SQLite format 3@ - ~`D~~`i%!indexverses_indexversesCREATE UNIQUE INDEX verses_index on "verses" (book_number, chapter, verse)wItableversesversesCREATE TABLE "verses" ("book_number" NUMERIC, "chapter" NUMERIC, "verse" NUMERIC, "text" TEXT){UtablebooksbooksCREATE TABLE "books" ("book_color" TEXT, "book_number" NUMERIC, "short_name" TEXT, "long_name" TEXT)=_tableinfoinfoCREATE TABLE info (name TEXT, value TEXT) FpaF/chapter_string_psPsalm languageen)strong_numbersfalse'right_to_leftfalse/russian_numberingfalse)chapter_stringChapter*#EdescriptionContemporary English Version By~eL5~~~~~~t~Y~?~)~}}}}}~}_}D}+}|||||||g|J|1|{{{{{{{i{H{'{ zzzzzmzPz3zyyyyyy~yeyLy5yB!#ff7c80RevRevelationA#00ff00JudJude@#00ff003Jn3 John?#00ff002Jn2 John>#00ff001Jn1 John=#00ff002Pet2 Peter<#00ff001Pet1 Peter;#00ff00JamJames:#ffff00HebHebrews9#ffff00PhlmPhilemon8#ffff00vTitTitus7#ffff00l2Tim2 Timothy6#ffff00b1Tim1 Timothy!5+#ffff00X2Ths2 Thessalonians!4+#ffff00N1Ths1 Thessalonians3!#ffff00DColColossians2##ffff00:PhilPhilippians1#ffff000EphEphesians0#ffff00&GalGalatians/'#ffff002Cor2 Corinthians.'#ffff001Cor1 Corinthians-#ffff00RomRomans,#00ffffActsActs+#ff6600JohnJohn*#ff6600LukLuke)#ff6600MarMark(#ff6600MatMatthew'#ffff99MalMalachi&#ffff99ZechZechariah%#ffff99HagHaggai$#ffff99ZephZephaniah##ffff99HabHabakkuk"#ffff99NahNahum!#ffff99MicMicah #ffff99JonaJonah#ffff99|ObaObadiah#ffff99rAmAmos#ffff99hJoelJoel#ffff99^HosHosea#ff9fb4TDanDaniel#ff9fb4JEzekEzekiel%#ff9fb46LamLamentations#ff9fb4,JerJeremiah#ff9fb4"IsaIsaiah!+#66ff99SongSong of Solomon%#66ff99EcclEcclesiastes#66ff99ProvProverbs#66ff99PsPsalms#66ff99JobJob#ffcc99EsthEsther#ffcc99NehNehemiah#ffcc99EzrEzra%#ffcc992Chr2 Chronicles %#ffcc991Chr1 Chronicles #ffcc99x2Kin2 Kings #ffcc99n1Kin1 Kings #ffcc99d2Sam2 Samuel #ffcc99Z1Sam1 Samuel#ffcc99PRuthRuth#ffcc99FJudgJudges#ffcc99oMn`mklXkKj2i4h@gLf:eDdBc9b?aE`G_h^y]\[$ZZYX9WQVaUrT SRQCPlO N$M8LTK[JkImHrG`F~ED!C+B0AN@t?2>W=v<1;g:98J7]6!5c43(2-160/ .6-n,&+F*Z)a(r'"&K%x$##M"!- x1` 1j&E[2 MreM 0 7 C M I>42 EteUE  q(  "g  ^ TU ,LW C$ @ :  0 x' Z 2 # 2s&~~~ }}z}%||{{(zzTz yyDxxxwevvuuu tsss rrHqqq)ppjoonn3mmmQlll3kkiiiBhhMgg|ff[eeddcgbbybaa`__^r]]9\\c\ [NZZ4YYTYXSWWVVNUU TjSSRR9QQGPPOOO9NN`MMILLLKKKuKUK JJJJSJ2JIII^IHHHxHGGG_G8FFFEEELDDiCCBBnAAACA@@@*??_>>E==<<<;;; :v999k88877766n6 5i5M444J333s22W211%0005//W..`--7-,,^, ++-*)((('&&&1&%%T$$.$##<"""!!!H GUT lP4pkN1]kO u . C  y & ^  }gJ-sRT s2! but the LORD appeared to Abram and promised, "I will give this land to your family forever." Abram then built an altar there for the LORD. 1 Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time,0/ (SEE 12:4)}/u Abram was seventy-five years old when the LORD told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran. When they came to the land of Canaan,.- I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.|-s I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.|, u The LORD said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.H+ Terah lived to be two hundred five years old and died in Haran.R* Terah decided to move from Ur to the land of Canaan. He took along Abram and Sarai and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran. But when they came to the city of Haran, they decided to settle there instead.)1 (SEE 11:29)(- Abram married Sarai, but she was not able to have any children. And Nahor married Milcah, who was the daughter of Haran and the sister of Iscah.'1 (SEE 11:26)&1 (SEE 11:26)% After Terah was seventy years old, he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who became the father of Lot. Terah's sons were born in the city of Ur in Chaldea, and Haran died there before the death of his father. The following is the story of Terah's descendants.P$ Nahor had more children and died at the age of one hundred forty-eight.=#w When Nahor was twenty-nine, he had a son named Terah.K" Serug had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty.8!m When Serug was thirty, he had a son named Nahor.N  Reu had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty-nine.9o When Reu was thirty-two he had a son named Serug.P Peleg had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty-nine.6i When Peleg was thirty, he had a son named Reu.O Eber had more children and died at the age of four hundred sixty-four.<u When Eber was thirty-four, he had a son named Peleg.S! Shelah had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-three.8m When Shelah was thirty, he had a son named Eber.W) Arpachshad had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-eight.D When Arpachshad was thirty-five, he had a son named Shelah.1 (SEE 11:10)9m Two years after the flood, when Shem was one hundred, he had a son named Arpachshad. He had more children and died at the age of six hundred. This is a list of his descendants:/ (SEE 11:8)0[ So the people had to stop building the city, because the LORD confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. That's how the city of Babel got its name.  Come on! Let's go down and confuse them by making them speak different languages--then they won't be able to understand each other.*O he said: These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want.G But when the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower,/ (SEE 11:3)J they said: Let's build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We'll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We'll become famous, and we won't be scattered all over the world.M  but after some of them moved from the east and settled in Babylonia,1  a At first everyone spoke the same language,  This completes the list of Noah's descendants. After the flood their descendants became nations and spread all over the world. 1 (SEE 10:21) 1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)1 (SEE 10:21)*O Shem's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. He was the older brother of Japheth and the ancestor of the tribes of Eber. Shem was the ancestor of Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. Aram was the ancestor of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad was the father of Shelah and the grandfather of Eber, whose first son was named Peleg, because it was during his time that tribes divided up the earth. Eber's second son was Joktan. Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. Their land reached from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country in the east./ (SEE 10:6)~/ (SEE 10:6)}/ (SEE 10:6)|/ (SEE 10:6){/ (SEE 10:6)z/ (SEE 10:6)y/ (SEE 10:6)x/ (SEE 10:6)w/ (SEE 10:6)v/ (SEE 10:6)u/ (SEE 10:6)t/ (SEE 10:6)s/ (SEE 10:6)r/ (SEE 10:6)q% Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the LORD. Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the LORD!" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of which were in Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.p/ (SEE 10:2)o/ (SEE 10:2)n/ (SEE 10:2)$mC Japheth's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Gomer was the ancestor of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. Javan was the ancestor of Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim, who settled along the coast.Dl  After the flood Shem, Ham, and Japheth had many descendants.2ka and died at the age of nine hundred fifty.(SEE 9:12)'ZI The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever.xYk I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood.KX This includes the birds and the animals that came out of the boat.\W3 I am going to make a solemn promise to you and to everyone who will live after you.-VW Again, God said to Noah and his sons:hUK I want you and your descendants to have many children, so people will live everywhere on earth.T- (SEE 9:5)gSI I created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death.\R3 But life is in the blood, and you must not eat any meat that still has blood in it.Q and I have given them to you for food. From now on, you may eat them, as well as the green plants that you have always eaten.mPU All animals, birds, reptiles, and fish will be afraid of you. I have placed them under your control,O 3 God said to Noah and his sons: I am giving you my blessing. Have a lot of children and grandchildren, so people will live everywhere on this earth.{Nq As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat; winter and summer, day and night.M The smell of the burning offering pleased God, and he said: Never again will I punish the earth for the sinful things its people do. All of them have evil thoughts from the time they are young, but I will never destroy everything that breathes, as I did this time..LW Noah built an altar where he could offer sacrifices to the LORD. Then he offered on the altar one of each kind of animal and bird that could be used for a sacrifice.>Ky the living creatures left in groups of their own kind.;Js After Noah and his family had gone out of the boat,aI= Let out the birds, animals, and reptiles, so they can mate and live all over the earth."VH' "You, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law may now leave the boat.G/ God said to Noah,UF% By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry.ME  Noah was now six hundred one years old. And by the first day of that year, almost all the water had gone away. Noah made an opening in the roof of the boat and saw that the ground was getting dry.fDG  He waited seven more days before sending the dove out again, and this time it did not return. C  It returned in the evening, holding in its beak a green leaf from an olive tree. Noah knew that the water was finally going down.6Bi  Seven days later Noah sent the dove out again.!A=  Deep water was still everywhere, and the dove could not find a place to land. So it flew back to the boat. Noah held out his hand and helped it back in.T@# Noah wanted to find out if the water had gone down, and he sent out a dove.?- (SEE 8:6){>q Forty days later Noah opened a window to send out a raven, but it kept flying around until the water had dried up.l=S The water kept going down, and the mountain tops could be seen on the first day of the tenth month.<y Then on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the year, the boat came to rest somewhere in the Ararat mountains.>;y For one hundred fifty days the water slowly went down.: God stopped up the places where the water had been gushing out from under the earth. He also closed up the sky, and the rain stopped.9 God did not forget about Noah and the animals with him in the boat. So God made a wind blow, and the water started going down.A8 A hundred fifty days later, the water started going down.7/ (SEE 7:22)t6c The LORD destroyed everything that breathed. Nothing was left alive except Noah and the others in the boat.P5 Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth.4/ (SEE 7:19)3 Finally, the mighty flood was so deep that even the highest mountain peaks were almost twenty-five feet below the surface of the water.2/ (SEE 7:17)15 For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above the ground.a0= just as God had told him to do. And when they were all in the boat, God closed the door.I/ Noah took a male and a female of every living creature with him,R. They took along every kind of animal, tame and wild, including the birds.y-m  On that day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives.,/  (SEE 7:11)z+o  Noah was six hundred years old when the water under the earth started gushing out everywhere. The sky opened like windows, and rain poured down for forty days and nights. All this began on the seventeenth day of the second month of the year.:*q  Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.)-  (SEE 7:8)k(Q He obeyed God and took a male and a female of each kind of animal and bird into the boat with him.'- (SEE 7:5)&- (SEE 7:5)Q% Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the LORD had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him.$ Seven days from now I will send rain that will last for forty days and nights, and I will destroy all other living creatures I have made.~#w Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird with you. Do this so there will always be animals and birds on the earth.l"S Take seven pairs of every kind of animal that can be used for sacrifice and one pair of all others.!  The LORD told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.4 e Noah did everything the LORD told him to do.<u Store up enough food both for yourself and for them./ (SEE 6:19)/Y Bring into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, as well as a male and a female of every reptile. I don't want them to be destroyed.xk But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat.jO I'm going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive.)M Build a roof on the boat and leave a space of about eighteen inches between the roof and the sides. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side.`; Make it four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high.eE Get some good lumber and build a boat. Put rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out.  So he told Noah: Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I'm going to destroy the whole earth and all its people./  (SEE 6:11)>y  God knew that everyone was terribly cruel and violent.2a  He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.b?  and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God.+S But the LORD was pleased with Noah,# and he said, "I'll destroy every living creature on earth! I'll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles. I'm sorry I ever made them."0] He was very sorry that he had made them,mU The LORD saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil.=u The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later. ! Then the LORD said, "I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years." - (SEE 6:1)D   More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings came down and married the ones they wanted.h K  After Noah was five hundred years old, he had three sons and named them Shem, Ham, and Japheth.; s and died at the age of seven hundred seventy-seven. = Lamech had more children"? Lamech said, "I'll name him Noah because he will give us comfort, as we struggle hard to make a living on this land that the LORD has put under a curse."=w When Lamech was one hundred eighty-two, he had a son.7k and died at the age of nine hundred sixty-nine.$E Methuselah had more childrenQ When Methuselah was one hundred eighty-seven, he had a son named Lamech./ (SEE 5:23)F and God took him away at the age of three hundred sixty-five.]5 and during the next three hundred years he had more children. Enoch truly loved God,A When Enoch was sixty-five, he had a son named Methuselah,6~i and died at the age of nine hundred sixty-two.}; Jared had more childrenH| When Jared was one hundred sixty-two, he had a son named Enoch.9{o and died at the age of eight hundred ninety-five.#zC Mahalalel had more children@y} When Mahalalel was sixty-five, he had a son named Jared.0x] and died at the age of nine hundred ten.w;  Kenan had more children=vw  When Kenan was seventy, he had a son named Mahalalel.1u_  and died at the age of nine hundred five.t;  Enosh had more children8sm  When Enosh was ninety, he had a son named Kenan.3rc and died at the age of nine hundred twelve.q9 Seth had more childrenAp When Seth was one hundred five, he had a son named Enosh.3oc and died at the age of nine hundred thirty.n- (SEE 5:3)|ms When Adam was one hundred thirty, he had a son who was just like him, and he named him Seth. Adam had more childrenl- (SEE 5:1)'k K God created men and women to be like himself. He gave them his blessing and called them human beings. This is a list of the descendants of Adam, the first man:gjI Later, Seth had a son and named him Enosh. About this time people started worshiping the LORD.+iQ Adam and his wife had another son. They named him Seth, because they said, "God has given us a son to take the place of Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain."{hq Anyone who tries to get even with me will be punished ten times more than anyone who tries to get even with Cain."Zg/ One day, Lamech said to his two wives, "A young man wounded me, and I killed him. f Lamech and Zillah had a son named Tubal Cain who made tools out of bronze and iron. They also had a daughter, whose name was Naamah.e/ (SEE 4:20)/dY Lamech and Adah had two sons, Jabal and Jubal. Their son Jabal was the first to live in tents and raise sheep and goats. Jubal was the first to play harps and flutes.)cO Lamech married Adah, then Zillah.b Then Enoch had a son named Irad, who had a son named Mehujael, who had a son named Methushael, who had a son named Lamech.a Later, Cain and his wife had a son named Enoch. At the time Cain was building a town, and so he named it Enoch after his son.g`I But Cain had to go far from the LORD and live in the Land of Wandering, which is east of Eden.5_e "No!" the LORD answered. "Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you." So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. ^ "You're making me leave my home and live far from you. I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me."1]_  "This punishment is too hard!" Cain said.5\e  If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.[5  And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.9Zm  Then the LORD said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you.Y  Afterwards the LORD asked Cain, "Where is Abel?" "How should I know?" he answered. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?"rX_ Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go for a walk." And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him.:Wo If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it!gVI The LORD said to Cain: What's wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face?iUM but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.AT} and Abel also gave an offering to the LORD. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the LORD the best parts of it. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,;Ss One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the LORD,lRS Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land.pQ ] Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, "I'll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the LORD." P Then God put winged creatures at the entrance to the garden and a flaming, flashing sword to guard the way to the life-giving tree.O So the LORD God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made.;Nq The LORD said, "These people now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live forever."UM% Then the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for the man and his wife.]L5 The man Adam named his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all who live.uKe You will have to sweat to earn a living; you were made out of soil, and you will once again turn into soil."SJ! Your food will be plants, but the ground will produce thorns and thistles.aI= The LORD said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate fruit from that tree. And so, the ground will be under a curse because of what you did. As long as you live, you will have to struggle to grow enough food.H3 Then the LORD said to the woman, "You will suffer terribly when you give birth. But you will still desire your husband, and he will rule over you."2G_ You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."DF So the LORD God said to the snake: "Because of what you have done, you will be the only animal to suffer this curse-- For as long as you live, you will crawl on your stomach and eat dirt.E  The LORD God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."nDW  "It was the woman you put here with me," the man said. "She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it."zCo  "How did you know you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?"tBc  The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"CA  The LORD called out to the man and asked, "Where are you?"&@G Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.?7 Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves._>9 The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too.A=} "God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does."+<S "No, you won't!" the snake replied.