roused and you perish. I am warning you--his wrath will soon begin. But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!


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A Psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom O Lord, so many are against me. So many seek to harm me. I have so many enemies.


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But Lord, you are my shield, my glory, and my only hope. You alone can lift my head, now bowed in shame.


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I will cry to him, "Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!" And he will slap them in the face, insulting them and breaking off their teeth.


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O God, you have declared me perfect in your eyes; you have always cared for me in my distress; now hear me as I call again. Have mercy on me. Hear my prayer.


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The Lord God asks, "Sons of men, will you forever turn my glory into shame by worshiping these silly idols, when every claim that's made for them is false?"


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Mark this well: The Lord has set apart the redeemed for himself. Therefore he will listen to me and answer when I call to him.


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Stand before the Lord in awe, and do not sin against him. Lie quietly upon your bed in silent meditation.


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Many say that God will never help us. Prove them wrong, O Lord, by letting the light of your face shine down upon us.


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Yes, the gladness you have given me is far greater than their joys at harvest time as they gaze at their bountiful crops.


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But as for me, I will come into your Temple protected by your mercy and your love; I will worship you with deepest awe.


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Lord, lead me as you promised me you would; otherwise my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, which way to turn.


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For they cannot speak one truthful word. Their hearts are filled to the brim with wickedness. Their suggestions are full of the stench of sin and death. Their tongues are filled with flatteries to gain their wicked ends.


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O God, hold them responsible. Catch them in their own traps; let them fall beneath the weight of their own transgressions, for they rebel against you.


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But make everyone rejoice who puts his trust in you. Keep them shouting for joy because you are defending them. Fill all who love you with your happiness.


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and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and with gloom. Oh, restore me soon.


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All my enemies shall be suddenly dishonored, terror-stricken, and disgraced. God will turn them back in shame.


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Don't let them pounce upon me as a lion would and maul me and drag me away with no one to rescue me.


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Then it would be right for you to let my enemies destroy me, crush me to the ground, and trample my life in the dust.


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Gather all peoples before you; sit high above them, judging their sins. But justify me publicly; establish my honor and truth before them all.


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End all wickedness, O Lord, and bless all who truly worship God; for you, the righteous God, look deep within the hearts of men and examine all their motives and their thoughts.


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The wicked man conceives an evil plot, labors with its dark details, and brings to birth his treachery and lies;


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Oh, how grateful and thankful I am to the Lord because he is so good. I will sing praise to the name of the Lord who is above all lords.


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You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example shame and silence your enemies!


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When I look up into the night skies and see the work of your fingers--the moon and the stars you have made--


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And yet you have made him only a little lower than the angels and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head.


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I will be glad, yes, filled with joy because of you. I will sing your praises, O Lord God above all gods.


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O enemies of mine, you are doomed forever. The Lord will destroy your cities; even the memory of them will disappear.


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All those who know your mercy, Lord, will count on you for help. For you have never yet forsaken those who trust in you.


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Oh, sing out your praises to the God who lives in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.


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He who avenges murder has an open ear to those who cry to him for justice. He does not ignore the prayers of men in trouble when they call to him for help.


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And now, O Lord, have mercy on me; see how I suffer at the hands of those who hate me. Lord, snatch me back from the jaws of death.


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Save me, so that I can praise you publicly before all the people at Jerusalem's gates and rejoice that you have rescued me.


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For the needs of the needy shall not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor shall not always be crushed.


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Make them tremble in fear; put the nations in their place until at last they know they are but puny men.


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Come and deal with all these proud and wicked men who viciously persecute the poor. Pour upon these men the evil they planned for others!


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For these men brag of all their evil lusts; they revile God and congratulate those the Lord abhors, whose only goal in life is money.


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These wicked men, so proud and haughty, seem to think that God is dead. They wouldn't think of looking for him!


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Yet there is success in everything they do, and their enemies fall before them. They do not see your punishment awaiting them.


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Their mouths are full of profanity and lies and fraud. They are always boasting of their evil plans.


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Like lions they crouch silently, waiting to pounce upon the poor. Like hunters they catch their victims in their traps.


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Why do you let the wicked get away with this contempt for God? For they think that God will never call them to account.


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Lord, you see what they are doing. You have noted each evil act. You know what trouble and grief they have caused. Now punish them. O Lord, the poor man trusts himself to you; you are known as the helper of the helpless.


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Lord, you know the hopes of humble people. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort their hearts by helping them.


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You will be with the orphans and all who are oppressed, so that mere earthly man will terrify them no longer.


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For the wicked have strung their bows, drawn their arrows tight against the bowstrings, and aimed from ambush at the people of God.


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But the Lord is still in his holy temple; he still rules from heaven. He closely watches everything that happens here on earth.


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But the Lord will not deal gently with people who act like that; he will destroy those proud liars who say, "We will lie to our hearts' content. Our lips are our own; who can stop us?"


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The Lord replies, "I will arise and defend the oppressed, the poor, the needy. I will rescue them as they have longed for me to do."


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The Lord's promise is sure. He speaks no careless word; all he says is purest truth, like silver seven times refined.


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That man is a fool who says to himself, "There is no God!" Anyone who talks like that is warped and evil and cannot really be a good person at all.


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The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please God.


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Oh, that the time of their rescue were already here, that God would come from Zion now to save his people. What gladness when the Lord has rescued Israel!


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speaks out against sin, criticizes those committing it, commends the faithful followers of the Lord, keeps a promise even if it ruins him,


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does not crush his debtors with high interest rates, and refuses to testify against the innocent despite the bribes offered him--such a man shall stand firm forever.


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Those choosing other gods shall all be filled with sorrow; I will not offer the sacrifices they do or even speak the names of their gods.


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The Lord himself is my inheritance, my prize. He is my food and drink, my highest joy! He guards all that is mine.


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You have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of your own eternal presence.


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I am pleading for your help, O Lord; for I have been honest and have done what is right, and you must listen to my earnest cry!


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You have tested me and seen that I am good. You have come even in the night and found nothing amiss and know that I have told the truth.


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Show me your strong love in wonderful ways, O Savior of all those seeking your help against their foes.


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Protect me as you would the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings as you hover over me.


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from these men of the world whose only concern is earthly gain--these men whom you have filled with your treasures so that their children and grandchildren are rich and prosperous.


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But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face.


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This song of David was written at a time when the Lord had delivered him from his many enemies, including Saul. Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me.


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The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull.


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In my distress I screamed to the Lord for his help. And he heard me from heaven; my cry reached his ears.


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Then the earth rocked and reeled, and mountains shook and trembled. How they quaked! For he was angry.


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Suddenly the brilliance of his presence broke through the clouds with lightning and a mighty storm of hail.


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The Lord thundered in the heavens; the God above all gods has spoken--oh, the hailstones; oh, the fire!


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Then at your command, O Lord, the sea receded from the shore. At the blast of your breath the depths were laid bare.


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He reached down from heaven and took me and drew me out of my great trials. He rescued me from deep waters.


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And so the Lord has paid me with his blessings, for I have done what is right, and I am pure of heart. This he knows, for he watches my every step.


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Lord, how merciful you are to those who are merciful. And you do not punish those who run from evil.


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What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him.


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He gives me the surefootedness of a mountain goat upon the crags. He leads me safely along the top of the cliffs.


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You have given me your salvation as my shield. Your right hand, O Lord, supports me; your gentleness has made me great.


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For you have armed me with strong armor for the battle. My enemies quail before me and fall defeated at my feet.


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They shouted for help, but no one dared to rescue them; they cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer them.


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So I crushed them fine as dust and cast them to the wind. I threw them away like sweepings from the floor.


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You gave me victory in every battle. The nations came and served me. Even those I didn't know before come now and bow before me.


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He rescues me from my enemies; he holds me safely out of their reach and saves me from these powerful opponents.


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Many times you have miraculously rescued me, the king you appointed. You have been loving and kind to me and will be to my descendants.


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Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it


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and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom going to his wedding, or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race!


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And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them. Only then can I be free of guilt and innocent of some great crime.


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May there be shouts of joy when we hear the news of your victory, flags flying with praise to God for all that he has done for you. May he answer all your prayers!


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You welcomed him to the throne with success and prosperity. You set a royal crown of solid gold upon his head.


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He asked for a long, good life, and you have granted his request; the days of his life stretch on and on forever.


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You have endowed him with eternal happiness. You have given him the unquenchable joy of your presence.


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And because the king trusts in the Lord, he will never stumble, never fall; for he depends upon the steadfast love of the God who is above all gods.


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When you appear, they will be destroyed in the fierce fire of your presence. The Lord will destroy them and their children.


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Accept our praise, O Lord, for all your glorious power. We will write songs to celebrate your mighty acts!


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My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why do you refuse to help me or even to listen to my groans?


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for you are holy. The praises of our fathers surrounded your throne; they trusted you and you delivered them.


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You heard their cries for help and saved them; they were never disappointed when they sought your aid.


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"Is this the one who rolled his burden on the Lord?" they laugh. "Is this the one who claims the Lord delights in him? We'll believe it when we see God rescue him!"


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I have depended upon you since birth; you have always been my God. Don't leave me now, for trouble is near and no one else can possibly help.


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My strength has drained away like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart melts like wax;


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my strength has dried up like sun-baked clay; my tongue sticks to my mouth, for you have laid me in the dust of death.


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The enemy, this gang of evil men, circles me like a pack of dogs; they have pierced my hands and feet.


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Save me from these lions' jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen. Yes, God will answer me and rescue me.


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I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have done.


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"Praise the Lord, each one of you who fears him," I will say. "Each of you must fear and reverence his name. Let all Israel sing his praises,


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for he has not despised my cries of deep despair; he has not turned and walked away. When I cried to him, he heard and came."


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Yes, I will stand and praise you before all the people. I will publicly fulfill my vows in the presence of all who reverence your name.


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The poor shall eat and be satisfied; all who seek the Lord shall find him and shall praise his name. Their hearts shall rejoice with everlasting joy.


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He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most.


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Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.


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You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow!


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Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home.


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They will receive God's own goodness as their blessing from him, planted in their lives by God himself, their Savior.


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Don't fail me, Lord, for I am trusting you. Don't let my enemies succeed. Don't give them victory over me.


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None of those who have faith in God will ever be disgraced for trusting him. But all who harm the innocent shall be defeated.


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Overlook my youthful sins, O Lord! Look at me instead through eyes of mercy and forgiveness, through eyes of everlasting love and kindness.


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And when we obey him, every path he guides us on is fragrant with his loving-kindness and his truth.


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Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises.


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Save me from them! Deliver my life from their power! Oh, let it never be said that I trusted you in vain!


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Dismiss all the charges against me, Lord, for I have tried to keep your laws and have trusted you without wavering.


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No, I am not like that, O Lord; I try to walk a straight and narrow path of doing what is right; therefore in mercy save me.


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Yes, though a mighty army marches against me, my heart shall know no fear! I am confident that God will save me.


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The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory.


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out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy.


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My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me, O my people." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."


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Oh, do not hide yourself when I am trying to find you. Do not angrily reject your servant. You have been my help in all my trials before; don't leave me now. Don't forsake me, O God of my salvation.


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Don't let them get me, Lord! Don't let me fall into their hands! For they accuse me of things I never did, and all the while are plotting cruelty.


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I am expecting the Lord to rescue me again, so that once again I will see his goodness to me here in the land of the living.


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Don't be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and he will help you.


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I plead with you to help me, Lord, for you are my Rock of safety. If you refuse to answer me, I might as well give up and die.


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Don't punish me with all the wicked ones who speak so sweetly to their neighbors while planning to murder them.


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Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out to them in proportion to their wickedness; pay them back for all their evil deeds.


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They care nothing for God or what he has done or what he has made; therefore God will dismantle them like old buildings, never to be rebuilt again.


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He is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trusted in him, and he helped me. Joy rises in my heart until I burst out in songs of praise to him.


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Defend your people, Lord; defend and bless your chosen ones. Lead them like a shepherd and carry them forever in your arms.


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Praise him for his majestic glory, the glory of his name. Come before him clothed in sacred garments.


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It breaks down the cedars. It splits the giant trees of Lebanon. It shakes Mount Lebanon and Mount Sirion. They leap and skip before him like young calves!


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The voice of the Lord spins and topples the mighty oaks. It strips the forests bare. They whirl and sway beneath the blast. But in his temple all are praising, "Glory, glory to the Lord."


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I will praise you, Lord, for you have saved me from my enemies. You refuse to let them triumph over me.


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His anger lasts a moment; his favor lasts for life! Weeping may go on all night, but in the morning there is joy.


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The Lord has shown me his favor. He has made me steady as a mountain." Then, Lord, you turned your face away from me and cut off your river of blessings. Suddenly my courage was gone; I was terrified and panic-stricken.


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"What will you gain, O Lord, from killing me? How can I praise you then to all my friends? How can my dust in the grave speak out and tell the world about your faithfulness?


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so that I might sing glad praises to the Lord instead of lying in silence in the grave. O Lord my God, I will keep on thanking you forever!


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Lord, I trust in you alone. Don't let my enemies defeat me. Rescue me because you are the God who always does what is right.


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Answer quickly when I cry to you; bend low and hear my whispered plea. Be for me a great Rock of safety from my foes.


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Into your hand I commit my spirit. You have rescued me, O God who keeps his promises. I worship only you; how you hate all those who worship idols, those imitation gods.


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I am radiant with joy because of your mercy, for you have listened to my troubles and have seen the crisis in my soul.


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O Lord, have mercy on me in my anguish. My eyes are red from weeping; my health is broken from sorrow. I am pining away with grief;


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my years are shortened, drained away because of sadness. My sins have sapped my strength; I stoop with sorrow and with shame.


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I am scorned by all my enemies and even more by my neighbors and friends. They dread meeting me and look the other way when I go by.


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I heard the lies about me, the slanders of my enemies. Everywhere I looked I was afraid, for they were plotting against my life.


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But I am trusting you, O Lord. I said, "You alone are my God; my times are in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.


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Don't disgrace me, Lord, by not replying when I call to you for aid. But let the wicked be shamed by what they trust in; let them lie silently in their graves,


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their lying lips quieted at last--the lips of these arrogant men who are accusing honest men of evil deeds."


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Oh, how great is your goodness to those who publicly declare that you will rescue them. For you have stored up great blessings for those who trust and reverence you.


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Hide your loved ones in the shelter of your presence, safe beneath your hand, safe from all conspiring men.


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Blessed is the Lord, for he has shown me that his never-failing love protects me like the walls of a fort!


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I spoke too hastily when I said, "The Lord has deserted me," for you listened to my plea and answered me.


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Oh, love the Lord, all of you who are his people; for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but harshly punishes all who haughtily reject him.


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What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.


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There was a time when I wouldn't admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration.


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until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, "I will confess them to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.


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Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does.


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You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory.


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I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.


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The Lord gazes down upon mankind from heaven where he lives. He has made their hearts and closely watches everything they do.


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The best-equipped army cannot save a king--for great strength is not enough to save anyone. A war horse is a poor risk for winning victories--it is strong, but it cannot save.


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But the eyes of the Lord are watching over those who fear him, who rely upon his steady love. He will keep them from death even in times of famine!


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Oh, put God to the test and see how kind he is! See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on all who trust in him.


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Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.


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Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord.


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Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.


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For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention when they cry to him.


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Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help and saves him out of all his troubles.


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The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins.


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The good man does not escape all troubles--he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one.


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But as for those who serve the Lord, he will redeem them; everyone who takes refuge in him will be freely pardoned.


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Lift your spear in my defense, for my pursuers are getting very close. Let me hear you say that you will save me from them.


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From the bottom of my heart praise rises to him. Where is his equal in all of heaven and earth? Who else protects the weak and helpless from the strong, and the poor and needy from those who would rob them?


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When they were ill, I mourned before the Lord in sackcloth, asking him to make them well; I refused to eat; I prayed for them with utmost earnestness, but God did not listen.


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But now that I am in trouble they are glad; they come together in meetings filled with slander against me--I didn't even know some of those who were there.


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Lord, how long will you stand there, doing nothing? Act now and rescue me, for I have but one life and these young lions are out to get it.


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Save me, and I will thank you publicly before the entire congregation, before the largest crowd I can find.


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Don't give victory to those who fight me without any reason! Don't let them rejoice at my fall--let them die.


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They don't talk of peace and doing good, but of plots against innocent men who are minding their own business.


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They shout that they have seen me doing wrong! "Aha!" they say. "With our own eyes we saw him do it."


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Don't let them say, "Aha! Our dearest wish against him will soon be fulfilled!" and, "At last we have him!"