~;w except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."V:' The woman answered, "God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden,F9 The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the LORD God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, "Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"N8 Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.7y That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person.65 and the man exclaimed, "Here is someone like me! She is part of my body, my own flesh and bones. She came from me, a man. So I will name her Woman!"S5! the LORD made a woman out of the rib. The LORD God brought her to the man,4 So the LORD God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side,3/ (SEE 2:19)*2O So the LORD took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names. None of these was the right kind of partner for the man.q1] The LORD God said, "It isn't good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him."-0U except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!"O/ But the LORD told him, "You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden,`.; The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it.i-M The Tigris River that flows east of Assyria is the third, and the fourth is the Euphrates River.C,  The second is the Gihon River that winds through Ethiopia.G+  where pure gold, rare perfumes, and precious stones are found.R*  The first one is the Pishon River that flows through the land of Havilah,\)3  From Eden a river flowed out to water the garden, then it divided into four rivers.o(Y  The LORD God placed all kinds of beautiful trees and fruit trees in the garden. Two other trees were in the middle of the garden. One of the trees gave life--the other gave the power to know the difference between right and wrong.h'K The LORD made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there.{&q The LORD God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.C% But streams came up from the ground and watered the earth.x$k no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land.l#S That's how God created the heavens and the earth. When the LORD God made the heavens and the earth,e"E God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.H! By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested.F  So the heavens and the earth and everything else were created.w k God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came and then morning--that was the sixth day. + And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes. These will be food for animals, both wild and tame, and for birds.D  I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat.V ) God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.H  So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women.  God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures."X - God made every one of them. Then he looked at what he had done, and it was good.  God said, "I command the earth to give life to all kinds of tame animals, wild animals, and reptiles." And that's what happened.= y Evening came and then morning--that was the fifth day. 9 Then he gave the living creatures his blessing--he told the ocean creatures to live everywhere in the ocean and the birds to live everywhere on earth.1 _ So God made the giant sea monsters and all the living creatures that swim in the ocean. He also made every kind of bird. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.s c God said, "I command the ocean to be full of living creatures, and I command birds to fly above the earth."> { Evening came and then morning--that was the fourth day.t e to rule day and night, and to separate light from darkness. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.C  Then God put these lights in the sky to shine on the earth, { God made two powerful lights, the brighter one to rule the day and the other to rule the night. He also made the stars.H  I command them to shine on the earth." And that's what happened. ! God said, "I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years.=  y Evening came and then morning--that was the third day.d  E The earth produced all kinds of vegetation. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.   God said, "I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain." And that's what happened.   God named the dry ground "Land," and he named the water "Ocean." God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good.   God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened.S # and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning--that was the second day.2 c And that's what happened. God made the dome\ 5 God said, "I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it."r a and named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening came and then morning--that was the first day.Z 1 God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darknessH  God said, "I command light to shine!" And light started shining. - The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.= { In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  k,~X~;}}|}||K{{]zzz!yy,xx_w6wvvu tt ss8rr%qqCppo-ondmm)l>l"kykjiihYggff4eeEdd>cc+bbaa``f`_^^x^ \\\g[[Z]ZYYYXkWWVUUhTTSSS9RRCQQQ)PPP OOhNNJMMMfLKL.KK~JJ!II.HhGGF|F_FBF%FEuDDDLCC)BB A@@l??x>>w===*<<;;2::o99c887665"44>3e22c111w0//b.---,+S*)))((C(''+&&i%%N$$]$#v""!!y! "R't@Sa:k+\@| <zg,F P  i  @ v  g:o c4A You were willing to offer the LORD your only son, and so he makes you this solemn promise,>3y The LORD's angel called out from heaven a second time:2 Abraham named that place "The LORD Will Provide." And even now people say, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."1  Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. So he took the ram and sacrificed it in place of his son. 0;  "Don't hurt the boy or harm him in any way!" the angel said. "Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son."`/;  But the LORD's angel shouted from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am!" he answered.=.w  He then took the knife and got ready to kill his son.%-E  when they reached the place that God had told him about, Abraham built an altar and placed the wood on it. Next, he tied up his son and put him on the wood.,/ (SEE 22:7)?+y Isaac said, "Father, we have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" "My son," Abraham answered, "God will provide the lamb." The two of them walked on, and*y Abraham put the wood on Isaac's shoulder, but he carried the hot coals and the knife. As the two of them walked along,{)q He told his servants, "Stay here with the donkey, while my son and I go over there to worship. We will come back."O( Three days later Abraham looked off in the distance and saw the place.?'y So Abraham got up early the next morning and chopped wood for the fire. He put a saddle on his donkey and left with Isaac and two servants for the place where God had told him to go.K& The LORD said, "Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love! Take him to the land of Moriah, and I will show you a mountain where you must sacrifice him to me on the fires of an altar."n% Y Some years later God decided to test Abraham, so he spoke to him. Abraham answered, "Here I am, LORD."V$' "Then Abraham lived a long time as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines.Y#- !Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped the eternal LORD God.y"m  When the treaty was completed, Abimelech and his army commander Phicol went back to the land of the Philistines.N! So they called the place Beersheba, because they made a treaty there.b ? Abraham told him, "I want you to accept these seven lambs as proof that I dug this well."6i and Abimelech asked, "Why have you done this?"F Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock of sheep,`; Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, and then the two men made a peace treaty. "This is the first I've heard about it," Abimelech replied. "Why haven't you said something before? I don't have any idea who did it."b? One day, Abraham told Abimelech, "Some of your servants have taken over one of my wells."!? And so, Abraham promised.H Now I want you to promise in the name of God that you will always be loyal to me and my descendants, just as I have always been loyal to you in this land where you have lived as a foreigner."q] About this time Abimelech and his army commander Phicol said to Abraham, "God blesses everything you do!1 (SEE 21:20)<s God blessed Ishmael, and as the boy grew older, he became an expert with his bow and arrows. He lived in the Paran Desert, and his mother chose an Egyptian woman for him to marry.xk Then God let her see a well. So she went to the well and filled the skin with water, then gave some to her son.^7 Help him up and hold his hand, because I will make him the father of a great nation.".W When God heard the boy crying, the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven and said, "Hagar, why are you worried? Don't be afraid. I have heard your son crying.oY Then she sat down a long way off, because she could not bear to watch him die. And she cried bitterly.M and after they had run out of water, Hagar put her son under a bush.J Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away. They wandered around in the desert near Beersheba,oY  but the son of the slave woman is also your son, and I will make his descendants into a great nation."!  But God said, "Abraham, don't worry about your slave woman and the boy. Just do what Sarah tells you. Isaac will inherit your family name,* Q  Abraham was worried about Ishmael. /  (SEE 21:9)K   One day, Sarah noticed Hagar's son Ishmael playing, and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that Egyptian slave woman and her son! I don't want him to inherit anything. It should all go to my son."i M The time came when Sarah no longer had to nurse Isaac, and on that day Abraham gave a big feast.} u Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son."Q and Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Now everyone will laugh with me.<u Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born,fG and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as the LORD had commanded.$E Abraham named his son Isaac,Y- Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said.7 m The LORD was good to Sarah and kept his promise.1 (SEE 20:17)# Meanwhile, God had kept Abimelech's wife and slaves from having children. But Abraham prayed, and God let them start having children again. Then he said to Sarah, "I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver as proof to everyone that you have done nothing wrong."G and told Abraham that he could settle anywhere in his country.R~ Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves. He sent Sarah back}-  When God made us leave my father's home and start wandering, I told her, "If you really love me, you will tell everyone that I am your brother."X|+  Besides, she is my half sister. We have the same father, but different mothers.{  Abraham answered: I did it because I didn't think any of you respected God, and I was sure that someone would kill me to get my wife.1z_  What were you thinking when you did this?/yY  Abimelech then called in Abraham and said: Look what you've done to us! What have I ever done to you? Why did you make me and my nation guilty of such a terrible sin?x{ Early the next morning Abimelech sent for his officials, and when he told them what had happened, they were frightened.#wA Her husband is a prophet. Let her go back to him, and his prayers will save you from death. But if you don't return her, you and all your people will die.v3 God spoke to Abimelech in another dream and said: I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sleeping with Sarah and doing anything wrong.u/ (SEE 20:4)t- Abimelech said to the Lord, "Don't kill me! I haven't slept with Sarah. Didn't they say they were brother and sister? I am completely innocent."tsc But God came to Abimelech in a dream and said, "You have taken a married woman, and for this you will die!"rr_ he told everyone that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.q { Abraham moved to the Southern Desert, where he settled between Kadesh and Shur. Later he went to Gerar, and while there]p5 &The younger daughter named her son Benammi, and he is the ancestor of the Ammonites.Wo) %The older daughter named her son Moab, and he is the ancestor of the Moabites.:nq $That's how Lot's two daughters had their children.m5 #That night they got their father drunk, and this time the younger sister slept with him. But once again he was too drunk even to know she was there.Al} "The next day the older daughter said to her sister, "I slept with my father last night. We'll get him drunk again tonight, so you can go to bed with him, and we can each have a child." k !That night they got their father drunk, and the older daughter got in bed with him, but he was too drunk even to know she was there.Sj!  Let's get our father drunk! Then we can sleep with him and have children."zio One day his older daughter said to her sister, "Our father is old, and there are no men anywhere for us to marry.qh] Lot was afraid to stay on in Zoar. So he took his two daughters and moved to a cave in the hill country.g) When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Lot from the terrible destruction.}fu He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke rising from all over the land--it was like a flaming furnace.leS That same morning Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood and spoken with the LORD.Pd On the way, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a block of salt.c} He destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there.Ob and the LORD sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah.>ay The sun was coming up as Lot reached the town of Zoar,` Hurry! Run! I can't do anything until you are safely there." The town was later called Zoar because Lot had said it was small.H_ "All right, go there," he answered. "I won't destroy that town.v^g There's a town near here. It's only a small place, but my family and I will be safe, if you let us go there."]1 (SEE 19:18)p\[ Lot answered, "You have done us a great favor, sir. You have saved our lives, but please don't make us go to the hills. That's too far away. The city will be destroyed before we can get there, and we will be killed when it happens.,[S When they were outside, one of the angels said, "Run for your lives! Don't even look back. And don't stop in the valley. Run to the hills, where you will be safe."+ZQ At first, Lot just stood there. But the LORD wanted to save him. So the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city.{Yq Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Lot hurry and leave. They said, "Take your wife and your two daughters and get out of here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when the LORD destroys the city."FX Lot went to the men who were engaged to his daughters and said, "Hurry and get out of here! The LORD is going to destroy this city." But they thought he was joking, and they laughed at him.W1  (SEE 19:12)V  The two angels said to Lot, "The LORD has heard many terrible things about the people of Sodom, and he has sent us here to destroy the city. Take your family and leave. Take every relative you have in the city, as well as the men your daughters are going to marry."aU=  Then they struck everyone in the crowd blind, and none of them could even find the door.RT  But the two angels in the house reached out and pulled Lot safely inside. S  "Don't get in our way," the crowd answered. "You're an outsider. What right do you have to order us around? We'll do worse things to you than we're going to do to them." The crowd kept arguing with Lot. Finally, they rushed toward the door to break it down..RW I have two daughters who have never been married. I'll bring them out, and you can do what you want with them. But don't harm these men. They are guests in my home."GQ Then he said, "Friends, please don't do such a terrible thing!6Pi Lot went outside and shut the door behind him.fOG and started shouting, "Where are your visitors? Send them out, so we can have sex with them!"wNi Before Lot and his guests could go to bed, every man in Sodom, young and old, came and stood outside his houseM But Lot kept insisting, until they finally agreed and went home with him. He baked some bread, cooked a meal, and they ate.UL% and said, "Gentlemen, I am your servant. Please come to my home. You can wash your feet, spend the night, and be on your way in the morning." They told him, "No, we'll spend the night in the city square." K  That evening the two angels arrived in Sodom, while Lot was sitting near the city gate. When Lot saw them, he got up, bowed down low,PJ !After speaking with Abraham, the LORD left, and Abraham went back home._I9  Finally, Abraham said, "Please don't get angry, LORD, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten good people there." "For the sake of ten good people," the LORD told him, "I still won't destroy the city."9Hm Then Abraham said, "I don't have any right to ask you, LORD, but what would you do if you find only twenty?" "Because of them, I won't destroy the city," was the LORD's answer.GG Abraham said, "Please don't be angry, LORD, if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty good people in the city." "If I find thirty," the LORD replied, "I still won't destroy it."F "Suppose there are just forty good people?" Abraham asked. "Even for them," the LORD replied, "I won't destroy the city."@E{ But suppose there are only forty-five good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?" "If I find forty-five good people," the LORD replied, "I won't destroy the city."D Abraham answered, "I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, LORD, for daring to speak to you like this.wCi The LORD replied, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed."B You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right."OA Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only fifty good people in it?n@W who asked, "LORD, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good?S?! The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the LORD stayed with Abraham,}>u Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it."x=k The LORD said, "Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things.#<A I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. Then I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised."x;k since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all other nations on earth.P: The LORD said to himself, "I should tell Abraham what I am going to do,|9s When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.g8I Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." "Yes, you did!" he answered.7! I am the LORD! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son."o6Y  The LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age?5y  So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?"^47  Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children.P3  One of the guests was the LORD, and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son." Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent.h2K  and they asked, "Where is your wife Sarah?" "She is right there in the tent," Abraham answered. 1 He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat. While they were eating, he stood near them under the trees, 0 After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared.t/c Abraham quickly went to his tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread."(.K Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you." "Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer."c-A I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under the tree.@,} and said, "Please come to my home where I can serve you.}+u Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground,*  One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the LORD appeared to him.)1 (SEE 17:23)(1 (SEE 17:23)'1 (SEE 17:23)&1 (SEE 17:23)% On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was ninety-nine years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was thirteen.7$k God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.##A But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.B" I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation.!+ But God answered: No! You and Sarah will have a son. His name will be Isaac, and I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants.T # Then he asked God, "Why not let Ishmael inherit what you have promised me?"D Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing. I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.F Abraham, your wife's name will now be Sarah instead of Sarai.dC Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his promise to me and cannot be one of my people.1  (SEE 17:12))  From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last forever.1  (SEE 17:10)mU  As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family.T#  Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me."? I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.ue I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God.} I will give you a lot of descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings./ (SEE 17:4)xk I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.>y Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:a= I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted."  Abram was ninety-nine years old when the LORD appeared to him again and said, "I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right,1 (SEE 16:15)e E Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.l S That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."   Hagar thought, "Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?" So from then on she called him, "The God Who Sees Me."   But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him." 1  (SEE 16:10)=u  I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael, because I have heard your cry for help. And later I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all.;s  The angel said, "Go back to Sarai and be her slave. and asked, "Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She answered, "I'm running away from Sarai, my owner." Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the LORD came to her#A Abram said, "All right! She's your slave, and you can do whatever you want with her." But Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.hK Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's all your fault! I gave you my slave woman, but she has been hateful to me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You have done me wrong, and you will have to answer to the LORD for this."hK Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and was hateful to Sarai.zo and Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years.) and Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine." Abram agreed,z q Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar,J~ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.4}e the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites,S|! They will possess the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,>{w At that time the LORD made an agreement with Abram and told him: I will give your descendants the land east of the Shihor River on the border of Egypt as far as the Euphrates River. z Sometime after sunset, when it was very dark, a smoking cooking pot and a flaming fire went between the two halves of each animal.5ye Four generations later, your descendants will return here and take this land, because only then will the people who live here be so sinful that they deserve to be punished.x1 (SEE 15:13)w1 (SEE 15:13)fvG  Then the LORD said: Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace. But I solemnly promise that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that doesn't belong to them. They will be forced into slavery and abused for four hundred years. But I will terribly punish the nation that enslaves them, and they will leave with many possessions.juO  As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening.Mt  And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away.;sq  Abram obeyed the LORD. Then he cut the animals in half and laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground. But he did not cut the doves and pigeons in half.r  Then the LORD told him, "Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon."Gq Abram asked, "LORD God, how can I know the land will be mine?"cpA The LORD said to Abram, "I brought you here from Ur in Chaldea, and I gave you this land."Do Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD was pleased with him.n# Then the LORD took Abram outside and said, "Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have."pm[ The LORD replied, "No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his."_l9 You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything."'kI But Abram answered, "LORD All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.wj k Later the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, "Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly."i% Let my share be the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre went with me, so give them their share of what we brought back.h- that I won't keep anything of yours, not even a sandal strap or a piece of thread. Then you can never say that you are the one who made me rich.ggI Abram answered: The LORD God Most High made the heavens and the earth. And I have promised himcfA The king of Sodom said to Abram, "All I want are my people. You can keep everything else."e All praise belongs to God Most High for helping you defeat your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.cdA and said to Abram: "I bless you in the name of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.dcC King Melchizedek of Salem was a priest of God Most High. He brought out some bread and wine6bg Abram returned after he had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other kings. Then the king of Sodom went to meet Abram in Shaveh Valley, which is also known as King's Valley.a/ and Abram went after them. He brought back his nephew Lot, together with Lot's possessions and the women and everyone else who had been captured.)`M That night, Abram divided up his troops, attacked from all sides, and won a great victory. But some of the enemy escaped to the town of Hobah north of Damascus,7_i that his nephew Lot had been taken away. Three hundred eighteen of Abram's servants were fighting men, so he took them and followed the enemy as far north as the city of Dan.S^!  At this time Abram the Hebrew was living near the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's friends. Someone who had escaped from the battle told Abramt]c  They also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. They took him and his possessions and then left.g\I  Their enemies took everything of value from Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supplies.%[E  was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country.Z/  (SEE 14:8)gYI At Siddim Valley, the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela fought the armies of King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar. The valleyKX They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.iWM They also defeated the Horites in the hill country of Edom, as far as El-Paran, near the desert.)VM A year later King Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh-Kiriathaim.U/ (SEE 14:3)hTK King Chedorlaomer and his allies had ruled these last five kings for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year the kings rebelled and came together in Siddim Valley, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea.$SC attacked King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, also known as the city of Zoar.R { About this time, King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim Q Abram took down his tents and went to live near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar in honor of the LORD.PP Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am giving it to you./OY I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and someday it will be easier to count the specks of dust than to count your descendants.]N5 I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs forever!M After Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the LORD said to Abram: Look around to the north, south, east, and west.IL where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the LORD.K Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. But Lot settled near the cities of the valley and put up his tents not far from Sodom,uJe So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself, and as he started toward the east, he and Abram separated.I This happened before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the LORD or the land of Egypt. H There is plenty of land for you to choose from. Let's separate. If you go north, I'll go south; if you go south, I'll go north."wGi Abram said to Lot, "We are close relatives. We shouldn't argue, and our men shouldn't be fighting one another.F/ (SEE 13:6)%EE At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the same area, and so there wasn't enough pastureland left for Abram and Lot with all of their animals. Besides this, the men who took care of Abram's animals and the ones who took care of Lot's animals started quarreling.rD_ Lot, who was traveling with him, also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and slaves.UC% where he had earlier camped and built an altar. There he worshiped the LORD.B Abram moved from place to place in the Southern Desert. And finally, he went north and set up his tents between Bethel and Ai,gAI Abram was very rich. He owned many cattle, sheep, and goats, and had a lot of silver and gold.g@ K Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.Z?/ So the king told his men to let Abram and Sarai take their possessions and leave.r>_ Why did you make me believe she was your sister? Now I've married her. Take her and go! She's your wife."=} Finally, the king sent for Abram and said to him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife?f<G Because of Sarai, the LORD struck the king and everyone in his palace with terrible diseases.u;e The king was good to Abram because of Sarai, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels.Q: The king's officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house.b9? As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was.>8y Please save my life by saying that you are my sister."{7q When the Egyptians see how lovely you are, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you.61 (SEE 12:10)P5 The crops failed, and there was no food anywhere in the land. So Abram and his wife Sarai went to live in Egypt for a while. But just before they got there, he said, "Sarai, you are really beautiful!<4u Later, Abram started out toward the Southern Desert.3 Abram traveled to the hill country east of Bethel and camped between Bethel and Ai, where he built another altar and worshiped the LORD.  i~~~ ||||~|{^{B{zyyyyHxxewwwvhvKu-utttttssrqqpp2oonmmlkzk]kjiihhggNfff+eeddc:bbdaa`p`__^^]].\[[)ZvYYuYXXJWoWVV?UUQTTSyR7RQQQ PPPONNNNeMMrLLLZL:LKJJJII\HmGGG`FFNEErDDD\CC+BlAA6@@G@(??>e==b=<0/L/ .."--K,,,<+++0**))((''' &%%^$$l##x#*"! } $\Wf6k0;p2b7 S 7 y MOSi]is>a "When Leah's third son was born, she said, "Now my husband will hold me close." So this son was named Levi.{=q !She had a second son and named him Simeon, because she said, "The LORD has heard that my husband doesn't love me."$<C  Leah gave birth to a son and named him Reuben, because she said, "The LORD has taken away my sorrow. Now my husband will love me more than he does Rachel."y;m The LORD knew that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, and so he gave children to Leah, but not to Rachel.:1 (SEE 29:28)91 (SEE 29:28)S8! At the end of the week of celebration, Laban let Jacob marry Rachel, and he gave her his servant woman Bilhah. Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, but he had to work another seven years for Laban.7y After you spend this week with Leah, you may also marry Rachel. But you will have to work for me another seven years."R6 Laban replied, "In our country the older daughter must get married first.'5I The next morning Jacob found out that he had married Leah, and he asked Laban, "Why did you do this to me? Didn't I work to get Rachel? Why did you trick me?"<4u Laban also gave Zilpah to Leah as her servant woman.a3= But that evening he brought Leah to Jacob, who married her and spent the night with her.C2 So Laban gave a big feast and invited all their neighbors.O1 Jacob said to Laban, "The time is up, and I want to marry Rachel now!"w0i Jacob worked seven years for Laban, but the time seemed like only a few days, because he loved Rachel so much./{ Laban replied, "It's better for me to let you marry Rachel than for someone else to have her. So stay and work for me."|.s Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he answered, "If you will let me marry Rachel, I'll work seven years for you."-1 (SEE 29:16) , Laban had two daughters. Leah was older than Rachel, but her eyes didn't sparkle, while Rachel was beautiful and had a good figure.+ Laban said to him, "You shouldn't have to work without pay, just because you are a relative of mine. What do you want me to give you?"x*k Laban said, "You are my nephew, and you are like one of my own family." After Jacob had been there for a month,,)S  As soon as Laban heard the news, he ran out to meet Jacob. He hugged and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him everything that had happened.h(K  He told her that he was the son of her aunt Rebekah, and she ran and told her father about him.J'  He then kissed Rachel and started crying because he was so happy.a&=  When Jacob saw her and his uncle's sheep, he rolled the rock away and watered the sheep.g%I  While Jacob was still talking with the men, his cousin Rachel came up with her father's sheep.w$i But they replied, "We can't do that until they all get here, and the rock has been rolled away from the well."1#] Jacob told them, "Look, the sun is still high up in the sky, and it's too early to bring in the rest of the flocks. Water your sheep and take them back to the pasture."s"a "How is he?" Jacob asked. "He's fine," they answered. "And here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."X!+ Then he asked, "Do you know Nahor's grandson Laban?" "Yes we do," they replied.\ 3 Jacob asked the shepherds, "Where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they answered.>w Shepherds would roll the rock away when all their sheep had gathered there. Then after the sheep had been watered, the shepherds would roll the rock back over the mouth of the well.3a he looked out in a field and saw a well where shepherds took their sheep for water. Three flocks of sheep were lying around the well, which was covered with a large rock.1 a As Jacob continued on his way to the east,fG This rock will be your house, and I will give back to you a tenth of everything you give me.";s and bring me safely home again, you will be my God.{q Jacob solemnly promised God, "If you go with me and watch over me as I travel, and if you give me food and clothesJ and he named the place Bethel. Before that it had been named Luz.E When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the rock that he had used for a pillow and stood it up for a place of worship. Then he poured olive oil on the rock to dedicate it to God,} Then Jacob became frightened and said, "This is a fearsome place! It must be the house of God and the ladder to heaven."dC Jacob woke up suddenly and thought, "The LORD is in this place, and I didn't even know it." Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won't leave you--I will do all I have promised.'I Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as the specks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people.?y  The LORD was standing beside the ladder and said: I am the LORD God who was worshiped by Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your family the land on which you are now sleeping.ue  In a dream he saw a ladder that reached from earth to heaven, and God's angels were going up and down on it.`;  At sunset he stopped for the night and went to sleep, resting his head on a large rock.D  Jacob left the town of Beersheba and started out for Haran.tc  So he married Ishmael's daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth and the granddaughter of Abraham.oY Esau already had several wives, but he realized at last how much his father hated the Canaanite women.5 g and that he had obeyed his father and mother.E  Esau found out that his father Isaac had blessed Jacob and had warned him not to marry any of the Canaanite women. He also learned that Jacob had been sent to find a wife in northern Syriad C Isaac then sent Jacob to stay with Rebekah's brother Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.~ w May he bless you with the land he gave Abraham, so that you will take over this land where we now live as foreigners.m U I pray that God All-Powerful will bless you with many descendants and let you become a great nation. Go at once to your mother's father Bethuel in northern Syria and choose a wife from one of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.l U Isaac called in Jacob, then gave him a blessing, and said: Don't marry any of those Canaanite women.+ .Rebekah later told Isaac, "Those Hittite wives of Esau are making my life miserable! If Jacob marries a Hittite woman, I'd be better off dead." -and forgets what you have done to him, I'll send for you to come home. Why should I lose both of my sons on the same day?"C ,and stay with him for a while. When Esau stops being angry\3 +Now listen carefully and do what I say. Go to the home of my brother Laban in Haran$C *When Rebekah found out what Esau planned to do, she sent for Jacob and told him, "Son, your brother Esau is just waiting for the time when he can kill you./Y )Esau hated his brother Jacob because he had stolen the blessing that was supposed to be his. So he said to himself, "Just as soon as my father dies, I'll kill Jacob." (You will live by the power of your sword and be your brother's slave. But when you decide to be free, you will break loose."r_ 'So his father said: "Your home will be far from that fertile land, where dew comes down from the heavens.~ &"Father," Esau asked, "don't you have more than one blessing? You can surely give me a blessing too!" Then Esau started crying again.n}W %"My son," Isaac answered, "I have made Jacob the ruler over you and your brothers, and all of you will be his servants. I have also promised him all the grain and grapes that he needs. There's nothing left that I can do for you."%|E $Esau replied, "My brother deserves the name Jacob, because he has already cheated me twice. The first time he cheated me out of my rights as the first-born son, and now he has cheated me out of my blessing." Then Esau asked his father, "Don't you still have any blessing left for me?"K{ #Isaac answered, "Your brother tricked me and stole your blessing."Hz "Esau cried loudly and begged, "Father, give me a blessing too!"%yE !Isaac started trembling and said, "Then who brought me some wild meat right before you came in? I ate it and gave him a blessing that cannot be taken back."Fx  "Who are you?" Isaac asked. "I am Esau, your first-born son."%wE He cooked the tasty food, brought it to his father, and said, "Father, please sit up and eat the meat I have brought you, so you can give me your blessing."hvK Right after Isaac had given Jacob his blessing and Jacob had gone, Esau came back from hunting.Nu Nations will be your servants and bow down to you. You will rule over your brothers, and they will kneel at your feet. Anyone who curses you will be cursed; anyone who blesses you will be blessed."ntW God will bless you, my son, with dew from heaven and with fertile fields, rich with grain and grapes.s While Jacob was kissing him, Isaac caught the smell of his clothes and said: "The smell of my son is like a field the LORD has blessed.;rs Then Isaac said, "Son, come over here and kiss me."+qQ So Isaac told him, "Serve me the wild meat, and I can give you my blessing." Jacob gave him some meat, and he ate it. He also gave him some wine, and he drank it.Pp Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" "Yes, I am," Jacob answered.9oo And so Isaac blessed Jacob, thinking he was Esau.