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Shame them; let these who boast against me and who rejoice at my troubles be themselves overcome by misfortune that strips them bare of everything they own. Bare them to dishonor.


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But give great joy to all who wish me well. Let them shout with delight, "Great is the Lord who enjoys helping his child!"


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Sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds. They have no fear of God to hold them back.


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Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.


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Your justice is as solid as God's mountains. Your decisions are as full of wisdom as the oceans are with water. You are concerned for men and animals alike.


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Pour out your unfailing love on those who know you! Never stop giving your blessings to those who long to do your will.


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Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety.


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Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun.


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But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing and shall have wonderful peace.


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The Lord is laughing at those who plot against the godly, for he knows their judgment day is coming.


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Evil men borrow and "cannot pay it back"! But the good man returns what he owes with some extra besides.


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I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry.


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Instead, the godly are able to be generous with their gifts and loans to others, and their children are a blessing.


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For the Lord loves justice and fairness; he will never abandon his people. They will be kept safe forever; but all who love wickedness shall perish.


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But the Lord will not let these evil men succeed, nor let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge.


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Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed.


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I myself have seen it happen: a proud and evil man, towering like a cedar of Lebanon, but when I looked again, he was gone! I searched but could not find him!


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But the good man--what a different story! For the good man--the blameless, the upright, the man of peace--he has a wonderful future ahead of him. For him there is a happy ending.


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Because of your anger, my body is sick, my health is broken beneath my sins. They are like a flood, higher than my head; they are a burden too heavy to bear.


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My wounds are festering and full of pus. Because of my sins, I am bent and racked with pain. My days are filled with anguish.


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Meanwhile my enemies are trying to kill me. They plot my ruin and spend all their waking hours planning treachery.


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But I am deaf to all their threats; I am silent before them as a man who cannot speak. I have nothing to say.


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How constantly I find myself upon the verge of sin; this source of sorrow always stares me in the face.


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But my enemies persecute with vigor and continue to hate me--though I have done nothing against them to deserve it.


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I said to myself, I'm going to quit complaining! I'll keep quiet, especially when the ungodly are around me.


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But as I stood there silently the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point. The more I mused, the hotter the fires inside. Then at last I spoke and pled with God:


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Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more.


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My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a moment to you. Proud man! Frail as breath! A shadow! And all his busy rushing ends in nothing. He heaps up riches for someone else to spend.


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Lord, I am speechless before you. I will not open my mouth to speak one word of complaint, for my punishment is from you.


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When you punish a man for his sins, he is destroyed, for he is as fragile as a moth-infested cloth; yes, man is frail as breath.


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Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry! Don't sit back, unmindful of my tears. For I am your guest. I am a traveler passing through the earth, as all my fathers were.


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He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along.


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He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him.


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Many blessings are given to those who trust the Lord and have no confidence in those who are proud or who trust in idols.


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O Lord my God, many and many a time you have done great miracles for us, and we are ever in your thoughts. Who else can do such glorious things? No one else can be compared with you. There isn't time to tell of all your wonderful deeds.


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It isn't sacrifices and offerings that you really want from your people. Burnt animals bring no special joy to your heart. But you have accepted the offer of my life-long service.


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I have told everyone the good news that you forgive people's sins. I have not been timid about it, as you well know, O Lord.


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I have not kept this good news hidden in my heart, but have proclaimed your loving-kindness and truth to all the congregation.


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Otherwise I perish, for problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me, and I am ashamed to look up. My heart quails within me.


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Confuse them! Turn them around and send them sprawling--all these who are trying to destroy me. Disgrace these scoffers with their utter failure!


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But may the joy of the Lord be given to everyone who loves him and his salvation. May they constantly exclaim, "How great God is!"


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I am poor and weak, yet the Lord is thinking about me right now! O my God, you are my helper. You are my Savior; come quickly, and save me. Please don't delay!


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He protects them and keeps them alive; he publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies.


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They act so friendly when they come to visit me while I am sick; but all the time they hate me and are glad that I am lying there upon my bed of pain. And when they leave, they laugh and mock.


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Bless the Lord, the God of Israel, who exists from everlasting ages past--and on into everlasting eternity ahead. Amen and amen!


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Day and night I weep for his help, and all the while my enemies taunt me. "Where is this God of yours?" they scoff.


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Take courage, my soul! Do you remember those times (but how could you ever forget them!) when you led a great procession to the Temple on festival days, singing with joy, praising the Lord?


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Why then be downcast? Why be discouraged and sad? Hope in God! I shall yet praise him again. Yes, I shall again praise him for his help.


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Yet I am standing here depressed and gloomy, but I will meditate upon your kindness to this lovely land where the Jordan River flows and where Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar stand.


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All your waves and billows have gone over me, and floods of sorrow pour upon me like a thundering cataract.


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Yet day by day the Lord also pours out his steadfast love upon me, and through the night I sing his songs and pray to God who gives me life.


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"O God my Rock," I cry, "why have you forsaken me? Why must I suffer these attacks from my enemies?"


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Their taunts pierce me like a fatal wound; again and again they scoff, "Where is that God of yours?"


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But, O my soul, don't be discouraged. Don't be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!


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For you are God, my only place of refuge. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I mourn at the oppression of my enemies?


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Oh, send out your light and your truth--let them lead me. Let them lead me to your Temple on your holy mountain, Zion.


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O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise him for his wondrous help; he will make me smile again, for he is my God!


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O God, we have heard of the glorious miracles you did in the days of long ago. Our forefathers have told us how you drove the heathen nations from this land and gave it all to us, spreading Israel from one end of the country to the other.


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They did not conquer by their own strength and skill, but by your mighty power and because you smiled upon them and favored them.


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And yet for a time, O Lord, you have tossed us aside in dishonor and have not helped us in our battles.


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You have actually fought against us and defeated us before our foes. Our enemies have invaded our land and pillaged the countryside.


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If we had, we could understand your punishing us in the barren wilderness and sending us into darkness and death.


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But that is not our case. For we are facing death threats constantly because of serving you! We are like sheep awaiting slaughter.


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My heart is overflowing with a beautiful thought! I will write a lovely poem to the King, for I am as full of words as the speediest writer pouring out his story.


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And in your majesty Go on to victory, Defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to awe-inspiring deeds!


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You love what is good And hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, Has given you more gladness Than anyone else.


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Your robes are perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cassia. In your palaces of inlaid ivory, lovely music is being played for your enjoyment.


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Kings' daughters are among your concubines. Standing beside you is the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir.


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"I advise you, O daughter, not to fret about your parents in your homeland far away. Your royal husband delights in your beauty. Reverence him, for he is your lord.


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The people of Tyre, the richest people of our day, will shower you with gifts and entreat your favors."


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"I will cause your name to be honored in all generations; the nations of the earth will praise you forever."


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There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God--the sacred home of the God above all gods.


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God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help.


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The nations rant and rave in anger--but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.


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The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us.


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For the Lord, the God above all gods, is awesome beyond words; he is the great King of all the earth.


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and will personally select his choicest blessings for his Jewish people --the very best for those he loves.


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Sing out your praises to our God, our King. Yes, sing your highest praises to our King, the King of all the earth. Sing thoughtful praises!


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The Gentile rulers of the world have joined with us in praising him--praising the God of Abraham--for the battle shields of all the armies of the world are his trophies. He is highly honored everywhere.


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What a glorious sight! See Mount Zion rising north of the city high above the plains for all to see--Mount Zion, joy of all the earth, the residence of the great King.


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We have heard of the city's glory--the city of our God, the Commander of the armies of heaven. And now we see it for ourselves! God has established Jerusalem forever.


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Your name is known throughout the earth, O God. You are praised everywhere for the salvation you have scattered throughout the world.


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O Jerusalem, rejoice! O people of Judah, rejoice! For God will see to it that you are finally treated fairly.


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yet not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin! For God's forgiveness does not come that way.


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For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell.


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Rich man! Proud man! Wise man! You must die like all the rest! You have no greater lease on life than foolish, stupid men. You must leave your wealth to others.


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You name your estates after yourselves as though your lands could be forever yours and you could live on them eternally.


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Death is the shepherd of all mankind. And "in the morning" those who are evil will be the slaves of those who are good. For the power of their wealth is gone when they die, they cannot take it with them.


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He comes with the noise of thunder, surrounded by devastating fire; a great storm rages round about him.


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For all the animals of field and forest are mine! The cattle on a thousand hills! And all the birds upon the mountains!


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What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory.


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I remained silent--you thought I didn't care--but now your time of punishment has come, and I list all the above charges against you.


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This is the last chance for all of you who have forgotten God, before I tear you apart--and no one can help you then.


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But true praise is a worthy sacrifice; this really honors me. Those who walk my paths will receive salvation from the Lord.


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Written after Nathan the prophet had come to inform David of God's judgment against him because of his adultery with Bathsheba, and his murder of Uriah, her husband. O loving and kind God, have mercy. Have pity upon me and take away the awful stain of my transgressions.


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It is against you and you alone I sinned and did this terrible thing. You saw it all, and your sentence against me is just.


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Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood and I shall be clean again. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.


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Then I will teach your ways to other sinners, and they--guilty like me--will repent and return to you.


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Don't sentence me to death. O my God, you alone can rescue me. Then I will sing of your forgiveness, for my lips will be unsealed--oh, how I will praise you.


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You don't want penance; if you did, how gladly I would do it! You aren't interested in offerings burned before you on the altar.


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It is a broken spirit you want--remorse and penitence. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore.


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And when my heart is right, then you will rejoice in the good that I do and in the bullocks I bring to sacrifice upon your altar.


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Written by David to protest against his enemy Doeg (1 Samuel 22), who later slaughtered eighty-five priests and their families. You call yourself a hero, do you? You boast about this evil deed of yours against God's people.


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But God will strike you down, pull you from your home, and drag you away from the land of the living.


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"See what happens to those who despise God and trust in their wealth, and become ever more bold in their wickedness."


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But I am like a sheltered olive tree protected by the Lord himself. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.


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O Lord, I will praise you forever and ever for your punishment. And I will wait for your mercies--for everyone knows what a merciful God you are.


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Only a fool would say to himself, "There is no God." And why does he say it? Because of his wicked heart, his dark and evil deeds. His life is corroded with sin.


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God looks down from heaven, searching among all mankind to see if there is a single one who does right and really seeks for God.


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But all have turned their backs on him; they are filthy with sin--corrupt and rotten through and through. Not one is good, not one!


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How can this be? Can't they understand anything? For they devour my people like bread and refuse to come to God.


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But soon unheard-of terror will fall on them. God will scatter the bones of these, your enemies. They are doomed, for God has rejected them.


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Oh, that God would come from Zion now and save Israel! Only when the Lord himself restores them can they ever be really happy again.


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Written by David at the time the men of Ziph tried to betray him to Saul. Come with great power, O God, and save me! Defend me with your might!


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He will cause the evil deeds of my enemies to boomerang upon them. Do as you promised and put an end to these wicked men, O God.


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My enemies shout against me and threaten me with death. They surround me with terror and plot to kill me. Their fury and hatred rise to engulf me.


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O Lord, make these enemies begin to quarrel among themselves--destroy them with their own violence and strife.


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Though they patrol their walls night and day against invaders, their real problem is internal--wickedness and dishonesty are entrenched in the heart of the city.


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What fellowship we had, what wonderful discussions as we walked together to the Temple of the Lord on holy days.


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Let death seize them and cut them down in their prime, for there is sin in their homes, and they are polluted to the depths of their souls.


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Though the tide of battle runs strongly against me, for so many are fighting me, yet he will rescue me.


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God himself--God from everlasting ages past--will answer them! For they refuse to fear him or even honor his commands.


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His words were oily smooth, but in his heart was war. His words were sweet, but underneath were daggers.


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He will send my enemies to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will not live out half their days. But I am trusting you to save me.


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Lord, have mercy on me; all day long the enemy troops press in. So many are proud to fight against me; how they long to conquer me.


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But when I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting him, what can mere man do to me?


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They meet together to perfect their plans; they hide beside the trail, listening for my steps, waiting to kill me.


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You have seen me tossing and turning through the night. You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle! You have recorded every one in your book.


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The very day I call for help, the tide of battle turns. My enemies flee! This one thing I know: God is for me!


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I am trusting God--oh, praise his promises! I am not afraid of anything mere man can do to me! Yes, praise his promises.


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For you have saved me from death and my feet from slipping, so that I can walk before the Lord in the land of the living.


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O God, have pity, for I am trusting you! I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this storm is past.


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He will send down help from heaven to save me because of his love and his faithfulness. He will rescue me from these liars who are so intent upon destroying me.


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I am surrounded by fierce lions--hotheads whose teeth are sharp as spears and arrows. Their tongues are like swords.


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My enemies have set a trap for me. Frantic fear grips me. They have dug a pitfall in my path. But look! They themselves have fallen into it!


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Fairness? Which of you has any left? Not one! All your dealings are crooked: you give "justice" in exchange for bribes.


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Let them be as snails that dissolve into slime and as those who die at birth, who never see the sun.


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God will sweep away both old and young. He will destroy them more quickly than a cooking pot can feel the blazing fire of thorns beneath it.


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The godly shall rejoice in the triumph of right; they shall walk the blood-stained fields of slaughtered, wicked men.


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Then at last everyone will know that good is rewarded, and that there is a God who judges justly here on earth.


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Written by David at the time King Saul set guards at his home to capture and kill him. (1 Samuel 19:11) O my God, save me from my enemies. Protect me from these who have come to destroy me.


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They lurk in ambush for my life. Strong men are out there waiting. And not, O Lord, because I've done them wrong.


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(And O Jehovah, God of heaven's armies, God of Israel, arise and punish the heathen nations surrounding us.) Do not spare these evil, treacherous men.


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My God is changeless in his love for me, and he will come and help me. He will let me see my wish come true upon my enemies.


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Don't kill them--for my people soon forget such lessons--but stagger them with your power and bring them to their knees. Bring them to the dust, O Lord our shield.


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They are proud, cursing liars. Angrily destroy them. Wipe them out. (And let the nations find out, too, that God rules in Israel and will reign throughout the world.)


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Let these evil men slink back at evening and prowl the city all night before they are satisfied, howling like dogs and searching for food.


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But as for me, I will sing each morning about your power and mercy. For you have been my high tower of refuge, a place of safety in the day of my distress.


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Written by David at the time he was at war with Syria, with the outcome still uncertain; this was when Joab, captain of his forces, slaughtered twelve thousand men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses; you have become angry and deserted us. Lord, restore us again to your favor.


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You have caused this nation to tremble in fear; you have torn it apart. Lord, heal it now, for it is shaken to its depths.


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But you have given us a banner to rally to; all who love truth will rally to it; then you can deliver your beloved people. Use your strong right arm to rescue us.


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"Shechem, Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh--still are mine!" he says. "Judah shall continue to produce kings, and Ephraim great warriors.


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Moab shall become my lowly servant, and Edom my slave. And I will shout in triumph over the Philistines."


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Who will bring me in triumph into Edom's strong cities? God will! He who cast us off! He who abandoned us to our foes!


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For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety.


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For you have heard my vows, O God, to praise you every day, and you have given me the blessings you reserve for those who reverence your name.


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You will give me added years of life, as rich and full as those of many generations, all packed into one.


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And I shall live before the Lord forever. Oh, send your loving-kindness and truth to guard and watch over me,


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Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?


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they plot my death and use lies and deceit to try to force me from the throne. They are so friendly to my face while cursing in their hearts!


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But I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone.


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Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense, and fortress--why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?


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The greatest of men or the lowest--both alike are nothing in his sight. They weigh less than air on scales.


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God has said it many times, that power belongs to him (and also, O Lord, steadfast love belongs to you). He rewards each one of us according to what our works deserve.


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A Psalm of David when he was hiding in the wilderness of Judea. O God, my God! How I search for you! How I thirst for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. How I long to find you!


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of how much you have helped me--and how I rejoice through the night beneath the protecting shadow of your wings.


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Lord, listen to my complaint: Oh, preserve my life from the conspiracy of these wicked men, these gangs of criminals.


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They cut me down with sharpened tongues; they aim their bitter words like arrows straight at my heart.


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They encourage each other to do evil. They meet in secret to set their traps. "He will never notice them here," they say.


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They keep a sharp lookout for opportunities of crime. They spend long hours with all their endless evil thoughts and plans.


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They will stagger backward, destroyed by those they spoke against. All who see it happening will scoff at them.


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Then everyone shall stand in awe and confess the greatness of the miracles of God; at last they will realize what amazing things he does.


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O God in Zion, we wait before you in silent praise, and thus fulfill our vow. And because you answer prayer, all mankind will come to you with their requests.


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How greatly to be envied are those you have chosen to come and live with you within the holy tabernacle courts! What joys await us among all the good things there.


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With dread deeds and awesome power you will defend us from our enemies, O God who saves us. You are the only hope of all mankind throughout the world and far away upon the sea.


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In the farthest corners of the earth the glorious acts of God shall startle everyone. The dawn and sunset shout for joy!


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He waters the earth to make it fertile. The rivers of God will not run dry! He prepares the earth for his people and sends them rich harvests of grain.


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He waters the furrows with abundant rain. Showers soften the earth, melting the clods and causing seeds to sprout across the land.


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The pastures are filled with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. All the world shouts with joy and sings.


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He made a dry road through the sea for them. They went across on foot. What excitement and joy there was that day!


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Because of his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations. O rebel lands, he will deflate your pride.


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You sent troops to ride across our broken bodies. We went through fire and flood. But in the end, you brought us into wealth and great abundance.


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That is why I am bringing you these fat male goats, rams, and calves. The smoke of their sacrifice shall rise before you.


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How glad the nations will be, singing for joy because you are their King and will give true justice to their people!


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For the earth has yielded abundant harvests. God, even our own God, will bless us. And peoples from remotest lands will worship him.


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Drive them off like smoke before the wind; melt them like wax in fire! So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.


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Sing praises to the Lord! Raise your voice in song to him who rides upon the clouds! Jehovah is his name--oh, rejoice in his presence.


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He gives families to the lonely, and releases prisoners from jail, singing with joy! But for rebels there is famine and distress.


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You sent abundant rain upon your land, O God, to refresh it in its weariness! There your people lived, for you gave them this home when they were destitute.


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O mighty mountains in Bashan! O splendid many-peaked ranges! Well may you look with envy at Mount Zion, the mount where God has chosen to live forever.


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Surrounded by unnumbered chariots, the Lord moves on from Mount Sinai and comes to his holy temple high upon Mount Zion.


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He ascends the heights, leading many captives in his train. He receives gifts for men, even those who once were rebels. God will live among us here.


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The Lord says, "Come," to all his people's enemies; they are hiding on Mount Hermon's highest slopes and deep within the sea!


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The little tribe of Benjamin leads the way. The princes and elders of Judah, and the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali are right behind.


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What awe we feel, kneeling here before him in the sanctuary. The God of Israel gives strength and mighty power to his people. Blessed be God!


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Save me, O my God. The floods have risen. Deeper and deeper I sink in the mire; the waters rise around me.


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I have wept until I am exhausted; my throat is dry and hoarse; my eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to act.


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I cannot even count all those who hate me without cause. They are influential men, these who plot to kill me though I am innocent. They demand that I be punished for what I didn't do.


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O Lord God of the armies of heaven, don't let me be a stumbling block to those who trust in you. O God of Israel, don't let me cause them to be confused,


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My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me. And because I advocate your cause, your enemies insult me even as they insult you.


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But I keep right on praying to you, Lord. For now is the time--you are bending down to hear! You are ready with a plentiful supply of love and kindness. Now answer my prayer and rescue me as you promised.


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Pull me out of this mire. Don't let me sink in. Rescue me from those who hate me, and from these deep waters I am in.


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O Jehovah, answer my prayers, for your loving-kindness is wonderful; your mercy is so plentiful, so tender and so kind.


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You know how they talk about me, and how they so shamefully dishonor me. You see them all and know what each has said.


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Their contempt has broken my heart; my spirit is heavy within me. If even one would show some pity, if even one would comfort me!


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Let these men be blotted from the list of the living; do not give them the joys of life with the righteous.


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The humble shall see their God at work for them. No wonder they will be so glad! All who seek for God shall live in joy.


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For God will save Jerusalem; he rebuilds the cities of Judah. His people shall live in them and not be dispossessed.


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They are after my life and delight in hurting me. Confuse them! Shame them! Stop them! Don't let them keep on mocking me!


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But fill the followers of God with joy. Let those who love your salvation exclaim, "What a wonderful God he is!"


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Save me from my enemies, for you are just! Rescue me! Bend down your ear and listen to my plea and save me.


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Be to me a great protecting Rock, where I am always welcome, safe from all attacks. For you have issued the order to save me.


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Yes, you have been with me from birth and have helped me constantly--no wonder I am always praising you!


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I cannot count the times when you have faithfully rescued me from danger. I will tell everyone how good you are, and of your constant, daily care.


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O God, you have helped me from my earliest childhood--and I have constantly testified to others of the wonderful things you do.


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And now that I am old and gray, don't forsake me. Give me time to tell this new generation (and their children too) about all your mighty miracles.


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Your power and goodness, Lord, reach to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Where is there another God like you?


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You have let me sink down deep in desperate problems. But you will bring me back to life again, up from the depths of the earth.


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I will praise you with music, telling of your faithfulness to all your promises, O Holy One of Israel.


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I will talk to others all day long about your justice and your goodness. For all who tried to hurt me have been disgraced and dishonored.


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May the poor and needy revere you constantly, as long as sun and moon continue in the skies! Yes, forever!


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May the reign of this son of mine be as gentle and fruitful as the springtime rains upon the grass--like showers that water the earth!


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Kings along the Mediterranean coast--the kings of Tarshish and the islands--and those from Sheba and from Seba--all will bring their gifts.


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He will take care of the helpless and poor when they cry to him; for they have no one else to defend them.


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And he shall live; and to him will be given the gold of Sheba, and there will be constant praise for him. His people will bless him all day long.


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Bless us with abundant crops throughout the land, even on the highland plains; may there be fruit like that of Lebanon; may the cities be as full of people as the fields are of grass.


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His name will be honored forever; it will continue as the sun; and all will be blessed in him; all nations will praise him.


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But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping and I was almost gone.


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"Look at these men of arrogance; they never have to lift a finger--theirs is a life of ease; and all the time their riches multiply."


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Then one day I went into God's sanctuary to meditate and thought about the future of these evil men.


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What a slippery path they are on--suddenly God will send them sliding over the edge of the cliff and down to their destruction:


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Their present life is only a dream! They will awaken to the truth as one awakens from a dream of things that never really were!


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You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel, and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven!


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My health fails; my spirits droop, yet God remains! He is the strength of my heart; he is mine forever!


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But as for me, I get as close to him as I can! I have chosen him, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful ways he rescues me.


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O God, why have you cast us away forever? Why is your anger hot against us--the sheep of your own pasture?


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Remember that we are your people--the ones you chose in ancient times from slavery and made the choicest of your possessions. You chose Jerusalem as your home on earth!


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Everything lies in shambles like a forest chopped to the ground. They came with their axes and sledgehammers and smashed and chopped the carved paneling;


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"Let's wipe out every trace of God," they said, and went through the entire country burning down the assembly places where we worshiped you.


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There is nothing left to show that we are your people. The prophets are gone, and who can say when it all will end? How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to dishonor your name? Will you let them get away with this forever?


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You divided the Red Sea with your strength; you crushed the sea-god's heads! You gave him to the desert tribes to eat!


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At your command the springs burst forth to give your people water; and then you dried a path for them across the ever-flowing Jordan.


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O Lord, save me! Protect your turtledove from the hawks. Save your beloved people from these beasts.


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O Lord, don't let your downtrodden people be constantly insulted. Give cause for these poor and needy ones to praise your name!


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Arise, O God, and state your case against our enemies. Remember the insults these rebels have hurled against you all day long.


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Though the earth shakes and all its people live in turmoil, yet its pillars are firm, for I have set them in place!"


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For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another.


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In Jehovah's hand there is a cup of pale and sparkling wine. It is his judgment, poured out upon the wicked of the earth. They must drain that cup to the dregs.


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"I will cut off the strength of evil men," says the Lord, "and increase the power of good men in their place."


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The mightiest of our enemies are conquered. They lie before us in the sleep of death; not one can lift a hand against us.


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Fulfill all your vows that you have made to Jehovah your God. Let everyone bring him presents. He should be reverenced and feared,


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I am in deep trouble and I need his help so much. All night long I pray, lifting my hands to heaven, pleading. There can be no joy for me until he acts.


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Then my nights were filled with joyous songs. I search my soul and meditate upon the difference now.


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The clouds poured down their rain, the thunder rolled and crackled in the sky. Your lightning flashed.


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There was thunder in the whirlwind; the lightning lighted up the world! The earth trembled and shook.


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I will reveal these truths to you so that you can describe these glorious deeds of Jehovah to your children and tell them about the mighty miracles he did.


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so that they in turn could teach their children too. Thus his laws pass down from generation to generation.


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In this way each generation has been able to obey his laws and to set its hope anew on God and not forget his glorious miracles.


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Thus they did not need to be as their fathers were--stubborn, rebellious, unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.


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For he divided the sea before them and led them through! The water stood banked up along both sides of them!


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He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them plenty of water, as though gushing from a spring.


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They even spoke against God himself. "Why can't he give us decent food as well as water?" they grumbled.


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Then at last, when he had ruined them, they walked awhile behind him; how earnestly they turned around and followed him!


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Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and didn't destroy them all. Many and many a time he held back his anger.


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Again and again they turned away and tempted God to kill them, and limited the Holy One of Israel from giving them his blessings.


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Their cattle died in the fields, mortally wounded by huge hailstones from heaven. Their sheep were killed by lightning.


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He loosed on them the fierceness of his anger, sending sorrow and trouble. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels.


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He gave free course to his anger and did not spare the Egyptians' lives, but handed them over to plagues and sickness.


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Then he killed the eldest son in each Egyptian family--he who was the beginning of its strength and joy.


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He kept them safe, so they were not afraid. But the sea closed in upon their enemies and overwhelmed them.


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He drove out the nations occupying the land and gave each tribe of Israel its apportioned place as its home.


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Yet though he did all this for them, they still rebelled against the God above all gods and refused to follow his commands.


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They turned back from entering the Promised Land and disobeyed as their fathers had. Like a crooked arrow, they missed the target of God's will.


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Their young men were killed by fire, and their girls died before they were old enough to sing their wedding songs.


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O God, your land has been conquered by the heathen nations. Your Temple is defiled, and Jerusalem is a heap of ruins.


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The enemy has butchered the entire population of Jerusalem; blood has flowed like water. No one is left even to bury them.


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O Jehovah, how long will you be angry with us? Forever? Will your jealousy burn till every hope is gone?


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Pour out your wrath upon the godless nations--not on us--on kingdoms that refuse to pray, that will not call upon your name!


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Oh, do not hold us guilty for our former sins! Let your tenderhearted mercies meet our needs, for we are brought low to the dust.


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Help us, God of our salvation! Help us for the honor of your name. Oh, save us and forgive our sins.


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Why should the heathen nations be allowed to scoff, "Where is their God?" Publicly avenge this slaughter of your people!


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Listen to the sighing of the prisoners and those condemned to die. Demonstrate the greatness of your power by saving them.


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Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and forever, praising your greatness from generation to generation.


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O Shepherd of Israel who leads Israel like a flock; O God enthroned above the Guardian Angels, bend down your ear and listen as I plead. Display your power and radiant glory.


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Turn us again to yourself, O God of Hosts. Look down on us in joy and love; only then shall we be saved.


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You brought us from Egypt as though we were a tender vine and drove away the heathen from your land and planted us.


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Come back, we beg of you, O God of the armies of heaven, and bless us. Look down from heaven and see our plight and care for this your vine!


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Turn us again to yourself, O God of the armies of heaven. Look down on us, your face aglow with joy and love--only then shall we be saved.


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Sound the trumpet! Come to the joyous celebrations at full moon, new moon, and all the other holidays.


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He gave them as reminders of his war against Egypt where we were slaves on foreign soil. I heard an unknown voice that said,


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He said, "You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered from Mount Sinai where the thunder hides. I tested your faith at Meribah, when you complained there was no water.


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For it was I, Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Only test me! Open your mouth wide and see if I won't fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use!


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How long will you judges refuse to listen to the evidence? How long will you shower special favors on the wicked?


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But you are so foolish and so ignorant! Because you are in darkness, all the foundations of society are shaken to the core.


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Don't you hear the tumult and commotion of your enemies? Don't you see what they are doing, these proud men who hate the Lord?


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"Come," they say, "and let us wipe out Israel as a nation--we will destroy the very memory of her existence."


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This was their unanimous decision at their summit conference--they signed a treaty to ally themselves against Almighty God--


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Make their mighty nobles die as Oreb did, and Zeeb; let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna,


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until they learn that you alone, Jehovah, are the God above all gods in supreme charge of all the earth.


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Even the sparrows and swallows are welcome to come and nest among your altars and there have their young, O Lord of heaven's armies, my King and my God!


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When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains!


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A single day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a doorman of the Temple of my God than live in palaces of wickedness.


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For Jehovah God is our Light and our Protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from those who walk along his paths.


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I am listening carefully to all the Lord is saying--for he speaks peace to his people, his saints, if they will only stop their sinning.


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Protect me from death, for I try to follow all your laws. Save me, for I am serving you and trusting you.


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All the nations--and you made each one--will come and bow before you, Lord, and praise your great and holy name.


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Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name.


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But you are merciful and gentle, Lord, slow in getting angry, full of constant loving-kindness and of truth;


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Send me a sign of your favor. When those who hate me see it, they will lose face because you help and comfort me.


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Nowadays when I mention among my friends the names of Egypt and Babylonia, Philistia and Tyre, or even distant Ethiopia, someone boasts that he was born in one or another of those countries.


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But someday the highest honor will be to be a native of Jerusalem! For the God above all gods will personally bless this city.


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When he registers her citizens, he will place a checkmark beside the names of those who were born here.


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My eyes grow dim with weeping. Each day I beg your help; O Lord, I reach my pleading hands to you for mercy.


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Soon it will be too late! Of what use are your miracles when I am in the grave? How can I praise you then?


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Can the darkness speak of your miracles? Can anyone in the Land of Forgetfulness talk about your help?


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O Jehovah, why have you thrown my life away? Why are you turning your face from me and looking the other way?


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Forever and ever I will sing about the tender kindness of the Lord! Young and old shall hear about your blessings.


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I have taken an oath to establish his descendants as kings forever on his throne, from now until eternity!"


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All heaven shall praise your miracles, O Lord; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.


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The highest of angelic powers stand in dread and awe of him. Who is as revered as he by those surrounding him?


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O Jehovah, Commander of the heavenly armies, where is there any other Mighty One like you? Faithfulness is your very character.


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You created north and south! Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon rejoice to be signed by your name as their maker!


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Your throne is founded on two strong pillars--the one is Justice and the other Righteousness. Mercy and Truth walk before you as your attendants.


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Blessed are those who hear the joyful blast of the trumpet, for they shall walk in the light of your presence.


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In a vision you spoke to your prophet and said, "I have chosen a splendid young man from the common people to be the king--


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I will protect and bless him constantly and surround him with my love; he will be great because of me.


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For I have sworn to David (and a holy God can never lie) that his dynasty will go on forever, and his throne will continue to the end of time.


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O Jehovah, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself from me forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?


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Oh, remember how short you have made man's lifespan. Is it an empty, futile life you give the sons of men?


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Lord, where is the love you used to have for me? Where is your kindness that you promised to David with a faithful pledge?


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Before the mountains were created, before the earth was formed, you are God without beginning or end.


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We glide along the tides of time as swiftly as a racing river and vanish as quickly as a dream. We are like grass that is green in the morning but mowed down and withered before the evening shadows fall.


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No wonder the years are long and heavy here beneath your wrath. All our days are filled with sighing.


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Seventy years are given us! And some may even live to eighty. But even the best of these years are often emptiness and pain; soon they disappear, and we are gone.


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Satisfy us in our earliest youth with your loving-kindness, giving us constant joy to the end of our lives.


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This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.


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Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me.


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For the Lord says, "Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my name.


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A song to sing on the Lord's Day. It is good to say thank you to the Lord, to sing praises to the God who is above all gods.


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Every morning tell him, "Thank you for your kindness," and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness.


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This honors the Lord and exhibits his faithful care. He is my shelter. There is nothing but goodness in him!


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Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs, let your glory shine out. Arise and judge the earth; sentence the proud to the penalties they deserve.


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They murder widows, immigrants, and orphans, for "The Lord isn't looking," they say, "and besides, he doesn't care."


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He punishes the nations--won't he also punish you? He knows everything--doesn't he also know what you are doing?


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so he helps us by punishing us. This makes us follow his paths and gives us respite from our enemies while God traps them and destroys them.


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Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer.