{nq Jacob went closer. His father touched him and said, "You sound like Jacob, but your hands feel hairy like Esau's."hmK "My son," Isaac said, "come closer, where I can touch you and find out if you really are Esau."zlo Isaac asked, "My son, how did you find an animal so quickly?" "The LORD your God was kind to me," Jacob answered.*kO Jacob replied, "I am Esau, your first-born, and I have done what you told me. Please sit up and eat the meat I have brought. Then you can give me your blessing."rj_ Jacob went to his father and said, "Father, here I am." "Which one of my sons are you?" his father asked.Ci and gave him some bread and the tasty food she had cooked.Nh She also covered the smooth part of his hands and neck with goatskins@g} Then she took Esau's best clothes and put them on Jacob.ffG So Jacob brought the meat to his mother, and she cooked the tasty food that his father liked.`e;  Rebekah insisted, "Let his curse fall on me! Just do what I say and bring me the meat."d  If my father touches me and realizes I am trying to trick him, he will put a curse on me instead of giving me a blessing."Mc  "My brother Esau is a hairy man," Jacob reminded her. "And I am not.ab=  Then you can take it to him, so he can eat it and give you his blessing before he dies."a{  Go and kill two of your best young goats and bring them to me. I'll cook the tasty food that your father loves so much.?`{ Now, my son, listen carefully to what I want you to do.2__ to kill a wild animal and cook some tasty food for your father before he dies. Your father said this because he wants to bless your brother with the LORD as his witness.9^o she said to Jacob, "I heard your father tell EsauL] Rebekah had been listening, and as soon as Esau left to go hunting,\ Cook some of that tasty food that I love so much and bring it to me. I want to eat it once more and give you my blessing before I die."X[+ So take your bow and arrows, then go out in the fields, and kill a wild animal.;Zs Isaac replied, "I am old and might die at any time. Y  After Isaac had become old and almost blind, he called in his first-born son Esau, who asked him, "Father, what can I do for you?"UX% #But these two women brought a lot of grief to his parents Isaac and Rebekah.W{ "When Esau was forty, he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.PV !So Isaac named the well Shibah, and the town is still called Beersheba.RU  Later that same day Isaac's servants came and said, "We've struck water!"kTQ Early the next morning Isaac and the others made a solemn agreement, then he let them go in peace.ES Isaac gave a big feast for them, and everyone ate and drank.R' not to harm each other. Remember, we have never hurt you, and when we sent you away, we let you go in peace. The LORD has truly blessed you."5Qe They answered, "We now know for certain that the LORD is with you, and we have decided there needs to be a peace treaty between you and us. So let's make a solemn agreementjPO When they arrived, Isaac asked, "Why are you here? Didn't you send me away because you hated me?"|Os Meanwhile, Abimelech had left Gerar and was taking his advisor Ahuzzath and his army commander Phicol to see Isaac.yNm Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. Then he set up camp, and his servants started digging a well.qM] where the LORD appeared to him that night and told him, "Don't be afraid! I am the God who was worshiped by your father Abraham, my servant. I will be with you and bless you, and because of Abraham I will give you many descendants."#LC Isaac went on to Beersheba,=Ku Finally, they dug one more well. There was no quarreling this time, and the well was named "Lots of Room," because the LORD had given them room and would make them very successful.xJk Isaac's servants dug another well, and the shepherds also quarreled about it. So that well was named "Jealous.";Iq But the shepherds of Gerar Valley quarreled with Isaac's shepherds and claimed the water belonged to them. So the well was named "Quarrel," because they had quarreled with Isaac.UH% While his servants were digging in the valley, they found a spring-fed well.G7 where he cleaned out those wells that the Philistines had stopped up. Isaac also gave each of the wells the same name that Abraham had given to them./F[ Isaac left and settled in Gerar Valley,vEg Finally, Abimelech said, "Isaac, I want you to leave our country. You have become too powerful to stay here."XD+ and they stopped up the wells that Abraham's servants had dug before his death.pC[ In fact, the Philistines were jealous of the large number of sheep, goats, and slaves that Isaac owned,=Bw  and Isaac was so successful that he became very rich.YA-  Isaac planted grain and had a good harvest that same year. The LORD blessed him,n@W  Then Abimelech warned his people that anyone who even touched Isaac or Rebekah would be put to death.?  "Don't you know what you've done?" Abimelech exclaimed. "If someone had slept with her, you would have made our whole nation guilty!"&>G  Abimelech called him in and said, "Rebekah must be your wife! Why did you say she is your sister?" "Because I thought someone would kill me," Isaac answered.~=w After Isaac had been there a long time, King Abimelech looked out a window and saw Isaac hugging and kissing Rebekah.<# with his beautiful wife Rebekah. He was afraid that someone might kill him to get her, and so he told everyone that Rebekah was his sister.;5 Isaac moved to Gerar8:m because Abraham did everything I told him to do.09[ I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all of this land. They will be a blessing to every nation on earth,18] You will live there as a foreigner, but I will be with you and bless you. I will keep my promise to your father Abraham by giving this land to you and your descendants.~7w because the LORD had appeared to Isaac and said: Isaac, stay away from Egypt! I will show you where I want you to go.;6 s Once during Abraham's lifetime, the fields had not produced enough grain, and now the same thing happened. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines in the land of Gerar,K5 "Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born._49 !But Jacob said, "Promise me your birthrights, here and now!" And that's what Esau did.P3  "I'm about to die," Esau answered. "What good will those rights do me?"D2 Jacob replied, "Sell me your rights as the first-born son."y1m and said, "I'm starving to death! Give me some of that red stew right now!" That's how Esau got the name "Edom."I0 One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry / Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, and so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.. As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob settled down and became a shepherd.- The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.H, the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau. += When Rebekah gave birth,*1 and he told her: "Your two sons will become two separate nations. The younger of the two will be stronger, and the older son will be his servant."k)Q Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, "Why is this happening to me?" Finally, she asked the LORD why her twins were fighting,z(o Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the LORD to let her have a child, and the LORD answered his prayer.3'a and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria. Almost twenty years later,%&G Isaac was the son of Abraham,%1 (SEE 25:17)K$ Ishmael had settled in the land east of his brothers, and his sons settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt on the way to Asshur. Ishmael was one hundred thirty-seven when he died._#9 Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief, and a village was named after each of them.1"_ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.!7 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,Q   Ishmael had twelve sons, in this order: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,L  Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, the slave woman of Sarah.r_  God blessed Isaac after this, and Isaac moved to a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."/  (SEE 25:9)S!  His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him east of Hebron in Machpelah Cave that was part of the field Abraham had bought from Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. Abraham was buried there beside his wife Sarah./ (SEE 25:7)F Abraham died at the ripe old age of one hundred seventy-five./ (SEE 25:5)O While Abraham was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of Hagar and Keturah. He also sent their sons to live in the east far from his son Isaac, and when Abraham died, he left everything to Isaac.L Midian also had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.  Later, Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan, and when Dedan grew up, he had three sons: Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.R and they had six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. = Abraham married Keturah,.W CIsaac took Rebekah into the tent where his mother had lived before she died, and Rebekah became his wife. He loved her and was comforted over the loss of his mother.<u BThe servant told Isaac everything that had happened.1 A(SEE 24:63)1 @(SEE 24:63)>w ?One evening he was walking out in the fields, when suddenly he saw a group of people approaching on camels. So he started toward them. Rebekah saw him coming; she got down from her camel, and asked, "Who is that man?" "He is my master Isaac," the servant answered. Then Rebekah covered her face with her veil. >At that time Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan near a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."$ C =Afterwards, Rebekah and the young women who were to travel with her prepared to leave. Then they got on camels and left with Abraham's servant and his men.% E (SEE 24:29)Nm Her brother Laban heard her tell what the servant had said, and he saw the ring and the bracelets she was wearing. So Laban ran out to Abraham's servant, who was standing by his camels at the well.Al Rebekah ran straight home and told her family everything.uke "I thank you, LORD God of my master Abraham! You have led me to his relatives and kept your promise to him."3jc Then the servant bowed his head and prayed,ri_ We have a place where you and your men can stay, and we also have enough straw and feed for your camels."Jh She answered, "My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah.g{ Then he said, "Please tell me who your father is. Does he have room in his house for me and my men to spend the night?"Kf The servant had brought along an expensive gold ring and two large gold bracelets. When Rebekah had finished bringing the water, he gave her the ring for her nose and the bracelets for her arms.&eG Abraham's servant did not say a word, but he watched everything Rebekah did, because he wanted to know for certain if this was the woman the LORD had chosen.d1 (SEE 24:19)Sc! After he had finished, she said, "Now I'll give your camels all the water they want." She quickly poured out water for them, and she kept going back for more, until his camels had drunk all they wanted.ube "I'll be glad to," she answered. Then she quickly took the jar from her shoulder and held it while he drank.Va' Abraham's servant ran to her and said, "Please let me have a drink of water."`1 (SEE 24:15)F_ While he was still praying, a beautiful unmarried young woman came by with a water jar on her shoulder. She was Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. Rebekah walked past Abraham's servant, then went over to the well, and filled her water jar. When she started back,R^ and I'll ask one of them for a drink. If she gives me a drink and then offers to get some water for my camels, I'll know she is the one you have chosen and that you have kept your promise to my master.K]  The young women of the city will soon come to this well for water,\)  The servant prayed: You, LORD, are the God my master Abraham worships. Please keep your promise to him and let me find a wife for Isaac today.[%  When he got there, he let the camels rest near the well outside the city. It was late afternoon, the time when the women came out for water..ZW  Soon after that, the servant loaded ten of Abraham's camels with valuable gifts. Then he set out for the city in northern Syria, where Abraham's brother Nahor lived.aY=  So the servant gave Abraham his word that he would do everything he had been told to do.yXm If the woman refuses to come along, you don't have to keep this promise. But don't ever take my son back there."|Ws The LORD who rules heaven brought me here from the land where I was born and promised that he would give this land to my descendants forever. When you go back there, the LORD will send his angel ahead of you to help you find a wife for my son.EV "No!" Abraham answered. "Don't ever do that, no matter what.U5 But the servant asked, "What if the young woman I choose refuses to leave home and come here with me? Should I send Isaac there to look for a wife?"hTK Instead, go back to the land where I was born and find a wife for him from among my relatives."S) in the name of the LORD, who rules heaven and earth, that you won't choose a wife for my son Isaac from the people here in the land of Canaan.bR? One day, Abraham called in his most trusted servant and said to him, "Solemnly promise meoQ [ Abraham was now a very old man. The LORD had made him rich, and he was successful in everything he did.(PM he had bought from the Hittites.QO So Abraham buried his wife Sarah in Machpelah Cave that was in the fieldN1 (SEE 23:16)M1 (SEE 23:16)L/ Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid him the four hundred pieces of silver in front of everyone at the city gate. That's how Abraham got Ephron's property east of Hebron, which included the field with all of its trees, as well as Machpelah Cave at the end of the field.K1 (SEE 23:14)*JO "But sir," the man replied, "the property is worth only four hundred pieces of silver. Why should we haggle over such a small amount? Take the land. It's yours."I  and said to Ephron, "In front of these witnesses, I offer you the full price, so I can bury my wife. Please accept my offer."&HI  Once again, Abraham bowed downG+  "Sir, the whole field, including the cave, is yours. With my own people as witnesses, I freely give it to you as a burial place for your dead."fFG  Ephron was sitting there near the city gate, when Abraham made this request, and he answered,wEi  to sell me Machpelah Cave at the end of his field. I'll pay what it's worth, and all of you can be witnesses."dDC and replied, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Zohar's son EphronC1 Abraham bowed downB/ (SEE 23:5)A7 "Sir," they answered, "you are an important man. Choose the best place to bury your wife. None of us would refuse you a resting place for your dead."@ "I live as a foreigner in your land, and I don't own any property where I can bury my wife. Please let me buy a piece of land.")?O he went to the Hittites and said,>/ (SEE 23:1)&= I When Sarah was one hundred twenty-seven years old, she died in Kiriath-Arba, better known as Hebron, in the land of Canaan. After Abraham had mourned for her,s<a Nahor also had another wife. Her name was Reumah, and she had four sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.;1 (SEE 22:20):1 (SEE 22:20)91 (SEE 22:20)48c Abraham's brother Nahor had married Milcah, and Abraham was later told that they had eight sons. Uz was their first-born; Buz was next, and then there was Kemuel who became the father of Aram; their other five sons were: Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel, who became the father of Rebekah.}7u Abraham and Isaac went back to the servants who had come with him, and they returned to Abraham's home in Beersheba.i6M You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth."5 "I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live.  ~~)}}}f}4||]|?{{{gzzyJyxxlwwwvvv$uu)u tss"rxqquppaoonmm!llkk,jjViii$hvhggvffDeeoddcccCbbaac``I__9^^O]\\U[[ZYY:XX1WxVlU`TTT$SSRRR&QhQKPSOO#NNpN MLLmLKJJIHHGGG0F]EEGDD?CCtBBAAA@@1??,>>==8<}<';;:: 9h98B7666C55)44n433p2211o100.//[..|.--r,,++*p*,)m)&((*'&&u%%$p##g#,"" m/|1x[>D'.-r|`D(Ll"[>h" i L /  } Z : >?,K}$I % his father Jacob said to him, "I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep near Shechem." "Yes, sir," Joseph answered.VH' % One day when Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem,^G7 % Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.LF % When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, "What's that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down in front of you?"E- % Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, "Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me."/DY %His brothers asked, "Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?" Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.C %We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it."5Bg %Joseph said, "Let me tell you about my dream.]A5 %One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more.s@a %to show that he was his favorite son, and so Joseph's brothers hated him and would not be friendly to him.?- %Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born after Jacob was very old. Jacob had given Joseph a fancy coat{>q %and this is the story of his family. When Jacob's son Joseph was seventeen years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.L=  %Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived,)<M $+Magdiel, and Iram. These clans descended from Esau, who was known as Edom, the father of the Edomites. They took their names from the places where they settled.;7 $*Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, := $)Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,9 $(The clans that descended from Esau took their names from their families and the places where they lived. They are Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,81 $'(SEE 36:31)71 $&(SEE 36:31)61 $%(SEE 36:31)51 $$(SEE 36:31)41 $#(SEE 36:31)31 $"(SEE 36:31)21 $!(SEE 36:31)11 $ (SEE 36:31)[01 $Before there were kings in Israel, the following kings ruled Edom one after another: Bela son of Beor from Dinhabah; Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah; Husham from the land of Teman; Hadad son of Bedad from Avith (Bedad had defeated the Midianites in Moab); Samlah from Masrekah; Shaul from the city of Rehoboth on the Euphrates River; Baalhanan son of Achbor; Hadar from the city of Pau (his wife Mehetabel was the daughter of Matred and the granddaughter of Mezahab).F/ $Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan, and they lived in the land of Seir.C. $The clans of the Horites were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,'-K $Dishan's sons were Uz and Aran.2,a $Ezer's sons were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.>+y $Dishon's sons were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.3*c $Anah's children were Dishon and Oholibamah.) $Zibeon's sons were Aiah and Anah--the same Anah who found an oasis in the desert while taking the donkeys of his father out to pasture.D( $Shobal's sons were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.?'{ $Lotan's sons were Hori and Heman; his sister was Timna.!&? $Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.%9 $Seir was from the Horite tribe that had lived in Edom before the time of Esau. The clans that had descended from him were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,G$ $All of these clans descended from Esau, who was known as Edom.m#U $The clans that descended from Esau and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah were Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.m"U $The clans that descended from Esau and Basemath's son Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.