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Will you permit a corrupt government to rule under your protection--a government permitting wrong to defeat right?


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Do you approve of those who condemn the innocent to death? No! The Lord my God is my fortress--the mighty Rock where I can hide.


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God has made the sins of evil men to boomerang upon them! He will destroy them by their own plans. Jehovah our God will cut them off.


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for he is our God. We are his sheep, and he is our Shepherd. Oh, that you would hear him calling you today and come to him!


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For there your fathers doubted me, though they had seen so many of my miracles before. My patience was severely tried by their complaints.


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"For forty years I watched them in disgust," the Lord God says. "They were a nation whose thoughts and heart were far away from me. They refused to accept my laws.


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Therefore, in mighty wrath I swore that they would never enter the Promised Land, the place of rest I planned for them."


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For the Lord is great beyond description and greatly to be praised. Worship only him among the gods!


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Tell the nations that Jehovah reigns! He rules the world. His power can never be overthrown. He will judge all nations fairly.


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Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the vastness of the roaring seas demonstrate his glory.


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Praise him for the growing fields, for they display his greatness. Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise.


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Let those who worship idols be disgraced--all who brag about their worthless gods--for every god must bow to him!


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Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah have heard of your justice, Lord, and are glad that you reign in majesty over the entire earth and are far greater than these other gods.


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The Lord loves those who hate evil; he protects the lives of his people and rescues them from the wicked.


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Sing a new song to the Lord telling about his mighty deeds! For he has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness.


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He has announced this victory and revealed it to every nation by fulfilling his promise to be kind to Israel. The whole earth has seen God's salvation of his people.


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Let the sea in all its vastness roar with praise! Let the earth and all those living on it shout, "Glory to the Lord."


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Let the waves clap their hands in glee and the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the world with perfect justice.


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Jehovah is King! Let the nations tremble! He is enthroned between the Guardian Angels. Let the whole earth shake.


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This mighty King is determined to give justice. Fairness is the touchstone of everything he does. He gives justice throughout Israel.


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O Jehovah our God! You answered them and forgave their sins, yet punished them when they went wrong.


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Try to realize what this means--the Lord is God! He made us--we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.


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Go through his open gates with great thanksgiving; enter his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.


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For the Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.


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I will try to walk a blameless path, but how I need your help, especially in my own home, where I long to act as I should.


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Help me to refuse the low and vulgar things; help me to abhor all crooked deals of every kind, to have no part in them.


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I will not tolerate anyone who secretly slanders his neighbors; I will not permit conceit and pride.


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I will make the godly of the land my heroes and invite them to my home. Only those who are truly good shall be my servants.


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for my days disappear like smoke. My health is broken, and my heart is sick; it is trampled like grass and is withered. My food is tasteless, and I have lost my appetite.


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I eat ashes instead of bread. My tears run down into my drink because of your anger against me, because of your wrath. For you have rejected me and thrown me out.


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I know that you will come and have mercy on Jerusalem--and now is the time to pity her--the time you promised help.


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For your people love every stone in her walls and feel sympathy for every grain of dust in her streets.


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I am recording this so that future generations will also praise the Lord for all that he has done. And a people that shall be created shall praise the Lord.


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so that multitudes would stream to the Temple in Jerusalem to praise him, and his praises were sung throughout the city; and many rulers throughout the earth came to worship him.


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They shall perish, but you go on forever. They will grow old like worn-out clothing, and you will change them like a man putting on a new shirt and throwing away the old one!


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He is merciful and tender toward those who don't deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love.


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for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.


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his salvation is to children's children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him!


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Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands.


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I bless the Lord: O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and with majesty and light! You stretched out the starry curtain of the heavens,


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and hollowed out the surface of the earth to form the seas. The clouds are his chariots. He rides upon the wings of the wind.


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You spoke, and at the sound of your shout the water collected into its vast ocean beds, and mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed.


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The tender grass grows up at his command to feed the cattle, and there are fruit trees, vegetables, and grain for man to cultivate,


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High in the mountains are pastures for the wild goats, and rock-badgers burrow in among the rocks and find protection there.


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O Lord, what a variety you have made! And in wisdom you have made them all! The earth is full of your riches.


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You supply it, and they gather it. You open wide your hand to feed them, and they are satisfied with all your bountiful provision.


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But if you turn away from them, then all is lost. And when you gather up their breath, they die and turn again to dust.


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Think of the mighty deeds he did for us, his chosen ones--descendants of God's servant Abraham, and of Jacob. Remember how he destroyed our enemies.


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Though a thousand generations pass he never forgets his promise, his covenant with Abraham and Isaac


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and confirmed with Jacob. This is his never-ending treaty with the people of Israel: "I will give you the land of Canaan as your inheritance."


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but through it all he would not let one thing be done to them apart from his decision. He destroyed many a king who tried!


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In the years that followed, the people of Israel multiplied explosively until they were a greater nation than their rulers.


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When Moses spoke, the flies and other insects swarmed in vast clouds from one end of Egypt to the other.


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and brought his people safely out from Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick and feeble folk among them then.


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He spread out a cloud above them to shield them from the burning sun and gave them a pillar of flame at night to give them light.


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He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, complete with their growing crops; they ate what others planted.


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Let me share in your chosen ones' prosperity and rejoice in all their joys, and receive the glory you give to them.


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They weren't impressed by the wonder of your miracles in Egypt and soon forgot your many acts of kindness to them. Instead they rebelled against you at the Red Sea.


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Even so you saved them--to defend the honor of your name and demonstrate your power to all the world.


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You commanded the Red Sea to divide, forming a dry road across its bottom. Yes, as dry as any desert!


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So the Lord declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped into the breach between the people and their God and begged him to turn from his wrath and not destroy them.


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They refused to enter the Promised Land, for they wouldn't believe his solemn oath to care for them.


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They even sacrificed their little children to the demons--the idols of Canaan--shedding innocent blood and polluting the land with murder.


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That is why he let the heathen nations crush them. They were ruled by those who hated them and oppressed by their enemies.


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Again and again he delivered them from their slavery, but they continued to rebel against him and were finally destroyed by their sin.


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O Lord God, save us! Regather us from the nations so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.


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Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Hallelujah!


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Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for his loving-kindness, and for all of his wonderful deeds!


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Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for his loving-kindness and for all of his wonderful deeds!


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For your loving-kindness is great beyond measure, high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches the skies.


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God has given sacred promises; no wonder I exult! He has promised to give us all the land of Shechem and also Succoth Valley.


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"Gilead is mine to give to you," he says, "and Manasseh as well; the land of Ephraim is the helmet on my head. Judah is my scepter.


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May his children become fatherless and his wife a widow; may they be evicted from the ruins of their home.


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Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children. May they die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.


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For he refused all kindness to others, and persecuted those in need, and hounded brokenhearted ones to death.


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Cursing is as much a part of him as his clothing, or as the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.


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But as for me, O Lord, deal with me as your child, as one who bears your name! Because you are so kind, O Lord, deliver me.


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I am slipping down the hill to death; I am shaken off from life as easily as a man brushes a grasshopper from his arm.


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Then let them curse me if they like--I won't mind that if you are blessing me! For then all their efforts to destroy me will fail, and I shall go right on rejoicing!


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Jehovah said to my Lord the Messiah, "Rule as my regent--I will subdue your enemies and make them bow low before you."


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In that day of your power your people shall come to you willingly, dressed in holy altar robes. And your strength shall be renewed day by day like morning dew.


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Hallelujah! I want to express publicly before his people my heartfelt thanks to God for his mighty miracles. All who are thankful should ponder them with me.


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He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the land of Israel, though it was the home of many nations living there.


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He has paid a full ransom for his people; now they are always free to come to Jehovah (what a holy, awe-inspiring name that is).


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How can men be wise? The only way to begin is by reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying his laws. Praise his name forever.


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Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing his commands.


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Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God's constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it.


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He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him.


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He gives generously to those in need. His deeds will never be forgotten. He shall have influence and honor.


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Evil-minded men will be infuriated when they see all this; they will gnash their teeth in anger and slink away, their hopes thwarted.


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He gives children to the childless wife, so that she becomes a happy mother. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord.


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The Red Sea saw them coming and quickly broke apart before them. The Jordan River opened up a path for them to cross.


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What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back?


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Jehovah is constantly thinking about us, and he will surely bless us. He will bless the people of Israel and the priests of Aaron,


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Here in the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem, before all the people, I will pay everything I vowed to the Lord. Praise the Lord.


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They swarm around me like bees; they blaze against me like a roaring flame. Yet beneath his flag I shall destroy them.


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Songs of joy at the news of our rescue are sung in the homes of the godly. The strong arm of the Lord has done glorious things!


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Jehovah God is our light. I present to him my sacrifice upon the altar, for you are my God, and I shall give you this thanks and this praise.


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I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin.


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Keep me far from every wrong; help me, undeserving as I am, to obey your laws, for I have chosen to do right.


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I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don't let me make a mess of things.


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Therefore in fairness renew my life, for this was your promise--yes, Lord, to save me! Now spare me by your kindness and your love.


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Therefore I will keep on obeying you forever and forever, free within the limits of your laws. I will speak to kings about their value, and they will listen with interest and respect.


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Never forget your promises to me your servant, for they are my only hope. They give me strength in all my troubles; how they refresh and revive me!


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For these laws of yours have been my source of joy and singing through all these years of my earthly pilgrimage.


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I thought about the wrong direction in which I was headed, and turned around and came running back to you.


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for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. They are more valuable to me than millions in silver and gold!


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Let the proud be disgraced, for they have cut me down with all their lies. But I will concentrate my thoughts upon your laws.


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I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting. But still I cling to your laws and obey them.


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These proud men who hate your truth and laws have dug deep pits for me to fall in. Their lies have brought me into deep trouble. Help me, for you love only truth.


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Your faithfulness extends to every generation, like the earth you created; it endures by your decree, for everything serves your plans.


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And since only your rules can give me wisdom and understanding, no wonder I hate every false teaching.


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I am close to death at the hands of my enemies; oh, give me back my life again, just as you promised me.


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Lord, see how much I really love your demands. Now give me back my life and health because you are so kind.


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I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not turned away from your commandments.


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My troubles pile high among these haters of the Lord, these men of Meshech and Kedar. I am tired of being here among these men who hate peace.


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All Israel--Jehovah's people--have come to worship as the law requires, to thank and praise the Lord.


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Look! There are the judges holding court beside the city gates, deciding all the people's arguments.


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We look to Jehovah our God for his mercy and kindness just as a servant keeps his eyes upon his master or a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.


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Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. For we have had our fill of contempt and of the scoffing of the rich and proud.


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If the Lord had not been on our side (let all Israel admit it), if the Lord had not been on our side,


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We have escaped with our lives as a bird from a hunter's snare. The snare is broken and we are free!


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Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people.


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How we laughed and sang for joy. And the other nations said, "What amazing things the Lord has done for them."


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Unless the Lord builds a house, the builders' work is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, sentries do no good.


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It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.


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Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. That man shall have the help he needs when arguing with his enemies.


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Your wife shall be contented in your home. And look at all those children! There they sit around the dinner table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees.


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and faced with never-ending discrimination--but not destroyed! My enemies have never been able to finish me off!


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Though my back is cut to ribbons with their whips, the Lord is good. For he has snapped the chains that evil men had bound me with.


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May they be as grass in shallow soil, turning sere and yellow when half grown, ignored by the reaper, despised by the binder.


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And may those passing by refuse to bless them by saying, "Jehovah's blessings be upon you; we bless you in Jehovah's name."


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Lord, if you keep in mind our sins, then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But you forgive! What an awesome thing this is!


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Lord, I am not proud and haughty. I don't think myself better than others. I don't pretend to "know it all."


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I am quiet now before the Lord, just as a child who is weaned from the breast. Yes, my begging has been stilled.


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thinking how I ought to build a permanent home for the Ark of the Lord, a Temple for the mighty one of Israel.


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But now it will be settled in the Temple, in God's permanent home here on earth. That is where we will go to worship him.


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For you promised me that my son would sit on my throne and succeed me. And surely you will never go back on a promise!


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You also promised that if my descendants will obey the terms of your contract with me, then the dynasty of David shall never end.


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For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head and ran down onto his beard and onto the border of his robe.


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Harmony is as refreshing as the dew on Mount Hermon, on the mountains of Israel. And God has pronounced this eternal blessing on Jerusalem, even life forevermore.


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He makes mists rise throughout the earth; he sends the lightning to bring down the rain and sends the winds from his treasuries.


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O Levite priests, bless the Lord Jehovah! Oh, bless his name, all of you who trust and reverence him.


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Praise the God who smote the firstborn of Egypt, for his loving-kindness to Israel continues forever.


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He brought them out with mighty power and upraised fist to strike their enemies, for his loving-kindness to Israel continues forever.


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Praise the Lord who opened the Red Sea to make a path before them, for his loving-kindness continues forever,


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Praise him who saved his people from the power of mighty kings, for his loving-kindness continues forever,


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and killed famous kings who were their enemies, for his loving-kindness to Israel continues forever:


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God gave the land of these kings to Israel as a gift forever, for his loving-kindness to Israel continues forever;


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for how can we sing? Yet our captors, our tormentors, demand that we sing for them the happy songs of Zion!


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If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill upon the harp. If I fail to love her more than my highest joy, let me never sing again.


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O Jehovah, do not forget what these Edomites did on that day when the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. "Raze her to the ground!" they yelled.


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O Babylon, evil beast, you shall be destroyed. Blessed is the man who destroys you as you have destroyed us.


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I face your Temple as I worship, giving thanks to you for all your loving-kindness and your faithfulness, for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.


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Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me.


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The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your loving-kindness, Lord, continues forever. Don't abandon me--for you made me.


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You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am.


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For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.


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Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.


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You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!


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I can't even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!


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Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.


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These proud men have set a trap to catch me, a noose to yank me up and leave me dangling in the air; they wait in ambush with a net to throw over and hold me helpless in its meshes.


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O Jehovah, my Lord and Savior, my God and my shield--hear me as I pray! Don't let these wicked men succeed; don't let them prosper and be proud.


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Let burning coals fall down upon their heads, or throw them into the fire or into deep pits from which they can't escape.


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Take away my lust for evil things; don't let me want to be with sinners, doing what they do, sharing their delicacies.


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Let the godly smite me! It will be a kindness! If they reprove me, it is medicine! Don't let me refuse it. But I am in constant prayer against the wicked and their deeds.


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When their leaders are condemned, and their bones are strewn across the ground, then these men will finally listen to me and know that I am trying to help them.


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For I am overwhelmed and desperate, and you alone know which way I ought to turn to miss the traps my enemies have set for me.


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(There's one--just over there to the right!) No one gives me a passing thought. No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.


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Then I prayed to Jehovah. "Lord," I pled, "you are my only place of refuge. Only you can keep me safe.


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My enemies chased and caught me. They have knocked me to the ground. They force me to live in the darkness like those in the grave.


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Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens; don't turn away from me or I shall die.


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Let me see your kindness to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for my prayer is sincere.


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Lord, saving me will bring glory to your name. Bring me out of all this trouble because you are true to your promises.


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And because you are loving and kind to me, cut off all my enemies and destroy those who are trying to harm me; for I am your servant.


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He is always kind and loving to me; he is my fortress, my tower of strength and safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield. He subdues my people under me.


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For you grant victory to kings! You are the one who will rescue your servant David from the fatal sword.


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Here is my description of a truly happy land where Jehovah is God: Sons vigorous and tall as growing plants. Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall.


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Oxen loaded down with produce. No enemy attacking the walls, but peace everywhere. No crime in our streets.


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He fulfills the desires of those who reverence and trust him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.


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for every man must die. His breathing stops, life ends, and in a moment all he planned for himself is ended.


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the God who made both earth and heaven, the seas and everything in them. He is the God who keeps every promise,


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and opens the eyes of the blind; he lifts the burdens from those bent down beneath their loads. For the Lord loves good men.


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He protects the immigrants and cares for the orphans and widows. But he turns topsy-turvy the plans of the wicked.


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The Lord will reign forever. O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!


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Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! How good it is to sing his praises! How delightful, and how right!


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He covers the heavens with clouds, sends down the showers, and makes the green grass grow in mountain pastures.


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something he has not done with any other nation; they have not known his commands. Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!


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all praise the Lord together. For he alone is worthy. His glory is far greater than all of earth and heaven.


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He has made his people strong, honoring his godly ones--the people of Israel, the people closest to him. Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!


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For Jehovah enjoys his people; he will save the humble. Let his people rejoice in this honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie upon their beds.


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Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! Praise him in his Temple and in the heavens he made with mighty power.


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"I want to make the simpleminded wise!" he said. "I want to warn young men about some problems they will face.


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I want those already wise to become the wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth."


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How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! Only fools refuse to be taught.


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She calls out to the crowds along Main Street, and to the judges in their courts, and to everyone in all the land:


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"You simpletons!" she cries. "How long will you go on being fools? How long will you scoff at wisdom and fight the facts?


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then I will not answer your cry for help. It will be too late though you search for me ever so anxiously.


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That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen.


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and are searching for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure, then wisdom will be given you and knowledge of God himself;


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He grants good sense to the godly--his saints. He is their shield, protecting them and guarding their pathway.


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You will be given the sense to stay away from evil men who want you to be their partners in crime--men who turn from God's ways to walk down dark and evil paths


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Only wisdom from the Lord can save a man from the flattery of prostitutes; these girls have abandoned their husbands and flouted the laws of God.


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My son, never forget the things I've taught you. If you want a long and satisfying life, closely follow my instructions.


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If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don't ever trust yourself.


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Don't be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.


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Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.


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Young man, do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for his punishment is proof of his love.


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Have two goals: wisdom--that is, knowing and doing right--and common sense. Don't let them slip away,


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With them on guard you can sleep without fear; you need not be afraid of disaster or the plots of wicked men, for the Lord is with you; he protects you.


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Young men, listen to me as you would to your father. Listen, and grow wise, for I speak the truth--don't turn away.


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For I, too, was once a son, tenderly loved by my mother as an only child, and the companion of my father.


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He told me never to forget his words. "If you follow them," he said, "you will have a long and happy life.


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Learn to be wise," he said, "and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point."


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Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment.


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If you exalt wisdom, she will exalt you. Hold her fast, and she will lead you to great honor; she will place a beautiful crown upon your head.


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for evil men can't sleep until they've done their evil deed for the day. They can't rest unless they cause someone to stumble and fall.


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But the good man walks along in the ever-brightening light of God's favor; the dawn gives way to morning splendor,


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For she does not know the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't even realize where it leads.


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lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless;


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He shall die because he will not listen to the truth; he has let himself be led away into incredible folly.


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Son, if you endorse a note for someone you hardly know, guaranteeing his debt, you are in serious trouble.


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Quick! Get out of it if you possibly can! Swallow your pride; don't let embarrassment stand in the way. Go and beg to have your name erased.


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If you can get out of this trap you have saved yourself like a deer that escapes from a hunter or a bird from the net.


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And as you sleep, poverty creeps upon you like a robber and destroys you; want attacks you in full armor.


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Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and fingers.


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For there are six things the Lord hates--no, seven: Haughtiness, Lying, Murdering, Plotting evil, Eagerness to do wrong, A false witness, Sowing discord among brothers.


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Every day and all night long their counsel will lead you and save you from harm; when you wake up in the morning, let their instructions guide you into the new day.


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For their advice is a beam of light directed into the dark corners of your mind to warn you of danger and to give you a good life.


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Their counsel will keep you far away from prostitutes, with all their flatteries, and unfaithful wives of other men.


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So it is with the man who commits adultery with another's wife. He shall not go unpunished for this sin.


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But even so, he is fined seven times as much as he stole, though it may mean selling everything in his house to pay it back.


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for the woman's husband will be furious in his jealousy, and he will have no mercy on you in his day of vengeance.


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She was the brash, coarse type, seen often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner for men to be her lovers.


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She put her arms around him and kissed him, and with a saucy look she said, "I was just coming to look for you and here you are!


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So she seduced him with her pretty speech, her coaxing and her wheedling, until he yielded to her. He couldn't resist her flattery.


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waiting to be killed with an arrow through its heart. He was as a bird flying into a snare, not knowing the fate awaiting it there.


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don't let your desires get out of hand; don't let yourself think about her. Don't go near her; stay away from where she walks, lest she tempt you and seduce you.


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Can't you hear the voice of wisdom? She is standing at the city gates and at every fork in the road, and at the door of every house. Listen to what she says:


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"Listen, men!" she calls. "How foolish and naive you are! Let me give you understanding. O foolish ones, let me show you common sense!


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Listen to me! For I have important information for you. Everything I say is right and true, for I hate lies and every kind of deception.


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Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding.


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If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.


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"I, Wisdom, give good advice and common sense. Because of my strength, kings reign in power, and rulers make just laws.


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I lived before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters onto the earth,


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"I was there when he established the heavens and formed the great springs in the depths of the oceans.


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I was there when he set the limits of the seas and gave them his instructions not to spread beyond their boundaries. I was there when he made the blueprint for the earth and oceans.


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Happy is the man who is so anxious to be with me that he watches for me daily at my gates, or waits for me outside my home!


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But the one who misses me has injured himself irreparably. Those who refuse me show that they love death."


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and sent out her maidens inviting all to come. She calls from the busiest intersections in the city,


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So don't bother with him; he will only hate you for trying to help him. But a wise man, when rebuked, will love you all the more.


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For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.


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"I, Wisdom, will make the hours of your day more profitable and the years of your life more fruitful."


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The Lord will not let a good man starve to death, nor will he let the wicked man's riches continue forever.


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A wise youth makes hay while the sun shines, but what a shame to see a lad who sleeps away his hour of opportunity.


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We all have happy memories of good men gone to their reward, but the names of wicked men stink after them.


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A wise man holds his tongue. Only a fool blurts out everything he knows; that only leads to sorrow and trouble.


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Disaster strikes like a cyclone and the wicked are whirled away. But the good man has a strong anchor.


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A lazy fellow is a pain to his employers--like smoke in their eyes or vinegar that sets the teeth on edge.


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The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to prosper, but the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill.


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You can be very sure the evil man will not go unpunished forever. And you can also be very sure God will rescue the children of the godly.


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It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.


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People curse the man who holds his grain for higher prices, but they bless the man who sells it to them in their time of need.


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The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left. He shall be the servant of a wiser man.


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A worthy wife is her husband's joy and crown; the other kind corrodes his strength and tears down everything he does.


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A good man is concerned for the welfare of his animals, but even the kindness of godless men is cruel.


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A lazy man won't even dress the game he gets while hunting, but the diligent man makes good use of everything he finds.


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A man's goodness helps him all through life, while evil men are being destroyed by their wickedness.


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The advice of a wise man refreshes like water from a mountain spring. Those accepting it become aware of the pitfalls on ahead.


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If you refuse criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you are on the road to fame.


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It is pleasant to see plans develop. That is why fools refuse to give them up even when they are wrong.


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When a good man dies, he leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren; but when a sinner dies, his wealth is stored up for the godly.


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If you refuse to discipline your son, it proves you don't love him; for if you love him, you will be prompt to punish him.


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A mocker never finds the wisdom he claims he is looking for, yet it comes easily to the man with common sense.


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Even his own neighbors despise the poor man, while the rich have many "friends." But to despise the poor is to sin. Blessed are those who help them.


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Those who plot evil shall wander away and be lost, but those who plan good shall be granted mercy and quietness.


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A witness who tells the truth saves good men from being sentenced to death, but a false witness is a traitor.


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Wisdom is enshrined in the hearts of men of common sense, but it must shout loudly before fools will hear it.


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If they stop trying, the Lord will punish them; if they rebel against that punishment, they will die.


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Everyone enjoys giving good advice, and how wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time!


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If you profit from constructive criticism, you will be elected to the wise men's hall of fame. But to reject criticism is to harm yourself and your own best interests.


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It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to have self-control than to control an army.


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Mocking the poor is mocking the God who made them. He will punish those who rejoice at others' misfortunes.


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The man of few words and settled mind is wise; therefore, even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent. It pays him to keep his mouth shut.


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It is harder to win back the friendship of an offended brother than to capture a fortified city. His anger shuts you out like iron bars.


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There are "friends" who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.


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A poor man's own brothers turn away from him in embarrassment; how much more his friends! He calls after them, but they are gone.


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The king's anger is as dangerous as a lion's. But his approval is as refreshing as the dew on grass.


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A short-tempered man must bear his own penalty; you can't do much to help him. If you try once you must try a dozen times!


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Punish a mocker and others will learn from his example. Reprove a wise man, and he will be the wiser.


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Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them, making them reel drunkenly down the street!


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The character of even a child can be known by the way he acts--whether what he does is pure and right.


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"Utterly worthless!" says the buyer as he haggles over the price. But afterwards he brags about his bargain!


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Some men enjoy cheating, but the cake they buy with such ill-gotten gain will turn to gravel in their mouths.


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Just as water is turned into irrigation ditches, so the Lord directs the king's thoughts. He turns them wherever he wants to.


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God, the Righteous One, knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked and will bring the wicked to judgment.


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The lazy man longs for many things, but his hands refuse to work. He is greedy to get, while the godly love to give!


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If you must choose, take a good name rather than great riches; for to be held in loving esteem is better than silver and gold.


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A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.


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The lazy man is full of excuses. "I can't go to work!" he says. "If I go outside, I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!"


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Listen to this wise advice; follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it on to others: Trust in the Lord.


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Don't rob the poor and sick! For the Lord is their defender. If you injure them, he will punish you.


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Unless you have the extra cash on hand, don't countersign a note. Why risk everything you own? They'll even take your bed!


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and don't stuff yourself, though it all tastes so good; for he is trying to bribe you, and no good is going to come of his invitation.


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Don't weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!


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The delicious food they serve will turn sour in your stomach, and you will vomit it and have to take back your words of appreciation for their "kindness."


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Don't steal the land of defenseless orphans by moving their ancient boundary marks, for their Redeemer is strong; he himself will accuse you.


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Don't fail to correct your children; discipline won't hurt them! They won't die if you use a stick on them! Punishment will keep them out of hell.


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My son, how I will rejoice if you become a man of common sense. Yes, my heart will thrill to your thoughtful, wise words.


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Don't envy evil men but continue to reverence the Lord all the time, for surely you have a wonderful future ahead of you. There is hope for you yet!


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Whose heart is filled with anguish and sorrow? Who is always fighting and quarreling? Who is the man with bloodshot eyes and many wounds?


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You will see hallucinations and have delirium tremens, and you will say foolish, silly things that would embarrass you no end when sober.


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And afterwards you will say, "I didn't even know it when they beat me up. . . . Let's go and have another drink!"


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Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.


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Don't try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn't know about it. For God, who knows all hearts, knows yours, and he knows you knew! And he will reward everyone according to his deeds.


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My son, honey whets the appetite and so does wisdom! When you enjoy becoming wise, there is hope for you! A bright future lies ahead!


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Don't you know that this good man, though you trip him up seven times, will each time rise again? But one calamity is enough to lay you low.


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Don't envy the wicked. Don't covet his riches. For the evil man has no future; his light will be snuffed out.


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My son, watch your step before the Lord and the king, and don't associate with radicals. For you will go down with them to sudden disaster, and who knows where it all will end?


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Don't testify spitefully against an innocent neighbor. Why lie about him? Don't say, "Now I can pay him back for all his meanness to me!"


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I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was overgrown with thorns; it was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down.


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You cannot understand the height of heaven, the size of the earth, or all that goes on in the king's mind!


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When you remove dross from silver, you have sterling ready for the silversmith. When you remove corrupt men from the king's court, his reign will be just and fair.


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It is better to wait for an invitation rather than to be sent back to the end of the line, publicly disgraced!


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One who doesn't give the gift he promised is like a cloud blowing over a desert without dropping any rain.


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Telling lies about someone is as harmful as hitting him with an axe, or wounding him with a sword, or shooting him with a sharp arrow.


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Putting confidence in an unreliable man is like chewing with a sore tooth, or trying to run on a broken foot.


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Being happy-go-lucky around a person whose heart is heavy is as bad as stealing his jacket in cold weather or rubbing salt in his wounds.


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If your enemy is hungry, give him food! If he is thirsty, give him something to drink! This will make him feel ashamed of himself, and God will reward you.


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It is better to live in a corner of an attic than in a beautiful home with a cranky, quarrelsome woman.


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Just as it is harmful to eat too much honey, so also it is bad for men to think about all the honors they deserve!


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An undeserved curse has no effect. Its intended victim will be no more harmed by it than by a sparrow or swallow flitting through the sky.


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When arguing with a rebel, don't use foolish arguments as he does, or you will become as foolish as he is!


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A rebel will misapply an illustration so that its point will no more be felt than a thorn in the hand of a drunkard.


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Yanking a dog's ears is no more foolish than interfering in an argument that isn't any of your business.


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A man who is caught lying to his neighbor and says, "I was just fooling," is like a madman throwing around firebrands, arrows, and death!


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A man with hate in his heart may sound pleasant enough, but don't believe him; for he is cursing you in his heart.


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The man who sets a trap for others will get caught in it himself. Roll a boulder down on someone, and it will roll back and crush you.


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Never abandon a friend--either yours or your father's. Then you won't need to go to a distant relative for help in your time of need.


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A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks and suffers the consequences.


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You can no more stop her complaints than you can stop the wind or hold onto anything with oil-slick hands.


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A workman may eat from the orchard he tends; anyone should be rewarded who protects another's interests.


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A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.


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The purity of silver and gold can be tested in a crucible, but a man is tested by his reaction to men's praise.


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When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily; but with honest, sensible leaders there is stability.


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When a poor man oppresses those even poorer, he is like an unexpected flood sweeping away their last hope.


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Evil men don't understand the importance of justice, but those who follow the Lord are much concerned about it.


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Young men who are wise obey the law; a son who is a member of a lawless gang is a shame to his father.


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A curse on those who lead astray the godly. But men who encourage the upright to do good shall be given a worthwhile reward.


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A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.


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Only a stupid prince will oppress his people, but a king will have a long reign if he hates dishonesty and bribes.


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The man who wants to do right will get a rich reward. But the man who wants to get rich quick will quickly fail.


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Giving preferred treatment to rich people is a clear case of selling one's soul for a piece of bread.


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If you give to the poor, your needs will be supplied! But a curse upon those who close their eyes to poverty.


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The man who is often reproved but refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken and never have another chance.


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Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild; but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws.


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A man who assists a thief must really hate himself! For he knows the consequence but does it anyway.


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Who else but God goes back and forth to heaven? Who else holds the wind in his fists and wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who but God has created the world? If there is any other, what is his name--and his Son's name--if you know it?


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First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs!


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For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.


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There are those who curse their father and mother and feel themselves faultless despite their many sins.


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They are proud beyond description, arrogant, disdainful. They devour the poor with teeth as sharp as knives!


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There are two things never satisfied, like a leech forever craving more: no, three things! no, four! Hell, The barren womb, A barren desert, Fire.


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A man who mocks his father and despises his mother shall have his eye plucked out by ravens and eaten by vultures.


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How an eagle glides through the sky. How a serpent crawls upon a rock. How a ship finds its way across the heaving ocean. The growth of love between a man and a girl.


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If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, don't brag about it--cover your mouth with your hand in shame.


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As the churning of cream yields butter, and a blow to the nose causes bleeding, so anger causes quarrels.


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For if they drink they may forget their duties and be unable to give justice to those who are oppressed.


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Hard liquor is for sick men at the brink of death, and wine for those in deep depression. Let them drink to forget their poverty and misery.


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She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plans the day's work for her servant girls.


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She also upholsters with finest tapestry; her own clothing is beautifully made--a purple gown of pure linen.


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Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn't last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised.


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Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.


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The rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full, and the water returns again to the rivers and flows again to the sea. . .


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everything is unutterably weary and tiresome. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied; no matter how much we hear, we are not content.


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We don't remember what happened in those former times, and in the future generations no one will remember what we have done back here.


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And I applied myself to search for understanding about everything in the universe. I discovered that the lot of man, which God has dealt to him, is not a happy one.


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What is wrong cannot be righted; it is water over the dam; and there is no use thinking of what might have been.


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I said to myself, "Look, I am better educated than any of the kings before me in Jerusalem. I have greater wisdom and knowledge."


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So I worked hard to be wise instead of foolish --but now I realize that even this was like chasing the wind.


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I said to myself, "Come now, be merry; enjoy yourself to the full." But I found that this, too, was futile. For it is silly to be laughing all the time; what good does it do?


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So after a lot of thinking, I decided to try the road of drink, while still holding steadily to my course of seeking wisdom. Next I changed my course again and followed the path of folly, so that I could experience the only happiness most men have throughout their lives.


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Next I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born within my household. I also bred great herds and flocks, more than any of the kings before me.


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I collected silver and gold as taxes from many kings and provinces. In the cultural arts, I organized men's and women's choirs and orchestras. And then there were my many beautiful concubines.