`!; $Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These and Esau's other descendants lived in the land of Edom.v g $Esau and Adah's oldest son was Eliphaz, and the clans that descended from him were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,/ $(SEE 36:9)/ $ (SEE 36:9)/ $ (SEE 36:9)/ $ (SEE 36:9)/ $ (SEE 36:9)ue $ Esau lived in the hill country of Seir and was the ancestor of the Edomites. Esau had three wives: Adah, Basemath, and Oholibamah. Here is a list of his descendants: Esau and Adah had a son named Eliphaz, whose sons were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. Timna was the other wife of Esau's son Eliphaz, and she had a son named Amalek. Esau and Basemath had a son named Reuel, whose sons were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. Esau and Oholibamah had three sons: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.C $That's why Esau made his home in the hill country of Seir.|s $He did this because the land was too crowded and could not support him and his brother with their flocks and herds.1 $Esau took his children and wives, his relatives and servants, his animals and possessions he had gotten while in Canaan, and moved far from Jacob./ $(SEE 36:4)(K $Esau and his three wives had five sons while in Canaan. Adah's son was Eliphaz; Basemath's son was Reuel; Oholibamah's three sons were Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.R $the third was Basemath, who was Ishmael's daughter and Nebaioth's sister.<s $He married three Canaanite women: The first was Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; the second was Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite;6 k $Esau, also known as Edom, had many descendants.1 #(SEE 35:28)gI #Isaac died at the ripe old age of one hundred eighty, then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.  #Jacob went to his father Isaac at Hebron, also called Mamre or Kiriath-Arba, where Isaac's father Abraham had lived as a foreigner.1 #(SEE 35:23) 1 #(SEE 35:23) 1 #(SEE 35:23)V ' #Jacob had twelve sons while living in northern Syria. His first-born Reuben was the son of Leah, who later gave birth to Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Leah's servant Zilpah had two sons: Gad and Asher. Jacob and his wife Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel's servant woman Bilhah had two more sons: Dan and Naphtali.  #During their time there, Jacob's oldest son Reuben slept with Bilhah, who was one of Jacob's other wives. And Jacob found out about it.` ; #Jacob, also known as Israel, traveled to the south of Eder Tower, where he set up camp.H #Jacob set up a tombstone over her grave, and it is still there.V' #Rachel was buried beside the road to Ephrath, which is also called Bethlehem. #Rachel was at the point of death, and right before dying, she said, "I'll name him Benoni." But Jacob called him Benjamin.hK #She was having a rough time, but the woman who was helping her said, "Don't worry! It's a boy." #Jacob and his family had left Bethel and were still a long way from Ephrath, when the time came for Rachel's baby to be born.&I #and he named the place Bethel.*O #Jacob set up a large rock, so that he would remember what had happened there. Then he poured wine and olive oil on the rock to show that it was dedicated to God,3 # After God had gone,oY # I will give you the land that I promised Abraham and Isaac, and it will belong to your family forever./ # (SEE 35:9)~/ # (SEE 35:9)Z}/ # After Jacob came back to the land of Canaan, God appeared to him again. This time he gave Jacob a new name and blessed him by saying: I am God All-Powerful, and from now on your name will be Israel instead of Jacob. You will have many children. Your descendants will become nations, and some of the men in your family will even be kings.| #While they were there, Rebekah's personal servant Deborah died. They buried her under an oak tree and called it "Weeping Oak."{/ #Jacob built an altar there and called it "God of Bethel," because that was the place where God had appeared to him when he was running from Esau.8zm #Finally, they reached Bethel, also known as Luz.y #While Jacob and his family were traveling through Canaan, God terrified the people in the towns so much that no one dared bother them.sxa #So everyone gave Jacob their idols and their earrings, and he buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.w9 #Afterwards, we'll go to Bethel. I will build an altar there for God, who answered my prayers when I was in trouble and who has always been at my side.9vm #Jacob said to his family and to everyone else who was traveling with him: Get rid of your foreign gods! Then make yourselves acceptable to worship God and put on clean clothes.!u ? #God told Jacob, "Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were running from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me."Qt "They answered, "Was it right to let our own sister be treated that way?"esE "Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "Look what you've done! Now I'm in real trouble with the Canaanites and Perizzites who live around here. There aren't many of us, and if they attack, they'll kill everyone in my household."ure "After taking everything of value from the houses, they dragged away the wives and children of their victims.aq= "They took sheep, goats, donkeys, and everything else that was in the town or the fields.p# "Jacob's other sons came and took everything they wanted. All this was done because of the horrible thing that had happened to their sister.Do "including Hamor and Shechem. Then they took Dinah and left.;nq "Three days later the men who had been circumcised were still weak from pain. So Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah's brothers, attacked with their swords and killed every man in town,Am "Every grown man followed this advice and got circumcised.l "Just think! We'll get their property, as well as their flocks and herds. All we have to do is to agree, and they will live here with us.k3 "We have to do only one thing before they will agree to stay here and become one nation with us. Our men will have to be circumcised like their men.ljS "These people really are friendly. Why not let them move freely about until they find the property they want? There's enough land here for them and for us. Then our families can marry into theirs, and theirs can marry into ours.Li "The two men met with the other leaders of their city and told them: h "Shechem was the most respected person in his family, and he was so in love with Dinah that he hurried off to get everything done..gY "Hamor and Shechem liked what was said.Zf/ "But if you don't agree to get circumcised, we'll take Dinah and leave this place.yem "Then your families can marry into ours, and ours can marry into yours, and we can live together like one nation._d9 "But we will let you marry her, if you and the other men in your tribe get circumcised.zco "So they tricked them by saying: You're not circumcised! It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now.rb_ " Jacob's sons wanted to get even with Shechem and his father because of what had happened to their sister.[a1 " Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah."O` " Shechem added, "Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want._ " You can share this land with us. Move freely about until you find the property you want; then buy it and settle down here.e^E " Why don't you start letting your families marry into our families and ours marry into yours?g]I "Hamor said to Jacob and his sons: My son Shechem really loves Dinah. Please let him marry her.Y\- "just as Jacob's sons were coming in from work. When they learned that their sister had been raped, they became furiously angry. Nothing is more disgraceful than rape, and it should not be tolerated in Israel.%[G "Hamor arrived at Jacob's homeZ "Meanwhile, Jacob heard what had happened. But his sons were out in the fields with the cattle, so he did not do anything at the time.9Yo "He even asked his father to get her for his wife.RX "But Shechem was attracted to Dinah, so he told her how much he loved her.jWO "She was seen by Hamor's son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, and he grabbed her and raped her._V ; "Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the women who lived there.VU' !then he set up his tents and built an altar there to honor the God of Israel.!T= !The land where he camped was owned by the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem. So Jacob paid them one hundred pieces of silver for the property,rS_ !After leaving northern Syria, Jacob arrived safely at Shechem in Canaan and set up camp outside the city.R! !But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and set up shelters for his animals. That's why the place is called Succoth.Q9 !So Esau left for Edom.%PE !Esau replied, "Let me leave some of my men with you." "You don't have to do that," Jacob answered. "I am happy, simply knowing that you are friendly to me."O/ !Why don't you go on ahead and let me travel along slowly with the children, the herds, and the flocks. We can meet again in the country of Edom."UN% ! But Jacob answered, "Master, you know traveling is hard on children, and I have to look after the sheep and goats that are nursing their young. If my animals travel too much in one day, they will all die.JM ! "Let's get ready to travel," Esau said. "I'll go along with you." L; ! Please accept these gifts I brought to you. God has been good to me, and I have everything I need." Jacob kept insisting until Esau accepted the gifts.(KK ! "No!" Jacob said. "Please accept these gifts as a sign of your friendship for me. When you welcomed me and I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God.WJ) ! "But, brother, I already have plenty," Esau replied. "Keep them for yourself." I; !Esau asked Jacob, "What did you mean by these herds I met along the road?" "Master," Jacob answered, "I sent them so that you would be friendly to me."nHW !Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down; finally, Joseph and Rachel also came and bowed down.SG! !Then the two servant women and their children came and bowed down to Esau.7Fi !When Esau noticed the women and children he asked, "Whose children are these?" Jacob answered, "These are the ones the LORD has been kind enough to give to me, your servant."cEA !But Esau ran toward Jacob and hugged and kissed him. Then the two brothers started crying.qD] !Jacob himself walked in front of them all, bowing to the ground seven times as he came near his brother.C- !The two servant women, Zilpah and Bilhah, together with their children went first, followed by Leah and her children, then by Rachel and Joseph.zB q !Later that day Jacob met Esau coming with his four hundred men. So Jacob had his children walk with their mothers. A and the muscle on his hip joint had been injured. That's why even today the people of Israel don't eat the hip muscle of any animal.q@] The sun was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip,h?K Jacob said, "I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive." So he named the place Peniel.h>K Jacob said, "Now tell me your name." "Don't you know who I am?" he asked. And he blessed Jacob.=1 The man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That's why your name will be Israel."G< Then the man asked, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. ; They kept on wrestling until the man said, "Let go of me! It's almost daylight." "You can't go until you bless me," Jacob replied.f:G When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint.9 Afterwards, Jacob went back and spent the rest of the night alone. A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak.81 (SEE 32:22)*7O Jacob got up in the middle of the night and took his wives, his eleven children, and everything he owned across to the other side of the Jabbok River for safety.T6# Jacob's men took the gifts on ahead of him, but he spent the night in camp.-5U And Jacob told them to be sure to say that he was right behind them. Jacob hoped the gifts would make Esau friendly, so Esau would be glad to see him when they met. 4 Jacob also told the men in charge of the second and third herds and those who followed to say the same thing when they met Esau.3 So tell him, 'They belong to your servant Jacob, who is coming this way. He is sending them as a gift to his master Esau.' "O2 Then he said to the servant in charge of the first herd, "When Esau meets you, he will ask whose servant you are. He will want to know where you are going and who owns those animals in front of you.v1g Jacob put servants in charge of each herd and told them, "Go ahead of me and keep a space between each herd."01 (SEE 32:14)H/ two hundred female goats and twenty males, two hundred female sheep and twenty males, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten males.X.+ After Jacob had spent the night there, he chose some animals as gifts for Esau:-3 But you have promised that I would be a success and that someday it will be as hard to count my descendants as it is to count the stars in the sky.~,w Please rescue me from my brother. I am afraid he will come and attack not only me, but my wives and children as well.E+ I don't deserve all the good things you have done for me, your servant. When I first crossed the Jordan, I had only my walking stick, but now I have two large groups of people and animals.V*' Then Jacob prayed: You, LORD, are the God who was worshiped by my grandfather Abraham and by my father Isaac. You told me to return home to my family, and you promised to be with me and make me successful.O) He thought, "If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape."g(I Jacob was so frightened that he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two groups. ' When the messengers returned, they told Jacob, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is heading this way with four hundred men."&/ and now I own cattle, donkeys, and sheep, as well as many slaves. Master, I am sending these messengers in the hope that you will be kind to me."k%Q Jacob told them to say to Esau, "Master, I am your servant! I have lived with Laban all this time,c$A Jacob sent messengers on ahead to Esau, who lived in the land of Seir, also known as Edom.\#3 When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God's camp." So he named the place Mahanaim.Q"  As Jacob was on his way back home, some of God's angels came and met him.x!k 7Early the next morning, Laban kissed his daughters and his grandchildren good-by, then he left to go back home.1 ] 6Jacob killed an animal and offered it as a sacrifice there on the mountain, and he invited his men to eat with him. After the meal they spent the night on the mountain.tc 5My father Nahor, your grandfather Abraham, and their ancestors all worshiped the same God, and he will make sure that we each keep the agreement. Then Jacob made a promise in the name of the fearsome God his father Isaac had worshiped.1 4(SEE 31:51):o 3Both this pile of rocks and this large rock have been set up between us as a reminder. I must never go beyond them to attack you, and you must never go beyond them to attack me. 2Then Laban said: If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women, I may not know about it, but remember, God is watching us!5 1Laban also said, "This pile of rocks means that the LORD will watch us both while we are apart from each other." So the place was also named Mizpah.zo 0Laban said to Jacob, "This pile of rocks will remind us of our agreement." That's why the place was named Galeed.R /Laban named the pile of rocks Jegar Sahadutha. But Jacob named it Galeed. .he told his men to get some more rocks and pile them up next to it. Then Jacob and Laban ate a meal together beside the rocks.,U -After Jacob had set up a large rock,y ,So I am ready to make an agreement with you, and we will pile up some large rocks here to remind us of the agreement." +Laban said to Jacob, "Leah and Rachel are my daughters, and their children belong to me. All these sheep you are taking are really mine too. In fact, everything you have belongs to me. But there is nothing I can do to keep my daughters and their children. *If the fearsome God worshiped by Abraham and my father Isaac had not been on my side, you would have sent me away without a thing. But God saw my hard work, and he knew the trouble I was in, so he helped me. Then last night he told you how wrong you were.5e )I had to work fourteen of these twenty long years to earn your two daughters and another six years to buy your sheep and goats. During that time you kept changing my wages.P (I sweated every day, and I couldn't sleep at night because of the cold.2_ 'If a wild animal killed one of your sheep or goats, I paid for it myself. In fact, you demanded the full price, whether the animal was killed during the day or at night.3 &In all the twenty years that I've worked for you, not one of your sheep or goats has had a miscarriage, and I've never eaten even one of your rams.0[ %After searching through everything I have, did you find anything of yours? If so, put it here, where your relatives and mine can see it. Then we can decide what to do. $Jacob became very angry and said to Laban: What have I done wrong? Have I committed some crime? Is that why you hunted me down?# A #Rachel said, "Father, please don't be angry with me for not getting up; I am having my period." Laban kept on searching, but still did not find the idols.  "She had already hidden them in the cushion she used as a saddle and was sitting on it. Laban searched everywhere and did not find them.  !Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two servant women, but did not find the idols. Then he started for Rachel's tent.v g  If you find that any one of us has taken your idols, I'll have that person killed. Let your relatives be witnesses. Show me what belongs to you, and you can take it back." Jacob did not realize that Rachel had stolen the household idols.n W Jacob answered, "I left secretly because I was afraid you would take your daughters from me by force.nW I can understand why you were eager to return to your father, but why did you have to steal my idols?vg I could easily hurt you, but the God your father worshiped has warned me not to make any threats or promises.vg You didn't even give me a chance to kiss my own grandchildren and daughters good-by. That was really foolish.! Why did you sneak away without telling me? I would have given you a going-away party with singing and with music on tambourines and harps.kQ and said: Look what you've done! You've tricked me and run off with my daughters like a kidnapper.(K Jacob had set up camp in the hill country of Gilead, when Laban and his relatives came and set up camp in another part of the hill country. Laban went to Jacob But God appeared to Laban in a dream that night and warned, "Don't say a word to Jacob. Don't make a threat or a promise." So he took some of his relatives along and chased after Jacob for seven days, before catching up with him in the hill country of Gilead.=w Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had gone.{ When Jacob crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead, he took with him everything he owned.Q~ Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean by not saying that he intended to leave.b}? Before Rachel left, she stole the household idols while Laban was out shearing his sheep.| for the home of his father Isaac in Canaan. Jacob took all of the flocks, herds, and other property that he had gotten in northern Syria.G{ Then Jacob, his wives, and his children got on camels and leftz Now do whatever God tells you to do. Even the property God took from our father and gave to you really belongs to us and our children.py[ He treats us like foreigners and has even cheated us out of the bride price that should have been ours._x9 Rachel and Leah said to Jacob: There's nothing left for us to inherit from our father.3wa  and I am the God you worshiped at Bethel, when you poured olive oil on a rock and made a promise to me. Leave here right away and return to the land where you were born."xvk  and he said, "Notice that all the rams are either spotted or speckled. I know everything Laban is doing to you,7uk  Then God's angel called me by name. I answered,htK  Once, when the flocks were mating, I dreamed that all the rams were either spotted or speckled.Xs+  That's how God has taken sheep and goats from your father and given them to me.