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So I became greater than any of the kings in Jerusalem before me, and with it all I remained clear-eyed, so that I could evaluate all these things.


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Anything I wanted I took and did not restrain myself from any joy. I even found great pleasure in hard work. This pleasure was, indeed, my only reward for all my labors.


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But as I looked at everything I had tried, it was all so useless, a chasing of the wind, and there was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.


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Now I began a study of the comparative virtues of wisdom and folly, and anyone else would come to the same conclusion I did--


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that wisdom is of more value than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness; for the wise man sees, while the fool is blind. And yet I noticed that there was one thing that happened to wise and foolish alike--


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just as the fool will die, so will I. So of what value is all my wisdom? Then I realized that even wisdom is futile.


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And who can tell whether my son will be a wise man or a fool? And yet all I have will be given to him--how discouraging!


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For though I spend my life searching for wisdom, knowledge, and skill, I must leave all of it to someone who hasn't done a day's work in his life; he inherits all my efforts, free of charge. This is not only foolish but unfair.


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So I decided that there was nothing better for a man to do than to enjoy his food and drink and his job. Then I realized that even this pleasure is from the hand of God.


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For God gives those who please him wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away from him and gives it to those who please him. So here, too, we see an example of foolishly chasing the wind.


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I have thought about this in connection with all the various kinds of work God has given to mankind.


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Everything is appropriate in its own time. But though God has planted eternity in the hearts of men, even so, many cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.


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So I conclude that, first, there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can;


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and second, that he should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of his labors, for these are gifts from God.


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And I know this, that whatever God does is final--nothing can be added or taken from it; God's purpose in this is that man should fear the all-powerful God.


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Whatever is has been long ago; and whatever is going to be has been before; God brings to pass again what was in the distant past and disappeared.


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Moreover, I notice that throughout the earth justice is giving way to crime, and even the police courts are corrupt.


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And then I realized that God is letting the world go on its sinful way so that he can test mankind, and so that men themselves will see that they are no better than beasts.


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For men and animals both breathe the same air, and both die. So mankind has no real advantage over the beasts; what an absurdity!


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For who can prove that the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward into dust?


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So I saw that there is nothing better for men than that they should be happy in their work, for that is what they are here for, and no one can bring them back to life to enjoy what will be in the future, so let them enjoy it now.


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Next I observed all the oppression and sadness throughout the earth--the tears of the oppressed, and no one helping them, while on the side of their oppressors were powerful allies.


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And most fortunate of all are those who have never been born and have never seen all the evil and crime throughout the earth.


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Then I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy! But this, too, is foolishness, chasing the wind.


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The fool won't work and almost starves but feels that it is better to be lazy and barely get by, than to work hard, when in the long run it is all so futile.


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This is the case of a man who is quite alone, without a son or brother, yet he works hard to keep gaining more riches. And to whom will he leave it all, and why is he giving up so much now? It is all so pointless and depressing.


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Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone?


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And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.


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He can become the leader of millions of people and be very popular. But, then, the younger generation grows up around him and rejects him! So again, it is all foolishness, chasing the wind.


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Don't be a fool who doesn't even realize it is sinful to make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven and you are only here on earth, so let your words be few.


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So when you talk to God and vow to him that you will do something, don't delay in doing it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Keep your promise to him.


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In that case, your mouth is making you sin. Don't try to defend yourself by telling the messenger from God that it was all a mistake  to make the vow. That would make God very angry; and he might destroy your prosperity.


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Dreaming instead of doing is foolishness, and there is ruin in a flood of empty words; fear God instead.


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If you see some poor man being oppressed by the rich, with miscarriage of justice anywhere throughout the land, don't be surprised! For every official is under orders from higher up, and the higher officials look up to their superiors. And so the matter is lost in red tape and bureaucracy.


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And over them all is the king. Oh, for a king who is devoted to his country! Only he can bring order from this chaos.


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He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness!


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The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So what is the advantage of wealth--except perhaps to watch it as it runs through your fingers!


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The man who works hard sleeps well whether he eats little or much, but the rich must worry and suffer insomnia.


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There is another serious problem I have seen everywhere--savings are put into risky investments that turn sour, and soon there is nothing left to pass on to one's son.


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This, as I said, is a very serious problem, for all his hard work has been for nothing; he has been working for the wind. It is all swept away.


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Well, one thing, at least, is good: It is for a man to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, accept his position in life, and enjoy his work whatever his job may be, for however long the Lord may let him live.


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And, of course, it is very good if a man has received wealth from the Lord and the good health to enjoy it.


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To enjoy your work and to accept your lot in life--that is indeed a gift from God. The person who does that will not need to look back with sorrow on his past, for God gives him joy.


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God has given to some men very great wealth and honor so that they can have everything they want, but he doesn't give them the health to enjoy it, and they die and others get it all! This is absurd, a hollow mockery, and a serious fault.


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Even if a man has a hundred sons and as many daughters and lives to be very old, but leaves so little money at his death that his children can't even give him a decent burial--I say that he would be better off born dead.


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never seeing the sun or even knowing its existence, yet that is better than to be an old, unhappy man.


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Wise men and fools alike spend their lives scratching for food and never seem to get enough. Both have the same problem, yet the poor man who is wise lives a far better life.


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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; mere dreaming of nice things is foolish; it's chasing the wind.


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All things are decided by fate; it was known long ago what each man would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny.


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In these few days of our empty lifetimes, who can say how one's days can best be spent? Who can know what will prove best for the future after he is gone? For who knows the future?


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A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. The day one dies is better than the day he is born!


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It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and it is a good thing to think about it while there is still time.


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 See the way God does things and fall into line. Don't fight the facts of nature. Who can straighten what he has made crooked?"


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Enjoy prosperity whenever you can, and when hard times strike, realize that God gives one as well as the other--so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life.


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In this silly life I have seen everything, including the fact that some of the good die young and some of the wicked live on and on. So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don't be too wicked either--don't be a fool! Why should you die before your time?


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Don't eavesdrop! You may hear your servant cursing you! For you know how often you yourself curse others!


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I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and the reason for things, . . . to prove to myself the wickedness of folly and that foolishness is madness.


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A prostitute is more bitter than death. May it please God that you escape from her, but sinners don't evade her snares.


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This is my conclusion, says the Preacher. Step by step I came to this result after researching in every direction: One tenth of one percent of the men I interviewed could be said to be wise, but not one woman!


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And I found that though God has made men upright, each has turned away to follow his own downward road.


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How wonderful to be wise, to understand things, to be able to analyze them and interpret them. Wisdom lights up a man's face, softening its hardness.


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Obey the king as you have vowed to do. Don't always be trying to get out of doing your duty, even when it's unpleasant. For the king punishes those who disobey.


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Those who obey him will not be punished. The wise man will find a time and a way to do what he says.


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Yes, there is a time and a way for everything, though man's trouble lies heavy upon him; for how can he avoid what he doesn't know is going to happen?


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No one can hold back his spirit from departing; no one has the power to prevent his day of death, for there is no discharge from that obligation and that dark battle. Certainly a man's wickedness is not going to help him then.


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I have thought deeply about all that goes on here in the world, where people have the power of injuring each other.


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I have seen wicked men buried, and as their friends returned from the cemetery, having forgotten all the dead man's evil deeds, these men were praised in the very city where they had committed their many crimes! How odd!


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But though a man sins a hundred times and still lives, I know very well that those who fear God will be better off,


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unlike the wicked, who will not live long, good lives--their days shall pass away as quickly as shadows because they don't fear God.


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There is a strange thing happening here upon the earth: Providence seems to treat some good men as though they were wicked, and some wicked men as though they were good. This is all very vexing and troublesome!


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Then I decided to spend my time having fun because I felt that there was nothing better in all the earth than that a man should eat, drink, and be merry, with the hope that this happiness would stick with him in all the hard work that God gives to mankind everywhere.


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In my search for wisdom I observed all that was going on everywhere across the earth--ceaseless activity, day and night. (Of course, only God can see everything, and even the wisest man who says he knows everything, doesn't!)


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This, too, I carefully explored--that godly and wise men are in God's will; no one knows whether he will favor them or not. All is chance!


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The same providence confronts everyone, whether good or bad, religious or irreligious, profane or godly. It seems so unfair that one fate comes to all.


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That is why men are not more careful to be good but instead choose their own mad course, for they have no hope--there is nothing but death ahead anyway.


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For the living at least know that they will die! But the dead know nothing; they don't even have their memories.


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Whatever they did in their lifetimes--loving, hating, envying--is long gone, and they have no part in anything here on earth any more.


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Live happily with the woman you love through the fleeting days of life, for the wife God gives you is your best reward down here for all your earthly toil.


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Whatever you do, do well, for in death, where you are going, there is no working or planning, or knowing, or understanding.


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Again I looked throughout the earth and saw that the swiftest person does not always win the race, nor the strongest man the battle, and that wise men are often poor, and skillful men are not necessarily famous; but it is all by chance, by happening to be at the right place at the right time.


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A man never knows when he is going to run into bad luck. He is like a fish caught in a net, or a bird caught in a snare.


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There was a small city with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it.


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There was in the city a wise man, very poor, and he knew what to do to save the city, and so it was rescued. But afterwards no one thought any more about him.


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Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, nevertheless, if the wise man is poor, he will be despised, and what he says will not be appreciated.


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Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, a small mistake can outweigh much wisdom and honor.


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There is another evil I have seen as I have watched the world go by, a sad situation concerning kings and rulers:


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For I have seen foolish men given great authority and rich men not given their rightful place of dignity!


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Dig a well--and fall into it! Demolish an old wall--and be bitten by a snake! When working in a quarry, stones will fall and crush you! There is risk in each stroke of your axe!


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It is pleasant to listen to wise words, but a fool's speech brings him to ruin. Since he begins with a foolish premise, his conclusion is sheer madness.


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A fool knows all about the future and tells everyone in detail! But who can really know what is going to happen?


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Woe to the land whose king is a child and whose leaders are already drunk in the morning. Happy the land whose king is a nobleman and whose leaders work hard before they feast and drink, and then only to strengthen themselves for the tasks ahead!


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Never curse the king, not even in your thoughts, nor the rich man, either; for a little bird will tell them what you've said.


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When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down; when a tree falls, whether south or north, the die is cast, for there it lies.


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God's ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the little body of a baby while it is yet in its mother's womb.


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If a person lives to be very old, let him rejoice in every day of life, but let him also remember that eternity is far longer and that everything down here is futile in comparison.


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Young man, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it! Do all you want to; take in everything, but realize that you must account to God for everything you do.


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So banish grief and pain, but remember that youth, with a whole life before it, can make serious mistakes.


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Don't let the excitement of being young cause you to forget about your Creator. Honor him in your youth before the evil years come--when you'll no longer enjoy living.


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It will be too late then to try to remember him when the sun and light and moon and stars are dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among your clouds.


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For there will come a time when your limbs will tremble with age, your strong legs will become weak, and your teeth will be too few to do their work, and there will be blindness too.


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Then let your lips be tightly closed while eating when your teeth are gone! And you will waken at dawn with the first note of the birds; but you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with quavering voice.


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You will be afraid of heights and of falling--a white-haired, withered old man, dragging himself along: without sexual desire, standing at death's door, and nearing his everlasting home as the mourners go along the streets.


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Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young--before the silver cord of life snaps and the gold bowl is broken; before the pitcher is broken at the fountain and the wheel is broken at the cistern;


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But then, because the Preacher was wise, he went on teaching the people all he knew; and he collected proverbs and classified them.


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For the Preacher was not only a wise man but a good teacher; he not only taught what he knew to the people, but taught them in an interesting manner.


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The wise man's words are like goads that spur to action. They nail down important truths. Students are wise who master what their teachers tell them.


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But, my son, be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!


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Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the entire duty of man.


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Take me with you; come, let's run!" The Girl: "The king has brought me into his palace. How happy we will be! Your love is better than wine. No wonder all the young girls love you!"


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The Girl: "I am dark but beautiful, O girls of Jerusalem, tanned as the dark tents of Kedar." King Solomon: "But lovely as the silken tents of Solomon!"


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The Girl: "Don't look down on me, you city girls, just because my complexion is so dark--the sun has tanned me. My brothers were angry with me and sent me out into the sun to tend the vineyards, but see what it has done to me!"


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The Girl: "Tell me, O one I love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you be at noon? For I will come and join you there instead of wandering like a vagabond among the flocks of your companions."


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King Solomon: "If you don't know, O most beautiful woman in all the world, follow the trail of my flock to the shepherds' tents, and there feed your sheep and their lambs.


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How lovely your cheeks are, with your hair falling down upon them! How stately your neck with that long string of jewels.


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The Girl: "My lover is an apple tree, the finest in the orchard as compared with any of the other youths. I am seated in his much-desired shade and his fruit is lovely to eat.


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O girls of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and deer in the park, that you do not awaken my lover. Let him sleep!"


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The Girl: "Ah, I hear him--my beloved! Here he comes, leaping upon the mountains and bounding over the hills.


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My beloved is like a gazelle or young deer. Look, there he is behind the wall, now looking in at the windows.


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The leaves are coming out, and the grapevines are in blossom. How delicious they smell! Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.'


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"My dove is hiding behind some rocks, behind an outcrop of the cliff. Call to me and let me hear your lovely voice and see your handsome face.


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Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, come to me, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices."


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The Girl: "One night my lover was missing from my bed. I got up to look for him but couldn't find him.


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It was only a little while afterwards that I found him and held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my childhood home, into my mother's old bedroom.


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I adjure you, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and deer of the park, not to awake my lover. Let him sleep."


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The Young Women of Jerusalem: "Who is this sweeping in from the deserts like a cloud of smoke along the ground, smelling of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice that can be bought?


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They are all skilled swordsmen and experienced bodyguards. Each one has his sword upon his thigh to defend his king against any onslaught in the night.


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Its posts are silver, its canopy gold, the seat is purple; and the back is inlaid with these words: 'With love from the girls of Jerusalem!' "


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The Girl: "Go out and see King Solomon, O young women of Zion; see the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, his day of gladness."


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King Solomon: "How beautiful you are, my love, how beautiful! Your eyes are those of doves. Your hair falls across your face like flocks of goats that frisk across the slopes of Gilead.


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Your teeth are white as sheep's wool, newly shorn and washed; perfectly matched, without one missing.


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Your lips are like a thread of scarlet--and how beautiful your mouth. Your cheeks are matched loveliness behind your locks.


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Until the morning dawns and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.


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"Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. We will look down from the summit of the mountain, from the top of Mount Hermon, where the lions have their dens and panthers prowl.


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You have ravished my heart, my lovely one, my bride; I am overcome by one glance of your eyes, by a single bead of your necklace.


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How sweet is your love, my darling, my bride. How much better it is than mere wine. The perfume of your love is more fragrant than all the richest spices.


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Your lips, my dear, are made of honey. Yes, honey and cream are under your tongue, and the scent of your garments is like the scent of the mountains and cedars of Lebanon.


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 "My darling bride is like a private garden, a spring that no one else can have, a fountain of my own.


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nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, and perfume from every other incense tree, as well as myrrh and aloes, and every other lovely spice.


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You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, refreshing as the streams from the Lebanon mountains."


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The Girl: "Come, north wind, awaken; come, south wind, blow upon my garden and waft its lovely perfume to my beloved. Let him come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits."


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King Solomon: "I am here in my garden, my darling, my bride! I gather my myrrh with my spices and eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk." The Young Women of Jerusalem: "Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply!"


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The Girl: "One night as I was sleeping, my heart awakened in a dream. I heard the voice of my beloved; he was knocking at my bedroom door. 'Open to me, my darling, my lover, my lovely dove,' he said, 'for I have been out in the night and am covered with dew.'


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"But I said, 'I have disrobed. Shall I get dressed again? I have washed my feet, and should I get them soiled?'


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I jumped up to open it, and my hands dripped with perfume, my fingers with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt.


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I opened to my beloved, but he was gone. My heart stopped. I searched for him but couldn't find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply.


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The Young Women of Jerusalem: "O woman of rare beauty, what is it about your loved one that is better than any other, that you command us this?"


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His cheeks are like sweetly scented beds of spices. His lips are perfumed lilies, his breath like myrrh.


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His legs are as pillars of marble set in sockets of finest gold, like cedars of Lebanon; none can rival him.


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His mouth is altogether sweet, lovable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my beloved, my friend."


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The Young Women of Jerusalem: "O rarest of beautiful women, where has your loved one gone? We will help you find him."


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The Girl: "He has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to pasture his flock and to gather the lilies.


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King Solomon: "O my beloved, you are as beautiful as the lovely land of Tirzah, yes, beautiful as Jerusalem, and how you capture my heart.


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Look the other way, for your eyes have overcome me! Your hair, as it falls across your face, is like a flock of goats frisking down the slopes of Gilead.


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I have sixty other wives, all queens, and eighty concubines, and unnumbered virgins available to me;


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but you, my dove, my perfect one, are the only one among them all, without an equal! The women of Jerusalem were delighted when they saw you, and even the queens and concubines praise you.


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'Who is this,' they ask, 'arising as the dawn, fair as the moon, pure as the sun, so utterly captivating?' "


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The Girl: "I went down into the orchard of nuts and out to the valley to see the springtime there, to see whether the grapevines were budding or the pomegranates were blossoming yet.


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Before I realized it, I was stricken with terrible homesickness and wanted to be back among my own people."


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The Young Women of Jerusalem: "Return, return to us, O maid of Shulam. Come back, come back, that we may see you once again." The Girl: "Why should you seek a mere Shulammite?" King Solomon: "Because you dance so beautifully."


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King Solomon: "How beautiful your tripping feet, O queenly maiden. Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of the most skilled of craftsmen.


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Your navel is lovely as a goblet filled with wine. Your waist is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies.


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Your neck is stately as an ivory tower, your eyes as limpid pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is shapely like the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus.


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"As Mount Carmel crowns the mountains, so your hair is your crown. The king is held captive in your queenly tresses.


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I said, I will climb up into the palm tree and take hold of its branches. Now may your breasts be like grape clusters, the scent of your breath like apples,


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and your kisses as exciting as the best of wine, smooth and sweet, causing the lips of those who are asleep to speak."


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Let us get up early and go out to the vineyards and see whether the vines have budded, whether the blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates are in flower. And there I will give you my love.


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There the mandrakes give forth their fragrance, and the rarest fruits are at our doors, the new as well as old, for I have stored them up for my beloved."


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The Girl: "Oh, if only you were my brother; then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would laugh at me.


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I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, sweet pomegranate wine.


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The Young Women of Jerusalem: "Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her beloved?" King Solomon: "Under the apple tree where your mother gave birth to you in her travail, there I awakened your love."


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The Girl: "Seal me in your heart with permanent betrothal, for love is strong as death, and jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. It flashes fire, the very flame of Jehovah.


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Many waters cannot quench the flame of love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man tried to buy it with everything he owned, he couldn't do it."


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The Girl's Brothers: "We have a little sister too young for breasts. What shall we do if someone asks to marry her?"


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King Solomon: "If she has no breasts, we will build upon her a battlement of silver, and if she is a door, we will enclose her with cedar boards."


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Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon, which he rented out to some farmers there, the rent being one thousand pieces of silver from each.


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But as for my own vineyard, you, O Solomon, shall have my thousand pieces of silver, and I will give two hundred pieces to those who care for it.


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O my beloved, living in the gardens, how wonderful that your companions may listen to your voice; let me hear it too.


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These are the messages that came to Isaiah, son of Amoz, in the visions he saw during the reigns of King Uzziah, King Jotham, King Ahaz, and King Hezekiah--all kings of Judah. In these messages God showed him what was going to happen to Judah and Jerusalem in the days ahead.


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Listen, O heaven and earth, to what the Lord is saying: "The children I raised and cared for so long and tenderly have turned against me.


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Even the animals--the donkey and the ox--know their owner and appreciate his care for them, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still don't care."


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Oh, what a sinful nation they are! They walk bent-backed beneath their load of guilt. Their fathers before them were evil too. Born to be bad, they have turned their backs upon the Lord and have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have cut themselves off from his help.


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Oh, my people, haven't you had enough of punishment? Why will you force me to whip you again and again? Must you forever rebel?


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From head to foot you are sick and weak and faint, covered with bruises and welts and infected wounds, unanointed and unbound.


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Your country lies in ruins; your cities are burned; while you watch, foreigners are destroying and plundering everything they see.


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You stand there helpless and abandoned like a watchman's shanty in the field when the harvesttime is over--or when the crop is stripped and robbed.


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If the Lord Almighty had not stepped in to save a few of us, we would have been wiped out as Sodom and Gomorrah were.


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An apt comparison! Listen, you leaders of Israel, you men of Sodom and Gomorrah, as I call you now. Listen to the Lord. Hear what he is telling you!


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"I am sick of your sacrifices. Don't bring me any more of them. I don't want your fat rams; I don't want to see the blood from your offerings.


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Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins? The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils. Your holy celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath, and your special days for fasting--even your most pious meetings--all are frauds! I want nothing more to do with them.


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From now on, when you pray with your hands stretched out to heaven, I won't look or listen. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are those of murderers; they are covered with the blood of your innocent victims.


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"Oh, wash yourselves! Be clean! Let me no longer see you doing all these wicked things; quit your evil ways.


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"Come, let's talk this over!" says the Lord; "no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!


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But if you keep on turning your backs and refusing to listen to me, you will be killed by your enemies; I, the Lord, have spoken."


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Jerusalem, once a faithful wife! And now a prostitute! Running after other gods! Once "The City of Fair Play," but now a gang of murderers.


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Once like sterling silver; now mixed with worthless alloy! Once so pure, but now diluted like watered-down wine!


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Your leaders are rebels, companions of thieves; all of them take bribes and won't defend the widows and orphans.


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"And afterwards I will give you good judges and wise counselors like those you used to have. Then your city shall again be called 'The City of Justice' and 'The Faithful Town.' "


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Shame will cover you, and you will blush to think of all those times you sacrificed to idols in your groves of "sacred" oaks.


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The strongest among you will disappear like burning straw; your evil deeds are the spark that sets the straw on fire, and no one will be able to put it out.


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In the last days Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord will become the world's greatest attraction, and people from many lands will flow there to worship the Lord.


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"Come," everyone will say, "let us go up the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Israel; there he will teach us his laws, and we will obey them." For in those days the world will be ruled from Jerusalem.


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The Lord will settle international disputes; all the nations will convert their weapons of war into implements of peace. Then at the last all wars will stop and all military training will end.


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The Lord has rejected you because you welcome foreigners from the East who practice magic and communicate with evil spirits, as the Philistines do.


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All the glory of mankind will bow low; the pride of men will lie in the dust, and the Lord alone will be exalted.


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When the Lord stands up from his throne to shake up the earth, his enemies will crawl with fear into the holes in the rocks and into the caves because of the glory of his majesty.


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and crawl into the caverns to hide among the jagged rocks at the tops of the cliffs, to try to get away from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty when he rises to terrify the earth.


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And the worst sort of anarchy will prevail--everyone stepping on someone else, neighbors fighting neighbors, youths revolting against authority, criminals sneering at honorable men.


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In those days a man will say to his brother, "You have some extra clothing, so you be our king and take care of this mess."


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"No!" he will reply. "I cannot be of any help! I have no extra food or clothes. Don't get me involved!"


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Israel's civil government will be in utter ruin because the Jews have spoken out against their Lord and will not worship him; they offend his glory.


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The very look on their faces gives them away and shows their guilt. And they boast that their sin is equal to the sin of Sodom; they are not even ashamed. What a catastrophe! They have doomed themselves.


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But say to the wicked, "Your doom is sure. You too shall get your just deserts. Your well-earned punishment is on the way."


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O my people! Can't you see what fools your rulers are? Weak as women! Foolish as little children playing king. True leaders? No, misleaders! Leading you down the garden path to destruction.


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First to feel his wrath will be the elders and the princes, for they have defrauded the poor. They have filled their barns with grain extorted from the helpless peasants.


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Next he will judge the haughty Jewish women, who mince along, noses in the air, tinkling bracelets on their ankles, with wanton eyes that rove among the crowds to catch the glances of the men.


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The Lord will send a plague of scabs to ornament their heads! He will expose their nakedness for all to see.


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No longer shall they tinkle with self-assurance as they walk. For the Lord will strip away their artful beauty and their ornaments,


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Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, they'll stink; for sashes they'll use ropes; their well-set hair will all fall out; they'll wear sacks instead of robes. All their beauty will be gone; all that will be left to them is shame and disgrace.


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At that time so few men will be left alive that seven women will fight over each of them and say, "Let us all marry you! We will furnish our own food and clothing; only let us be called by your name so that we won't be mocked as old maids."


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Those whose names are written down to escape the destruction of Jerusalem will be washed and rinsed of all their moral filth by the horrors and the fire.


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They will be God's holy people. And the land will produce for them its lushest bounty and its richest fruit.


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Then the Lord will provide shade on all Jerusalem--over every home and all its public grounds--a canopy of smoke and cloud throughout the day, and clouds of fire at night, covering the Glorious Land,


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Now I will sing a song about his vineyard to the one I love. My Beloved has a vineyard on a very fertile hill.


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He plowed it and took out all the rocks and planted his vineyard with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower and cut a winepress in the rocks. Then he waited for the harvest, but the grapes that grew were wild and sour and not at all the sweet ones he expected.


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I won't prune it or hoe it, but let it be overgrown with briars and thorns. I will command the clouds not to rain on it any more.


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I have given you the story of God's people. They are the vineyard that I spoke about. Israel and Judah are his pleasant acreage! He expected them to yield a crop of justice but found bloodshed instead. He expected righteousness, but the cries of deep oppression met his ears.


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You buy up property so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone in the midst of the earth!


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But the Lord Almighty has sworn your awful fate--with my own ears I heard him say, "Many a beautiful home will lie deserted, their owners killed or gone.


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An acre of vineyard will not produce a gallon of juice! Ten bushels of seed will yield a one-bushel crop!"


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Woe to you who get up early in the morning to go on long drinking bouts that last till late at night--woe to you drunken bums.


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You furnish lovely music at your grand parties; the orchestras are superb! But for the Lord you have no thought or care.


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Therefore I will send you into exile far away because you neither know nor care that I have done so much for you. Your great and honored men will starve, and the common people will die of thirst.


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Hell is licking its chops in anticipation of this delicious morsel, Jerusalem. Her great and small shall be swallowed up, and all her drunken throngs.


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They even mock the Holy One of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them. "Hurry up and punish us, O Lord," they say. "We want to see what you can do!"


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They say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.


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Therefore God will deal with them and burn them. They will disappear like straw on fire. Their roots will rot and their flowers wither, for they have thrown away the laws of God and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.


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That is why the anger of the Lord is hot against his people; that is why he has reached out his hand to smash them. The hills will tremble, and the rotting bodies of his people will be thrown as refuse in the streets. But even so, his anger is not ended; his hand is heavy on them still.


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He will send a signal to the nations far away, whistling to those at the ends of the earth, and they will come racing toward Jerusalem.


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They never weary, never stumble, never stop; their belts are tight, their bootstraps strong; they run without stopping for rest or for sleep.


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Their arrows are sharp; their bows are bent; sparks fly from their horses' hoofs, and the wheels of their chariots spin like the wind.


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They roar like lions and pounce upon the prey. They seize my people and carry them off into captivity with none to rescue them.


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They growl over their victims like the roaring of the sea. Over all Israel lies a pall of darkness and sorrow, and the heavens are black.


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The year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the Temple was filled with his glory.


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Hovering about him were mighty, six-winged angels of fire. With two of their wings they covered their faces with two others they covered their feet, and with two they flew.


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In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory."


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Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.


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Then I said, "My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race; and I have looked upon the King, the Lord of heaven's armies."


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Then one of the mighty angels flew over to the altar and with a pair of tongs picked out a burning coal.


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He touched my lips with it and said, "Now you are pronounced 'not guilty' because this coal has touched your lips. Your sins are all forgiven."


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Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?" And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me."


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And he said, "Yes, go. But tell my people this: 'Though you hear my words repeatedly, you won't understand them. Though you watch and watch as I perform my miracles, still you won't know what they mean.'


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Dull their understanding, close their ears, and shut their eyes. I don't want them to see or to hear or to understand, or to turn to me to heal them."


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Then I said, "Lord, how long will it be before they are ready to listen?" And he replied, "Not until their cities are destroyed--without a person left--and the whole country is an utter wasteland,


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and they are all taken away as slaves to other countries far away, and all the land of Israel lies deserted!


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Yet a tenth--a remnant--will survive; and though Israel is invaded again and again and destroyed, yet Israel will be like a tree cut down, whose stump still lives to grow again."


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During the reign of Ahaz (the son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah), Jerusalem was attacked by King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel (the son of Remaliah). But it was not taken; the city stood.


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However, when the news came to the royal court, "Syria is allied with Israel against us!" the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear as the trees of a forest shake in a storm.


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Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet King Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub, your son. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that leads from Gihon Spring to the upper reservoir, near the road that leads down to the bleaching field.


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Tell him to quit worrying. Tell him he needn't be frightened by the fierce anger of those two has-beens, Rezin and Pekah.


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'We will invade Judah and throw her people into panic. Then we'll fight our way into Jerusalem and install the son of Tabeel as their king.'


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for Damascus will remain the capital of Syria alone, and King Rezin's kingdom will not increase its boundaries. And within sixty-five years Ephraim, too, will be crushed and broken.


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Samaria is the capital of Ephraim alone, and King Pekah's power will not increase. You don't believe me? If you want me to protect you, you must learn to believe what I say.'


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"Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will indeed crush your enemies as I have said. Ask anything you like, in heaven or on earth."


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Then Isaiah said, "O House of David, you aren't satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord's as well!


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All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign--a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, 'God is with us').


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By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much--the kings of Israel and Syria --will both be dead.


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"But later on, the Lord will bring a terrible curse on you and on your nation and your family. There will be terror such as has not been known since the division of Solomon's empire into Israel and Judah--the mighty king of Assyria will come with his great army!"


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At that time the Lord will whistle for the army of Upper Egypt, and of Assyria too, to swarm down upon you like flies and destroy you, like bees to sting and to kill.


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They will come in vast hordes, spreading across the whole land, even into the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny parts, as well as to all your fertile acres.


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In that day the Lord will take this "razor"--these Assyrians you have hired to save you --and use it on you to shave off everything you have: your land, your crops, your people.


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When they finally stop plundering, the whole nation will be a pastureland; whole flocks and herds will be destroyed, and a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep left.


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But the abundant pastureland will yield plenty of milk, and everyone left will live on curds and wild honey.


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No one will go to the fertile hillsides where once the gardens grew, for thorns will cover them; cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.


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Again the Lord sent me a message: "Make a large signboard and write on it the birth announcement of the son I am going to give you. Use capital letters! His name will be Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means 'Your enemies will soon be destroyed.' "


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I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, both known as honest men, to watch me as I wrote so they could testify that I had written it  before the child was even on the way.


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Then I had sexual intercourse with my wife and she conceived and bore me a son. And the Lord said, "Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.


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This name prophesies that within a couple of years, before this child is even old enough to say 'Daddy' or 'Mommy,' the king of Assyria will invade both Damascus and Samaria and carry away their riches."


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"Since the people of Jerusalem are planning to refuse my gentle care and are enthusiastic about asking King Rezin and King Pekah to come and aid them,


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therefore I will overwhelm my people with Euphrates' mighty flood; the king of Assyria and all his mighty armies will rage against them. This flood will overflow all its channels


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Do your worst, O Syria and Israel, our enemies, but you will not succeed--you will be shattered. Listen to me, all you enemies of ours: Prepare for war against us--and perish! Yes! Perish!


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Call your councils of war, develop your strategies, prepare your plans of attacking us, and perish! For God is with us.


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The Lord has said in strongest terms: "Do not under any circumstances go along with the plans of Judah to surrender to Syria and Israel.


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Don't let people call you a traitor for staying true to God. Don't you panic as so many of your neighbors are doing when they think of Syria and Israel attacking you.


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Don't fear anything except the Lord of the armies of heaven! If you fear him, you need fear nothing else.


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He will be your safety; but Israel and Judah have refused his care and thereby stumbled against the Rock of their salvation and lie fallen and crushed beneath it: God's presence among them has endangered them!


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Write down all these things I am going to do," says the Lord, "and seal them up for the future. Entrust them to some godly man to pass on down to godly men of future generations."


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I and the children God has given me have symbolic names that reveal the plans of the Lord of heaven's armies for his people: Isaiah means "Jehovah will save (his people)," Shear-jashub means "A remnant shall return," and Maher-shalal-hash-baz means "Your enemies will soon be destroyed."


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So why are you trying to find out the future by consulting witches and mediums? Don't listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God?


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"Check these witches' words against the Word of God!" he says. "If their messages are different than mine, it is because I have not sent them; for they have no light or truth in them.


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My people will be led away captive, stumbling, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rave and shake their fists at heaven and curse their King and their God.