*rO When your father said the speckled sheep would be my wages, all of them were speckled. And when he said the spotted ones would be mine, all of them were spotted.fqG and that he keeps cheating me by changing my wages time after time. But God has protected me.8pm You know that I have worked hard for your father o and he told them: Your father isn't as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God my ancestors worshiped has been on my side.Yn- Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his sheep,wmi One day the LORD said, "Jacob, go back to your relatives in the land of your ancestors, and I will bless you."Ql Jacob also noticed that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before.k  Jacob heard that Laban's sons were complaining, "Jacob is now a rich man, and he got everything he owns from our father."|js +Jacob soon became rich and successful. He owned many sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys, as well as a lot of slaves.i- *But he would not put out the branches when the weaker animals were mating. So Jacob got all of the healthy animals, and Laban got what was left.{hq )When the stronger sheep were mating near the drinking place, Jacob made sure that the spotted branches were there.*gO (Some of the sheep that Jacob was keeping for Laban were already spotted. And when the others were ready to mate, he made sure that they faced in the direction of the spotted and black ones. In this way, Jacob built up a flock of sheep for himself and did not put them with the other sheep.Mf 'in front of the branches, and their young were spotted and speckled.e &Then he put the branches where the sheep and goats would see them while they were drinking from the water trough. The goats mated there,dS %Jacob cut branches from some poplar trees and from some almond and evergreen trees. He peeled off part of the bark and made the branches look spotted and speckled.icM $Then Laban made Jacob keep the rest of the sheep and goats at a distance of three days' journey.$bC #Before the end of the day, Laban had separated his spotted and speckled animals and the black lambs from the others and had put his sons in charge of them.0a] ""I agree to that," was Laban's response.L` !In the future you can easily find out if I've been honest. Just look and see if my animals are either spotted or speckled, or if the lambs are black. If they aren't, they've been stolen from you.&_G  Let me go through your flocks and herds and take the sheep and goats that are either spotted or speckled and the black lambs. That's all you need to give me.4^c "How much do you want me to pay you?" Laban asked. Then Jacob told him: I don't want you to pay me anything. Just do one thing, and I'll take care of your sheep and goats.']I You didn't have much before I came, but the LORD has blessed everything I have ever done for you. Now it's time for me to start looking out for my own family.\ Jacob answered: You've seen how hard I've worked for you, and you know how your flocks and herds have grown under my care.[1 (SEE 30:27)Z# But Laban told him, "If you really are my friend, stay on, and I'll pay whatever you ask. I'm sure the LORD has blessed me because of you."`Y; You know how hard I've worked for you, so let me take my wives and children and leave."xXk After Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban, "Release me from our agreement and let me return to my own country.ZW/ "I'll name the boy Joseph, and I'll pray that the LORD will give me another son."V1 (SEE 30:22)U{ Finally, God remembered Rachel--he answered her prayer by giving her a son. "God has taken away my disgrace," she said.7Tk Later, Leah had a daughter and named her Dinah.S she exclaimed, "God has given me a wonderful gift, and my husband will praise me for giving him six sons." So she named the boy Zebulun."RA When Leah had another son,pQ[ Leah shouted, "God has rewarded me for letting Jacob marry my servant," and she named the boy Issachar.CP and God answered Leah's prayers by giving her a fifth son.3Oa That evening when Jacob came in from the fields, Leah told him, "You're sleeping with me tonight. I hired you with my son's love flowers." They slept together that night,KN but Leah said, "It's bad enough that you stole my husband! Now you want my son's love flowers too." "All right," Rachel answered. "Let me have the flowers, and you can sleep with Jacob tonight."M! During the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben found some love flowers and took them to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah for some of them,lLS  Leah exclaimed, "I'm happy now, and all the women will say how happy I am." So she named him Asher."KA  When they had another son,AJ  "I'm really lucky," Leah said, and she named the boy Gad.I3  and they had a son.iHM  When Leah realized she could not have any more children, she let Jacob marry her servant Zilpah,hGK Rachel said, "I've struggled hard with my sister, and I've won!" So she named the boy Naphtali./F[ When Bilhah and Jacob had a second son,tEc Rachel named him Dan, because she said, "God has answered my prayers. He has judged me and given me a son."D3 and they had a son.+CS Then Rachel let Jacob marry Bilhah,B! "Here, take my servant Bilhah," Rachel told him. "Have children by her, and I'll let them be born on my knees to show that they are mine."XA+ But Jacob became upset with Rachel and answered, "Don't blame me! I'm not God."@  Rachel was very jealous of Leah for having children, and she said to Jacob, "I'll die if you don't give me some children!"\?3 #She had one more son and named him Judah, because she said, "I'll praise the LORD!" nK~~z}}}<||P{{U{,zdz yxxxxww1vv7uttmtsssZsrrvqqpp8onnRmmll7kkjiihSgffeeedqdUccbbaa``9__^^^M^]]]\\Q[[([ ZZnZYYzXXfXWW>VV#UTTtTSRRRXR QQEQPP3OOQNNHMMwLL[KKZJJJ%IIuHHHGGFEEqE/DD!CCBBA^A(@@??m>>E==<55?4D4(33<221110#//..V-,,++ **<)) ((('X&%%e$##"" !!!c ]n IxR&PlZ!d \ +6A@ 9nM , I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. If I don't, I told my father he could blame me the rest of my life.?L{ ,that he will die if Benjamin doesn't come back with me.^K7 ,That's why Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so muchJ ,and he said, "I am an old man. If you take Benjamin from me, and something happens to him, I will die of a broken heart."I ,One of them was already missing and had not been seen for a long time. My father thinks the boy was torn to pieces by some wild animal,]H5 ,Sir, our father then reminded us that his favorite wife had given birth to two sons.G' ,But we answered, "We can't go back to Egypt without our youngest brother. We will never be let in to see the governor, unless he is with us."GF ,Later our father told us to come back here and buy more grain.EE ,So we returned to our father and reported what you had said.gDI ,But you warned us that we could never see you again, unless our youngest brother came with us.DC ,We told you that our father would die if Benjamin left him.MB ,You ordered us to bring him here, so you could see him for yourself.qA] ,So we told you, "Our father is a very old man. In fact, he was already old when Benjamin was born. Benjamin's brother is dead. Now Benjamin is the only one of the two brothers who is still alive, and our father loves him very much."T@# ,You asked us if our father was still alive and if we had any more brothers.?/ ,Judah went over to Joseph and said: Sir, you have as much power as the king himself, and I am only your slave. Please don't get angry if I speak.0>[ ,Joseph told them, "I would never punish all of you. Only the one who was caught with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to go home to your father."<=s ,"Sir, what can we say?" Judah replied. "How can we prove we are innocent? God has shown that we are guilty. And now all of us are your slaves, especially the one who had the cup."P< ,who asked them, "What have you done? Didn't you know I could find out?"g;I ,When Judah and his brothers got there, Joseph was still at home. So they bowed down to Joseph,: , This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.%9E , Joseph's servant started searching the sacks, beginning with the one that belonged to the oldest brother. When he came to Benjamin's sack, he found the cup.O8 , Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it.7! , "Good!" the man replied, "I'll do what you have said. But only the one who has the cup will become my slave. The rest of you can go free."l6S , If you find that one of us has the cup, then kill him, and the rest of us will become your slaves."&5G ,We even returned the money we found in our grain sacks when we got back to Canaan. So why would we want to steal any silver or gold from your master's house?b4? ,But they replied, "Sir, why do you say such things? We would never do anything like that!_39 ,When the servant caught up with them, he said exactly what Joseph had told him to say.2y ,Not only does he drink from his cup, but he also uses it to learn about the future. You have done a terrible thing.' "E1 ,But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, "Go after those men! When you catch them, say, 'My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup?S0! ,Early the next morning, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.// ,(SEE 44:1)w. k ,Later, Joseph told the servant in charge of his house, "Fill the men's grain sacks with as much as they can hold and put their money in the sacks. Also put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother." The servant did as he was told.--U +"They were served food from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was given five times as much as each of the others. So Joseph's brothers drank with him and had a good time. , +!To the surprise of Joseph's brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest.@+{ + Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, because Egyptians felt it was disgusting to eat with Hebrews.i*M +After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, "Serve the meal!"Y)- +Right away he rushed off to his room and cried because of his love for Benjamin.!(= +When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son."o'Y +They answered, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And again they bowed down to Joseph.l&S +After Joseph had asked how they were, he said, "What about your elderly father? Is he still alive?"e%E +When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him.y$m +The brothers got their gifts ready to give to Joseph at noon, since they had heard they were going to eat there.x#k +The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys.N" +"It's all right," the servant replied. "Don't worry. The God you and your father worship must have put the money there, because I received your payment in full." Then he brought Simeon out to them.e!E +together with enough money to buy more grain. We don't know who put the money in our sacks."  +But when we stopped for the night, we each found in our grain sacks the exact amount we had paid. We have brought that money back,8m +"Sir, we came to Egypt once before to buy grain.T# +So when they arrived at Joseph's house, they said to the servant in charge,U% +But on the way they got worried and started thinking, "We are being taken there because of the money that was put back in our sacks last time. He will arrest us, make us his slaves, and take our donkeys."P +The servant did as he was told and took the brothers to Joseph's house.%E +he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, "Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat with me at noon." +The brothers took the gifts, twice the amount of money, and Benjamin. Then they hurried off to Egypt. When they stood in front of Joseph,cA +When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All-Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your other brother and Benjamin come back home with you. If I must lose my children, I suppose I must.4e + Take Benjamin with you and leave right away.' + Also take along twice the amount of money for the grain, because there must have been some mistake when the money was put back in your sacks.@{ + Their father said: If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds.^7 + If we had not wasted all this time, we could already have been there and back twice."`; + I promise to bring him back safely, and if I don't, you can blame me as long as I live. +Then Judah said to his father, "Let Benjamin go with me, and we will leave right away, so that none of us will starve to death. +They answered, "He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?"mU +Jacob asked, "Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the governor you had another brother?"/ +(SEE 43:3)/ +(SEE 43:3)kQ +Judah replied, "The governor strictly warned us that we would not be allowed to see him unless we brought our youngest brother with us. If you let us take Benjamin along, we will go and buy grain. But we won't go without him!" ' +until finally, Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy some more grain."&  K +The famine in Canaan got worse,  *&But Jacob said, "I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame."  *%Reuben spoke up, "Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I will bring him back."  *$who said, "You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me."/ *#When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob,=u *"But bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that, I'll let your other brother go free, and you can stay here and trade."2_ *!Then the governor of Egypt told us, "I'll find out if you really are honest. Leave one of your brothers here with me, while you take the grain to your starving families.{q * We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and the other is dead."6i *But we told him, "We're honest men, not spies.A *The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies.ue *When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them:7i *"Here's my money!" he told his brothers. "Right here in my sack." They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, "What has God done to us?"  *When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and right away he saw his moneybag.=w *they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left.Z~/ *Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done,}9 *Joseph turned away from them and cried, but soon he turned back and spoke to them again. Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched.k|Q *They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. { *Reuben spoke up, "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him."Gz *and said to one another, "We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening."y9 *But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are telling the truth, and you won't be put to death. Joseph's brothers agreed x *If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families._w9 *before saying to them: Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives.8vm *Joseph kept them all under guard for three days,Yu- *Choose one of you to go after your brother, while the rest of you stay here in jail. That will show whether you are telling the truth. But if you are lying, I swear by the life of the king that you are spies!t7 *and I'm going to find out who you really are. I swear by the life of the king that you won't leave this place until your youngest brother comes here.(SEE 42:7)wli *They did not recognize Joseph, but right away he knew who they were, though he pretended not to know. Instead, he spoke harshly and asked, "Where do you come from?" "From the land of Canaan," they answered. "We've come here to buy grain."k *Since Joseph was governor of Egypt and in charge of selling grain, his brothers came to him and bowed with their faces to the ground.jjO *So Jacob's sons joined others from Canaan who were going to Egypt because of the terrible famine.~iw *But Jacob did not send Joseph's younger brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something might happen to him.E )I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river, and they began feeding on the grass.V=' )The king told Joseph: I dreamed I was standing on the bank of the Nile River.q<] )"Your Majesty," Joseph answered, "I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams."~;w )The king said to him, "I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams."}:u )The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king.l9S ) and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the cook was put to death.)8M ) A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant,N7 ) One night we both had dreams, and each dream had a different meaning.}6u ) When you were angry with me and your chief cook, you threw us both in jail in the house of the captain of the guard.T5# ) The king's personal servant said: Now I remember what I was supposed to do..4W )The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.v3g )The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.f2G )Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by the east wind.1y )The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk.I0 )ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up.A/ )Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river andj.O )Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank.X- - )Two years later the king of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River.H, (but the king's personal servant completely forgot about Joseph.]+5 (and had the cook put to death. Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would,7*k (He put the personal servant back in his old job)3 (Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday with a dinner for his officials, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook.(} (and in three days the king will cut off your head. He will hang your body on a pole, and birds will come and peck at it.Z'/ (Joseph said: This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days,h&K (The top basket was full of all kinds of baked things for the king, but birds were eating them.";%q (When the chief cook saw that Joseph had given a good meaning to the dream, he told Joseph, "I also had a dream. In it I was carrying three breadbaskets stacked on top of my head.$} (I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here in Egypt I haven't done anything to deserve being thrown in jail.z#o (But when these good things happen, please don't forget to tell the king about me, so I can get out of this place."/ ( and in three days the king will pardon you. He will make you his personal servant again, and you will serve him his wine, just as you used to do.a!= ( Joseph said: This is the meaning of your dream. The three branches stand for three days,a = ( I held the king's cup and squeezed the grapes into it, then I gave the cup to the king."]5 ( with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its grapes became ripe.K ( The king's personal servant told Joseph, "In my dream I saw a vineB ("We each had a dream last night," they answered, "and there is no one to tell us what they mean." Joseph replied, "Doesn't God know the meaning of dreams? Now tell me what you dreamed."5g (and he asked, "Why are you so worried today?"Z/ (The next morning, when Joseph went to see the men, he could tell they were upset,\3 (One night each of the two men had a dream, but their dreams had different meanings.y (They spent a long time in prison, and Potiphar, the official in charge of the palace guard, made Joseph their servant./ ((SEE 40:1)/ ((SEE 40:1)$ E (While Joseph was in prison, both the king's personal servant and his chief cook made the king angry. So he had them thrown into the same prison with Joseph.~w 'The jailer did not worry about anything, because the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did.a= 'he put him in charge of the other prisoners and of everything that was done in the jail.b? 'the LORD helped him and was good to him. He even made the jailer like Joseph so much thatnW 'and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king's prisoners were kept. While Joseph was in prison,"A 'Potiphar became very angryR 'But when I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house."E 'Then she said, "That Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me!H 'Potiphar's wife kept Joseph's coat until her husband came home.Y - 'And when he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me."  'she called in her servants and said, "Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. 3 ' When this happened,  ' Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, "Make love to me!" Joseph ran out of the house, leaving her hanging onto his coat.l S ' One day, Joseph went to Potiphar's house to do his work, and none of the other servants were there.lS ' She kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her.Q ' No one in my master's house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this." 'but he refused and said, "My master isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns.Q 'and Potiphar's wife soon noticed him. She asked him to make love to her,&G 'Potiphar left everything up to Joseph, and with Joseph there, the only decision he had to make was what he wanted to eat. Joseph was well-built and handsome,Q 'Because of Joseph, the LORD began to bless Potiphar's family and fields.y 'Potiphar liked Joseph and made him his personal assistant, putting him in charge of his house and all of his property./ '(SEE 39:2)"? 'So Joseph lived in the home of Potiphar, his Egyptian owner. Soon Potiphar realized that the LORD was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did.y o 'The Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the king's official in charge of the palace guard.M~ &When the brother with the red thread came out, they named him Zerah.-}U &Right away his hand went back in, and the other child was born first. The woman then said, "What an opening you've made for yourself!" So they named the baby Perez.|1 &(SEE 38:27)d{C &Tamar later gave birth to twins. But before either of them was born, one of them stuck a hand out of her womb. The woman who was helping tied a red thread around the baby's hand and explained, "This one came out first."6zg &"Those are mine!" Judah admitted. "She's a better person than I am, because I broke my promise to let her marry my son Shelah." After this, Judah never slept with her again.7yi &As Tamar was being dragged off, she sent someone to tell her father-in-law, "The man who gave me this ring, this cord, and this walking stick is the one who got me pregnant."Fx &About three months later someone told Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has behaved like a prostitute, and now she's pregnant!" "Drag her out of town and burn her to death!" Judah shouted.+wQ &"If you couldn't find her, we'll just let her keep the things I gave her," Judah answered. "And we'd better forget about the goat, or else we'll look like fools."v &Hirah went back and told Judah, "I couldn't find the woman, and the people of Enaim said no prostitute had ever been there."u1 &Hirah asked the people of Enaim, "Where is the prostitute who sat along the road outside your town?" "There's never been one here," they answered.t &Judah had his friend Hirah take a goat to the woman, so he could get back the ring and walking stick, but she wasn't there.`s; &After returning home, Tamar took off the veil and dressed in her widow's clothes again.grI &"What do you want?" he asked in return. "The ring on that cord around your neck," was her reply. "I also want the special walking stick you have with you." He gave them to her, they slept together, and she became pregnant.rq_ &"One of my young goats," he answered. "What will you give me to keep until you send the goat?" she asked.Up% &and asked her to sleep with him. She asked, "What will you give me if I do?"moU &When Judah came along, he did not recognize her because of the veil. He thought she was a prostituten &She also realized that Shelah was now a grown man, but she had not been allowed to marry him. So she decided to dress in something other than her widow's clothes and to cover her face with a veil. After this, she sat outside the town of Enaim on the road to Timnah.]m5 & Tamar found out that her father-in-law Judah was going to Timnah to shear his sheep."l? & Some years later Judah's wife died, and he mourned for her. He then went with his friend Hirah to the town of Timnah, where his sheep were being sheared.Rk & Judah did not want the same thing to happen to his son Shelah, and he told Tamar, "Go home to your father and live there as a widow until my son Shelah is grown." So Tamar went to live with her father.@j} & The LORD wasn't pleased with Onan and took his life too.|is & Onan knew the child would not be his, and when he had sex with Tamar, he made sure that she would not get pregnant._h9 &So Judah told Onan, "It's your duty to marry Tamar and have a child for your brother."9go &But Er was very evil, and the LORD took his life.Cf &Later, Judah chose Tamar as a wife for Er, his oldest son.Se! &The third one was born when Judah was in Chezib, and she named him Shelah.$dE &she named the next one Onan.;cs &and they had three sons. He named the first one Er;Ub% &While there he met the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite man. Judah married her,a  &About that time Judah left his brothers in the hill country and went to live near his friend Hirah in the town of Adullam.` %$Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king's official in charge of the palace guard.-_U %#All of Jacob's children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "I will go to my grave, mourning for my son." So Jacob kept on grieving.m^U %"Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth.] %!Jacob knew it was Joseph's coat and said, "It's my son's coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal." \ % After this, they took the coat to their father and said, "We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son."U[% %Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood.^Z7 %Then he went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do?"gYI %When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow.2X_ %When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for twenty pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.rW_ %Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother." And the others agreed.TV# %So Judah said, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body?DU %As Joseph's brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt.&TI %and threw him into a dry well.IS %When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat+RQ %"Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a dry well out here in the desert." Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.`Q; %Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. "Let's not kill him," he said.P %Let's kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we'll see what happens to those dreams."NO %They said to one another, "Look, here comes the hero of those dreams!QN %But before he got there, they saw him coming and made plans to kill him.M% %"They're not here anymore," the man replied. "I overheard them say they were going to Dothan." Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan.sLa %Joseph answered, "I'm looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?"XK+ %and wandering through the fields, when a man asked, "What are you looking for?"1J] %His father said, "Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know." So he sent him from Hebron Valley. Joseph was near Shechem <~`}}}||{zzuyy*xxCwwwvv uqutkss2rrqq~qpNoo>nm/mliiiipiTi8iiggfgIeeeedddmdcc4bb.aa`_^^]]E\\[[^ZaZYY]XXWW^VUU1TTTSS-RR>QQTPP1OONpMM8LLKqJ JII1HGGWFEE DCBAAA>^===.<<<;;;;R;:::e:99-8u77R6555|5%44l4.33<22A1100U///..-,,5++M**n)(((1&&&&&&0%%g$$ #;""f!!B XfO%/kj/Pk M ?|`{<C Moses asked the LORD, "Suppose everyone refuses to listen to my message, and no one believes that you really appeared to me?"QBEvery Israelite woman will go to her Egyptian neighbors or to any Egyptian woman living in her house. She will ask them for gold and silver jewelry and for their finest clothes. The Egyptians will give them to you, and you will put these fine things on your sons and daughters. You will carry all this away when you leave Egypt.QAAfter I punish the Egyptians, they will be so afraid of you that they will give you anything you want. You are my people, and I will let you take many things with you when you leave the land of Egypt.@ So I will use my mighty power to perform all kinds of miracles and strike down the Egyptians. Then the king will send you away.[?1But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless something forces him to.i>MThe leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you must take them to the king of Egypt and say, "The LORD God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Let us walk three days into the desert, where we can offer a sacrifice to him."C=and I promise to lead them out of their troubles. I will give them a land rich with milk and honey, where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.O<Call together the leaders of Israel and tell them that the God who was worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to you. Tell them I have seen how terribly they are being treated in Egypt,;/(SEE 3:14)?:yGod said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the LORD, whose name is "I Am," has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on.(9K Moses answered, "I will tell the people of Israel that the God their ancestors worshiped has sent me to them. But what should I say, if they ask me your name?"-8U God replied, "I will be with you. And you will know that I am the one who sent you, when you worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt."X7+ But Moses said, "Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?"S6! Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.`5; My people have begged for my help, and I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them.4+and I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.>3wThe LORD said: I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them,2I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.o1YGod replied, "Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals--the ground where you are standing is holy.n0WWhen the LORD saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, "Here I am."e/E"This is strange!" he said to himself. "I'll go over and see why the bush isn't burning up.". There an angel of the LORD appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up.>- yOne day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai, the holy mountain.V,'and because he knew what was happening to his people, he felt sorry for them.p+[and God heard their loud cries. He did not forget the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,*After the death of the king of Egypt, the Israelites still complained because they were forced to be slaves. They cried out for help,o)YAnd when she had a son, Moses said, "I will name him Gershom, since I am a foreigner in this country."^(7Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, who later let his daughter Zipporah marry Moses.c'A"Where is he?" Jethro asked. "Why did you leave him out there? Invite him to eat with us."m&UThey answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats."l%SWhen Jethro's daughters returned home, their father asked, "Why have you come back so early today?"k$QSome shepherds tried to chase them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their animals.s#awhen the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian, came up to water their father's sheep and goats.,"SWhen the king heard what Moses had done, the king wanted to kill him. But Moses escaped and went to the land of Midian. One day, Moses was sitting there by a well,l!SThe man answered, "Who put you in charge of us and made you our judge? Are you planning to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian?" This frightened Moses because he was sure that people must have found out what had happened.3 a When Moses went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting. So he went to the man who had started the fight and asked, "Why are you beating up one of your own people?"ue Moses looked around to see if anyone was watching, then he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. After Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were hard at work, and he saw an Egyptian beating one of them.!= And when he was old enough, she took him to the king's daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses because she said, "I pulled him out of the water." and the king's daughter told her, "Take care of this child, and I will pay you." The baby's mother carried him home and took care of him.T#"Yes," the king's daughter answered. So the girl brought the baby's mother,At once the baby's older sister came up and asked, "Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?"&GWhen the king's daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby and felt sorry for him because he was crying. She said, "This must be one of the Hebrew babies."r_About that time one of the king's daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water.Y-The baby's older sister stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him.JBut when she could no longer keep him hidden, she made a basket out of reeds and covered it with tar. She put him in the basket and placed it in the tall grass along the edge of the Nile River.jOand she later had a baby boy. He was a beautiful child, and she kept him inside for three months.F A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe,+ Suntil finally, the king gave a command to everyone in the nation, "As soon as a Hebrew boy is born, throw him into the Nile River! But you can let the girls live." /(SEE 1:20) #God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own. The Hebrews kept increasing They answered, "Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we arrive, their babies are already born."\ 5The king called them in again and asked, "Why are you letting those baby boys live?"p ]But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to.t  eHe told them, "If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!"x  mFinally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew mothers when they gave birth.%  Gthat their lives were miserable. The Egyptians were cruel to the people of Israel and forced them to make bricks and to mix mortar and to work in the fields.!  A and made them work so hard-  W But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians hated them worse than beforea ? The Egyptians put slave bosses in charge of the people of Israel and tried to wear them down with hard work. Those bosses forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses, where the king could store his supplies.5 g If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt.   and he told the Egyptians: There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are.b AMany years later a new king came to power. He did not know what Joseph had done for Egypt,a ?the people of Israel became so numerous that the whole region of Goshen was full of them.R !After Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else in that generation had died, -(SEE 1:1) -(SEE 1:1) -(SEE 1:1) -(SEE 1:1)@~ When Jacob went to Egypt, his son Joseph was already there. So Jacob took his eleven other sons and their families. They were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Altogether, Jacob had seventy children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who went with him.j}O 2So Joseph died in Egypt at the age of one hundred ten; his body was embalmed and put in a coffin.]|5 2Now promise me that you will take my body with you when God leads you to that land."8{k 2Before Joseph died, he told his brothers, "I won't live much longer. But God will take care of you and lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.0z[ 2Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. He also lived to see the children of Manasseh's son Machir, and he welcomed them into his family.]y5 2Joseph lived in Egypt with his brothers until he died at the age of one hundred ten.|xs 2Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children." After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.w} 2You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing.`v; 2But Joseph told them, "Don't be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided.xuk 2Right then, Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him and said, "We are your slaves."t 2he told us, "You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you." Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped. When Joseph heard this, he started crying.Es 2So they sent this message to Joseph: Before our father died,&rG 2After Jacob died, Joseph's brothers said to each other, "What if Joseph still hates us and wants to get even with us for all the cruel things we did to him?"Vq' 2After the funeral, Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else returned to Egypt.py 2 They took him to Canaan and buried him in Machpelah Cave, the burial place Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite.@o} 2 So Jacob's sons did just as their father had instructed.|ns 2 The Canaanites saw this and said, "The Egyptians are in great sorrow." Then they named the place "Egypt in Sorrow." m 2 After crossing the Jordan River and reaching Atad's threshing place, Joseph had everyone mourn and weep seven days for his father.l/ 2 (SEE 50:7)k/ 2(SEE 50:7)!j= 2When Joseph left Goshen with his brothers, his relatives, and his father's relatives to bury Jacob, many of the king's highest officials and even his military chariots and cavalry went along. The Israelites left behind only their children, their cattle, and their sheep and goats.Pi 2The king answered, "Go to Canaan and keep your promise to your father."$hC 2Just before my father died, he made me promise to bury him in his burial cave in Canaan. If the king will give me permission to go, I will come back here."g! 2When the time of mourning was over, Joseph said to the Egyptian leaders, "If you consider me your friend, please speak to the king for me.Xf+ 2and it took the usual forty days. The Egyptians mourned seventy days for Jacob.;es 2Joseph gave orders for Jacob's body to be embalmed,Kd  2Joseph started crying, then leaned over to hug and kiss his father.hcK 1!When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died.Tb# 1 Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites.a1 1(SEE 49:29)`1 1(SEE 49:29)&_G 1Jacob told his sons: Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebekah. I buried Leah there too.o^Y 1These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings.V]' 1Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf, destroying your enemies morning and evening.F\ 1My son, the blessings I give are better than the promise of ancient mountains or eternal hills. Joseph, I pray these blessings will come to you, because you are the leader of your brothers.4[c 1Your help came from the God your father worshiped, from God All-Powerful. God will bless you with rain and streams from the earth; he will bless you with many descendants.Z7 1But you stood your ground, swiftly shooting back with the help of Jacob's God, the All-Powerful One-- his name is the Shepherd, Israel's mighty rock.=Yw 1Enemies attacked with arrows, refusing to show mercy.SX! 1Joseph, you are a fruitful vine growing near a stream and climbing a wall.8Wm 1Naphtali, you are a wild deer with lovely fawns.9Vo 1Asher, you will eat food fancy enough for a king.>Uy 1Gad, you will be attacked, then attack your attackers.2Ta 1Our LORD, I am waiting for you to save us.OS 1You are a snake that bites the heel of a horse, making its rider fall.AR 1Dan, you are the tribe that will bring justice to Israel.PQ 1You found them so pleasant that you worked too hard and became a slave.AP 1Issachar, you are a strong donkey resting in the meadows.dOC 1 Zebulun, you will settle along the seashore and provide safe harbors as far north as Sidon.EN 1 Your eyes are darker than wine, your teeth whiter than milk.hMK 1 You will tie your donkey to a choice grapevine and wash your clothes in wine from those grapes.UL% 1 You will have power and rule until nations obey you and come bringing gifts.jKO 1 My son, you are a lion ready to eat your victim! You are terribly fierce; no one will bother you.lJS 1Judah, you will be praised by your brothers; they will bow down to you, as you defeat your enemies.I{ 1Now I place a curse on you because of your fierce anger. Your descendants will be scattered among the tribes of Israel.H 1I never want to take part in your plans or deeds. You slaughtered people in your anger, and you crippled cattle for no reason.AG 1Simeon and Levi, you are brothers, each a gruesome sword.F} 1Uncontrollable as a flood, you slept with my wife and disgraced my bed. And so you no longer deserve the place of honor.