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Wherever they look there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. And they will be thrust out into the darkness."


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Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair shall not go on forever. Though soon the land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be under God's contempt and judgment, yet in the future these very lands, Galilee and Northern Transjordan, where lies the road to the sea, will be filled with glory.


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The people who walk in darkness shall see a great Light--a Light that will shine on all those who live in the land of the shadow of death.


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For Israel will again be great, filled with joy like that of reapers when the harvest time has come, and like that of men dividing up the plunder they have won.


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For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did when he destroyed the vast host of the Midianites by Gideon's little band.


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In that glorious day of peace there will no longer be the issuing of battle gear; no more the blood-stained uniforms of war; all such will be burned.


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For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: "Wonderful," "Counselor," "The Mighty God," "The Everlasting Father," "The Prince of Peace."


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His ever-expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect fairness and justice from the throne of his father David. He will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world. This is going to happen because the Lord of heaven's armies has dedicated himself to do it!


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The Lord has spoken out against that braggart Israel who says that though our land lies in ruins now, we will rebuild it better than before. The sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars!


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the Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west. With bared fangs they will devour Israel. And even then the Lord's anger against you will not be satisfied--his fist will still be poised to smash you.


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That is why the Lord has no joy in their young men and no mercy upon even the widows and orphans, for they are all filthy-mouthed, wicked liars. That is why his anger is not yet satisfied, but his fist is still poised to smash them all.


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He will burn up all this wickedness, these thorns and briars; and the flames will consume the forests too, and send a vast cloud of smoke billowing up from their burning.


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The land is blackened by that fire, by the wrath of the Lord of heaven's armies. The people are fuel for the fire.


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Each fights against his brother to steal his food but will never have enough. Finally they will even eat their own children!


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Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh--and both against Judah. Yet even after all of this, God's anger is not yet satisfied. His hand is still heavy upon them to crush them.


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"so that there is no justice for the poor, the widows, and orphans. Yes, it is true that they even rob the widows and fatherless children.


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"Oh, what will you do when I visit you in that day when I send desolation upon you from a distant land? To whom will you turn then for your help? Where will your treasures be safe?


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I will not help you; you will stumble along as prisoners or lie among the slain. And even then my anger will not be satisfied, but my fist will still be poised to strike you.


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Assyria is the whip of my anger; his military strength is my weapon upon this godless nation, doomed and damned; he will enslave them and plunder them and trample them like dirt beneath his feet.


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But the king of Assyria will not know that it is I who sent him. He will merely think he is attacking my people as part of his plan to conquer the world.


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'We will destroy Calno just as we did Carchemish,' he will say, 'and Hamath will go down before us as Arpad did; and we will destroy Samaria just as we did Damascus.


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Yes, we have finished off many a kingdom whose idols were far greater than those in Jerusalem and Samaria,


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After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purpose, then he will turn upon the Assyrians and punish them too--for they are proud and haughty men.


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They boast, "We in our own power and wisdom have won these wars. We are great and wise. By our own strength we broke down the walls and destroyed the people and carried off their treasures.


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In our greatness we have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs, and no one can move a finger or open his mouth to peep against us!"


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But the Lord says, "Shall the axe boast greater power than the man who uses it? Is the saw greater than the man who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand is moving it? Can a cane walk by itself?"


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Because of all your evil boasting, O king of Assyria, the Lord of Hosts will send a plague among your proud troops and strike them down.


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God, the Light and Holy One of Israel, will be the fire and flame that will destroy them. In a single night he will burn those thorns and briars, the Assyrians who destroyed the land of Israel.


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Assyria's vast army is like a glorious forest, yet it will be destroyed. The Lord will destroy them, soul and body, as when a sick man wastes away.


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Then at last those left in Israel and in Judah will trust the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, instead of fearing the Assyrians.


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But though Israel be now as many as the sands along the shore, yet only a few of them will be left to return at that time; God has rightly decided to destroy his people.


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Therefore the Lord God says, "O my people in Jerusalem, don't be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you just as the Egyptians did long ago.


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It will not last very long; in a little while my anger against you will end, and then it will rise against them to destroy them."


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The Lord Almighty will send his angel to slay them in a mighty slaughter like the time when Gideon triumphed over Midian at the rock of Oreb or the time God drowned the Egyptian armies in the sea.


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On that day God will end the bondage of his people. He will break the slave-yoke off their necks and destroy it as decreed.


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Look, the mighty armies of Assyria are coming! Now they are at Aiath, now at Migron; they are storing some of their equipment at Michmash


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and crossing over the pass; they are staying overnight at Geba. Fear strikes the city of Ramah; all the people of Gibeah--the city of Saul--are running for their lives.


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Well may you scream in terror, O people of Gallim. Shout out a warning to Laish, for the mighty army comes. O poor Anathoth, what a fate is yours!


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But the enemy stops at Nob for the remainder of that day. He shakes his fist at Jerusalem on Mount Zion.


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Then, look, look! The Lord, the Lord of the armies of heaven, is chopping down the mighty tree! He is destroying all of that vast army, great and small alike, both officers and men.


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He, the Mighty One, will cut down the enemy as a woodsman's axe cuts down the forest trees in Lebanon.


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The royal line of David will be cut off, chopped down like a tree; but from the stump will grow a Shoot--yes, a new Branch from the old root.


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And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might; the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.


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His delight will be obedience to the Lord. He will not judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay,


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In that day the wolf and the lamb will lie down together, and the leopard and goats will be at peace. Calves and fat cattle will be safe among lions, and a little child shall lead them all.


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The cows will graze among bears; cubs and calves will lie down together, and lions will eat grass like the cows.


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Babies will crawl safely among poisonous snakes, and a little child who puts his hand in a nest of deadly adders will pull it out unharmed.


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Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so shall the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord.


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In that day he who created the royal dynasty of David will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, for the land where he lives will be a glorious place.


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At that time the Lord will bring back a remnant of his people for the second time, returning them to the land of Israel from Assyria, Upper and Lower Egypt, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastal lands.


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He will raise a flag among the nations for them to rally to; he will gather the scattered Israelites from the ends of the earth.


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Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end; they will not fight each other any more.


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Together they will fly against the nations possessing their land on the east and on the west, uniting forces to destroy them, and they will occupy the nations of Edom and Moab and Ammon.


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The Lord will dry a path through the Red Sea and wave his hand over the Euphrates, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams that can easily be crossed.


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He will make a highway from Assyria for the remnant there, just as he did for all of Israel long ago when they returned from Egypt.


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See, God has come to save me! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord is my strength and song; he is my salvation.


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In that wonderful day you will say, "Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the world about his wondrous love. How mighty he is!"


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Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy. For great and mighty is the Holy One of Israel, who lives among you.


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See the flags waving as their enemy attacks. Shout to them, O Israel, and wave them on as they march against Babylon to destroy the palaces of the rich and mighty.


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I, the Lord, have set apart these armies for this task; I have called those rejoicing in their strength to do this work, to satisfy my anger.


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Hear the tumult on the mountains! Listen as the armies march! It is the tumult and the shout of many nations. The Lord Almighty has brought them here,


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from countries far away. They are his weapons against you, O Babylon. They carry his anger with them and will destroy your whole land.


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and are afraid. Fear grips you with terrible pangs, like those of a woman in labor. You look at one another, helpless, as the flames of the burning city reflect upon your pallid faces.


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For see, the day of the Lord is coming, the terrible day of his wrath and fierce anger. The land shall be destroyed and all the sinners with it.


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And I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sin; I will crush the arrogance of the proud man and the haughtiness of the rich.


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Few will live when I have finished up my work. Men will be as scarce as gold--of greater value than the gold of Ophir.


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For I will shake the heavens in my wrath and fierce anger, and the earth will move from its place in the skies.


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The armies of Babylon will run until exhausted, fleeing back to their own land like deer chased by dogs, wandering like sheep deserted by their shepherd.


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Their little children will be dashed to death against the pavement right before their eyes; their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes.


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The attacking armies will have no mercy on the young people of Babylon or the babies or the children.


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And so Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean culture, will be as utterly destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah were when God sent fire from heaven;


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Babylon will never rise again. Generation after generation will come and go, but the land will never again be lived in. The nomads will not even camp there. The shepherds won't let their sheep stay overnight.


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The wild animals of the desert will make it their home. The houses will be haunted by howling creatures. Ostriches will live there, and the demons will come there to dance.


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Hyenas and jackals will den within the palaces. Babylon's days are numbered; her time of doom will soon be here.


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But the Lord will have mercy on the Israelis; they are still his special ones. He will bring them back to settle once again in the land of Israel. And many nationalities will come and join them there and be their loyal allies.


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The nations of the world will help them to return, and those coming to live in their land will serve them. Those enslaving Israel will be enslaved--Israel shall rule her enemies!


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In that wonderful day when the Lord gives his people rest from sorrow and fear, from slavery and chains,


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you will jeer at the king of Babylon and say, "You bully, you! At last you have what was coming to you!


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You persecuted my people with unceasing blows of rage and held the nations in your angry grip. You were unrestrained in tyranny.


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Even the trees of the woods--the fir trees and cedars of Lebanon--sing out this joyous song: "Your power is broken; no one will bother us now; at last we have peace."


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The denizens of hell crowd to meet you as you enter their domain. World leaders and earth's mightiest kings, long dead, are there to see you.


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Your might and power are gone; they are buried with you. All the pleasant music in your palace has ceased; now maggots are your sheet, worms your blanket!


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How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground--mighty though you were against the nations of the world.


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For you said to yourself, "I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north.


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Everyone there will stare at you and ask, "Can this be the one who shook the earth and the kingdoms of the world?


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Can this be the one who destroyed the world and made it into a shambles, who demolished its greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?"


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but your body is thrown out like a broken branch; it lies in an open grave, covered with the dead bodies of those slain in battle. It lies as a carcass in the road, trampled and mangled by horses' hoofs.


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No monument will be given you, for you have destroyed your nation and slain your people. Your son will not succeed you as the king.


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Slay the children of this sinner. Do not let them rise and conquer the land nor rebuild the cities of the world.


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"I, myself, have risen against him," says the Lord of heaven's armies, "and will cut off his children and his children's children from ever sitting on his throne.


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I will make Babylon into a desolate land of porcupines, full of swamps and marshes. I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction," says the Lord of the armies of heaven.


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"I have decided to break the Assyrian army when they are in Israel and to crush them on my mountains; my people shall no longer be their slaves.


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This is my plan for the whole earth--I will do it by my mighty power that reaches everywhere around the world.


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The Lord, the God of battle, has spoken--who can change his plans? When his hand moves, who can stop him?"


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Don't rejoice, Philistines, that the king who smote you is dead. That rod is broken, yes; but his son will be a greater scourge to you than his father ever was! From the snake will be born an adder, a fiery serpent to destroy you!


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I will shepherd the poor of my people; they shall graze in my pasture! The needy shall lie down in peace. But as for you--I will wipe you out with famine and the sword.


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Weep, Philistine cities--you are doomed. All your nation is doomed. For a perfectly trained army is coming down from the north against you.


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What then shall we tell the reporters? Tell them that the Lord has founded Jerusalem and is determined that the poor of his people will find a refuge within her walls.


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Your people in Dibon go mourning to their temples to weep for the fate of Nebo and Medeba; they shave their heads in sorrow and cut off their beards.


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The cries from the cities of Heshbon and Elealeh are heard far away, even in Jahaz. The bravest warriors of Moab cry in utter terror.


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My heart weeps for Moab! His people flee to Zoar and Eglath. Weeping, they climb the upward road to Luhith, and their crying will be heard all along the road to Horonaim.


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The desperate refugees take only the possessions they can carry and flee across the Brook of Willows.


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The stream near Dibon will run red with blood, but I am not through with Dibon yet! Lions will hunt down the survivors, both those who escape and those who remain.


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 The ambassadors, who accompany the gift to Jerusalem plead for advice and help. "Give us sanctuary. Protect us. Do not turn us over to our foes.


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Let our outcasts stay among you; hide them from our enemies! God will reward you for your kindness to us.


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If you let Moab's fugitives settle among you, then when the terror is past, God will establish David's throne forever, and on that throne he will place a just and righteous King."


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Is this proud Moab, concerning which we heard so much? His arrogance and insolence are all gone now!


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and for the abandoned farms of Heshbon and the vineyards at Sibmah. The enemy warlords have cut down the best of the grapevines; their armies spread out as far as Jazer in the deserts, and even down to the sea.


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So I wail and lament for Jazer and the vineyards of Sibmah. My tears shall flow for Heshbon and Elealeh, for destruction has come upon their summer fruits and harvests.


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Gone now is the gladness, gone the joy of harvest. The happy singing in the vineyards will be heard no more; the treading out of the grapes in the wine presses has ceased forever. I have ended all their harvest joys.


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The people of Moab will pray in anguish to their idols at the tops of the hills, but it will do no good; they will cry to their gods in their idol temples, but none will come to save them.


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but now the Lord says that within three years, without fail, the glory of Moab shall be ended, and few of all its people will be left alive.


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This is God's message to Damascus, capital of Syria: "Look, Damascus is gone! It is no longer a city--it has become a heap of ruins!


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The cities of Aroer are deserted. Sheep pasture there, lying quiet and unafraid, with no one to chase them away.


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The strength of Israel and the power of Damascus will end, and the remnant of Syria shall be destroyed. For as Israel's glory departed, so theirs, too, will disappear," declares the Lord Almighty.


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Oh, a very few of her people will be left, just as a few stray olives are left on the trees when the harvest is ended, two or three in the highest branches, four or five out on the tips of the limbs. That is how it will be in Damascus and Israel--stripped bare of people except for a few of the poor who remain."


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They will no longer ask their idols for help in that day, neither will they worship what their hands have made! They will no longer have respect for the images of Ashtaroth and the sun-idols.


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Their largest cities will be as deserted as the distant wooded hills and mountaintops and become like the abandoned cities of the Amorites, deserted when the Israelites approached (so long ago).


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Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you--the Rock who can hide you; therefore, even though you plant a wonderful, rare crop of greatest value,


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and though it grows so well that it will blossom on the very morning that you plant it, yet you will never harvest it--your only harvest will be a pile of grief and incurable pain.


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But though they roar like breakers rolling upon a beach, God will silence them. They will flee, scattered like chaff by the wind, like whirling dust before a storm.


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In the evening Israel waits in terror, but by dawn her enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder and destroy the people of God.


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Land that sends ambassadors in fast boats down the Nile! Let swift messengers return to you, O strong and supple nation feared far and wide, a conquering, destroying nation whose land the upper Nile divides. And this is the message sent to you:


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When I raise my battle flag upon the mountain, let all the world take notice! When I blow the trumpet, listen!


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For the Lord has told me this: "Let your mighty army now advance against the land of Israel. God will watch quietly from his Temple in Jerusalem--serene as on a pleasant summer day or a lovely autumn morning during harvesttime."


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But before you have begun the attack, and while your plans are ripening like grapes, he will cut you off as though with pruning shears. He will snip the spreading tendrils.


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Your mighty army will be left dead on the field for the mountain birds and wild animals to eat; the vultures will tear bodies all summer, and the wild animals will gnaw bones all winter.


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But the time will come when that strong and mighty nation, a terror to all both far and near, that conquering, destroying nation whose land the rivers divide, will bring gifts to the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem, where he has placed his name.


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This is God's message concerning Egypt: Look, the Lord is coming against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud; the idols of Egypt tremble; the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.


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"I will set them to fighting against each other--brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, province against province.


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Her wise counselors are all at their wits' end to know what to do; they plead with their idols for wisdom and call upon mediums, wizards, and witches to show them what to do.


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And the waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields; the ditches will be parched and dry,


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All green things along the riverbank will wither and blow away. All crops will perish; everything will die.


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The fishermen will weep for lack of work; those who fish with hooks and those who use the nets will all be unemployed.


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What fools the counselors of Zoan are! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is utterly stupid and wrong. Will they still boast of their wisdom? Will they dare tell Pharaoh about the long line of wise men they have come from?


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What has happened to your "wise counselors," O Pharaoh? Where has their wisdom gone? If they are wise, let them tell you what the Lord is going to do to Egypt.


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The "wise men" from Zoan are also fools, and those from Memphis are utterly deluded. They are the best you can find, but they have ruined Egypt with their foolish counsel.


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The Lord has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so that all their suggestions are wrong; they make Egypt stagger like a sick drunkard.


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In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women, cowering in fear beneath the upraised fist of God.


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Just to speak the name of Israel will strike deep terror in their hearts, for the Lord Almighty has laid his plans against them.