^E7 1Reuben, you are my oldest, born at the peak of my powers; you were an honored leader.3Dc 1Come, gather around, as I tell your future.YC / 1Jacob called his sons together and said: My sons, I am Jacob, your father Israel.NB 0Meanwhile, I'm giving you the hillside I captured from the Amorites."1A] 0After that, Jacob said, "Joseph, you can see that I won't live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago. @ 0Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God's blessings on one another by saying, "I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh." Jacob put Ephraim's name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.i?M 0But his father said, "Son, I know what I am doing. It's true that Manasseh's family will someday become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations."k>Q 0Joseph said, "Father, you have made a mistake. This is the older boy. Put your right hand on him."E= 0Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father's right hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Manasseh.f<G 0and his angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that he will bless these boys and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well.;) 0Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said: My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the LORD God. He has been with me all my life,:9 0But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh.,9S 0 After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right.8 0 Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob's knees, and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground.37a 0 Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, "For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children."6/ 0 (SEE 48:8)5/ 0 (SEE 48:8)M4 0Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, "Who are these boys?" Joseph answered, "They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt." "Bring them to me," Jacob said. "I want to give them my blessing." Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged and kissed them. 3; 0Unfortunately, your mother Rachel died in Canaan after we had left northern Syria and before we reached Bethlehem. And I had to bury her along the way.y2m 0Any children you have later will be considered yours, but their inheritance will come from Ephraim and Manasseh.#1A 0Then Jacob went on to say: Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt, but I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.:0o 0and promised, "I will give you a large family with many descendants that will grow into a nation. And I am giving you this land that will belong to you and your family forever."w/i 0Jacob told Joseph: God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, where he gave me his blessing. 0When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to see you." Jacob sat up in bed, but it took almost all his strength.-  0Joseph was told that his father Jacob had become very sick. So Joseph went to see him and took along his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.,! /"Will you give me your word?" Jacob asked. "Yes, I will," Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.x+k /Instead, bury me in the place where my ancestors are buried." "I will do what you have asked," Joseph answered.$*C /When Jacob knew he did not have long to live, he called in Joseph and said, "If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt.k)Q /Jacob himself lived there for seventeen years, before dying at the age of one hundred forty-seven.y(m /The people of Israel made their home in the land of Goshen, where they became prosperous and had large families.' /Then Joseph made a law that one-fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land.`&; /"Sir, you have saved our lives!" they answered. "We are glad to be slaves of the king."v%g /but one-fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families."q$] /Then Joseph said to the people, "You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant,y#m /except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land.,"U /and made everyone the king's slaves,i!M /The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king. W /Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king. We'll become his slaves.H /Then the people came to him and said: Sir, there's no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land.+Q /From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain. Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt.r_ /"If you don't have any money," Joseph answered, "give me your animals, and I'll let you have some grain."1] /But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, "Give us more grain! If you don't, we'll soon be dead, because our money's all gone."lS /So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the money in the king's treasury.cA / The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly.5g / Joseph also provided food for their families. / Joseph obeyed the king's orders and gave his father and brothers some of the best land in Egypt near the city of Rameses.C / Then Jacob gave the king his blessing once again and left.ym / Jacob answered, "I have lived only a hundred thirty years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine."2a /and the king asked him, "How old are you?"oY /Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing,a= /I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats."X+ /The king said to Joseph, "It's good that your father and brothers have arrived.1] /But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen."  /who asked them, "What do you do for a living?" "Sir, we are shepherds," was their answer. "Our families have always raised sheep./ /(SEE 47:1) /Joseph took five of his brothers to the king and told him, "My father and my brothers have come from Canaan. They have brought their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else they own to the region of Goshen." Then he introduced his brothers to the king, 3 ."When he does, be sure to say, "We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep." If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen. Joseph wanted them to say this to the king, because the Egyptians did not like to be around anyone who raised sheep.D  .!The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living. } . I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own.  .Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them: I must go and tell the king that you have arrived from Canaan.j O .Jacob said to Joseph, "Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die."% .So Joseph got in his chariot and went to meet his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father around the neck and cried for a long time.X+ .Jacob had sent his son Judah ahead of him to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen.q] .Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of seventy members of Jacob's family in Egypt.gI .Sixty-six members of Jacob's family went to Egypt with him, not counting his daughters-in-law.1 .(SEE 46:23)1 .(SEE 46:23)^7 .Jacob and Bilhah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Rachel, had seven children and grandchildren. Their son Dan took his son Hushim. Their son Naphtali took his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.1 .(SEE 46:19)1 .(SEE 46:19)1 .(SEE 46:19)e~E .Jacob and Rachel had fourteen children and grandchildren. Their son Joseph was already in Egypt, where he had married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of Heliopolis. Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob and Rachel's son Benjamin took his sons Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.}1 .(SEE 46:16)|1 .(SEE 46:16)y{m .Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of sixteen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel. Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went.z/ .(SEE 46:8)y/ .(SEE 46:8)x/ . (SEE 46:8)w/ . (SEE 46:8)v/ . (SEE 46:8)u/ . (SEE 46:8)t/ . (SEE 46:8)/sY .When Jacob went to Egypt, his children who were born in northern Syria also went along with their families. Jacob and his wife Leah had a total of thirty-three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan. Their oldest son Reuben took his sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Their son Simeon took his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite. Their son Levi took his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Their son Judah took his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. Judah's son Perez took his sons Hezron and Hamul. Their son Issachar took his sons Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron. Their son Zebulun took his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. Their daughter Dinah also went.r/ .(SEE 46:5)q/ .(SEE 46:5){pq .Jacob and his family set out from Beersheba and headed for Egypt. His sons put him in the wagon that the king had sent for him, and they put their small children and their wives in the other wagons. Jacob's whole family went to Egypt, including his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters. They took along their animals and everything else they owned. o .I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die."-nU .God said, "I am God, the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation.\m3 .That night, God spoke to him and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," Jacob answered.2l a .Jacob packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped.wki -and said, "Now I can believe you! My son Joseph must really be alive, and I will get to see him before I die."sja -Then they told him everything Joseph had said. When he saw the wagons Joseph had sent, he felt much betteri- -they told their father that Joseph was still alive and was the ruler of Egypt. But their father was so surprised that he could not believe them.Gh -Joseph's brothers left Egypt, and when they arrived in Canaan,Tg# -Then he sent his brothers off and told them, "Don't argue on the way home!"&fG -To his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the best things in Egypt, and ten other donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other food for the return trip. e -Joseph gave some new clothes to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he gave five new outfits and three hundred pieces of silver.d -Jacob's sons agreed to do what the king had said. And Joseph gave them wagons and food for their trip home, just as the king had ordered.mcU -They can leave their possessions behind, because they will be given the best of everything in Egypt.b% -Also tell your brothers to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And be sure to have them bring their father.a9 -Have them bring their father and their families here. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they can eat and enjoy everything that grows on it.c`A -So the king said to Joseph: Tell your brothers to load their donkeys and return to Canaan.o_Y -When it was told in the palace that Joseph's brothers had come, the king and his officials were happy.w^i -Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. After this, they started talking with Joseph.A] -Joseph and Benjamin hugged each other and started crying.x\k - Tell my father about my great power here in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring him here.i[M - All of you, including my brother Benjamin, can tell by what I have said that I really am Joseph.Z9 - I will take care of you there during the next five years of famine. But if you don't come, you and your family and your animals will starve to death."$YC - You will live near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own.X - Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says, "God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can.W9 -After all, you weren't really the ones who sent me here--it was God. He made me the highest official in the king's court and placed me over all Egypt.kVQ -But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way.yUm -There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain.qT] -Don't worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.S -Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said: Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt.iRM -Joseph asked his brothers if his father was still alive, but they were too frightened to answer.eQE -Then he cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him and told about it in the king's palace.3P c -Since Joseph could no longer control his feelings in front of his servants, he sent them out of the room. When he was alone with his brothers, he told them, "I am Joseph."mOU ,"How can I face my father if Benjamin isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow.vNg ,!Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers. @~}}8|{{{zByyxxwwvvduuttSts[rrfqqq/poounmmm3llkk7jjiiShh?ggMffreeJdcccncbbar```^`_^^a]]]`\\\[[[ ZZ%YYiY,XXmWWWVXV=UUUbTTSSpSRRGQQ#PPO:NNMyM*LLeKKJJIvI0HH*GQFFwEEE0DCCKBBNA@???'>>=<;;~;::99y988G77U66@55\433322k11Q00M/i/M... -i,,c+++**-)(("''&d%$$:##,"" ! fGZh}j!>7Xp-]~dH8C$f V c  W ev @7% That night the king, his officials, and everyone else in Egypt got up and started crying bitterly. In every Egyptian home, someone was dead.c6A At midnight the LORD killed the first-born son of every Egyptian family, from the son of the king to the son of every prisoner in jail. He also killed the first-born male of every animal that belonged to the Egyptians.I5  Then they left and did what Moses and Aaron had told them to do.f4G And you will answer, "The Passover animal is killed to honor the LORD. We do these things because on that night long ago the LORD passed over the homes of our people in Egypt. He killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, but he saved our children from death." After Moses finished speaking, the people of Israel knelt down and worshiped the LORD.>3y Your children will ask you, "What are we celebrating?"21 (SEE 12:24) 1 After you have entered the country promised to you by the LORD, you and your children must continue to celebrate Passover each year.03 During that night the LORD will go through the country of Egypt and kill the first-born son in every Egyptian family. He will see where you have put the blood, and he will not come into your house. His angel that brings death will pass over and not kill your first-born sons./# Make a brush from a few small branches of a hyssop plant and dip the brush in the bowl that has the blood of the animal in it. Then brush some of the blood above the door and on the posts at each side of the door of your house. After this, everyone is to stay inside.{.q Moses called the leaders of Israel together and said: Each family is to pick out a sheep and kill it for Passover.k-Q Stay away from yeast, no matter where you live. No one is allowed to eat anything made with yeast!J, During these seven days no yeast is allowed in anyone's home, whether they are native Israelites or not. If you are caught eating anything made with yeast, you will no longer be part of Israel.4+c Begin on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month by eating bread made without yeast. Then continue this celebration until the evening of the twenty-first day.*1 Celebrate this Festival of Thin Bread as a way of remembering the day that I brought your families and tribes out of Egypt. And do this each year.1)] Meet together for worship on the first and seventh days of the festival. The only work you are allowed to do on either of these two days is that of preparing the bread.o(Y For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. And on the first of these seven days, you must remove all yeast from your homes. If you eat anything made with yeast during this festival, you will no longer be part of Israel.P' Remember this day and celebrate it each year as a festival in my honor.9&m The blood on the houses will show me where you live, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Then you won't be bothered by the terrible disasters I will bring on Egypt.:%o That same night I will pass through Egypt and kill the first-born son in every family and the first-born male of all animals. I am the LORD, and I will punish the gods of Egypt.F$ When you eat the meal, be dressed and ready to travel. Have your sandals on, carry your walking stick in your hand, and eat quickly. This is the Passover Festival in honor of me, your LORD.R# Eat what you want that night, and the next morning burn whatever is left.u"e Don't eat the meat raw or boiled. The entire animal, including its head, legs, and insides, must be roasted.z!o That night the animals are to be roasted and eaten, together with bitter herbs and thin bread made without yeast. y Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be eaten.  Each family must take care of its animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, when the animals are to be killed./ (SEE 12:4)' If any family is too small to eat the whole animal, they must share it with their next-door neighbors. Choose either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a one-year-old male that has nothing wrong with it. And it must be large enough for everyone to have some of the meat.+ Tell the people of Israel that on the tenth day of this month the head of each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for his family to eat.@} This month is to be the first month of the year for you.8 o Some time later the LORD said to Moses and Aaron: So the king of Egypt saw Moses and Aaron work miracles, but the LORD made him stubbornly refuse to let the Israelites leave his country. What the LORD had earlier said to Moses came true. He had said, "The king of Egypt won't listen. Then I will perform even more miracles.")M Your leaders will come and bow down, begging me to take my people and leave your country. Then we will leave. Moses was very angry; he turned and left the king.dC But there won't be any need for the Israelites to cry. Things will be so quiet that not even a dog will be heard barking. Then you Egyptians will know that the LORD is good to the Israelites, even while he punishes you.}u Everywhere in Egypt there will be loud crying. Nothing like this has ever happened before or will ever happen again.?y and wherever he goes, the first-born son in every family will die. Your own son will die, and so will the son of the lowest slave woman. Even the first-born males of cattle will die.+ Moses went to the king and said: I have come to let you know what the LORD is going to do. About midnight he will go through the land of Egypt,!= So the LORD made the Egyptians greatly respect the Israelites, and everyone, including the king and his officials, considered Moses an important leader._9 Now go and tell my people to ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver jewelry._ ; The LORD said to Moses: I am going to punish the king of Egypt and his people one more time. Then the king will gladly let you leave his land, so that I will stop punishing the Egyptians. He will even chase you out.F "Have it your way," Moses answered. "You won't see me again."[1 that he said to Moses, "Get out and stay out! If you ever come back, you're dead!"4 e This time the LORD made the king so stubborn{ q and we won't know which animals we will need until we get there. That's why we can't leave even one of them here."T # "No!" Moses replied. "You must let us offer sacrifices to the LORD our God,  The king sent for Moses and told him, "Go worship the LORD! And take your families with you. Just leave your sheep, goats, and cattle."   During that time, the Egyptians could not see each other or leave their homes, but there was light where the Israelites lived.dC Moses stretched his arm toward the sky, and Egypt was covered with darkness for three days.  The LORD said to Moses, "Stretch your arm toward the sky, and everything will be covered with darkness thick enough to touch."_9 but the LORD made the king so stubborn that he still refused to let the Israelites go. Then the LORD sent a strong west wind that swept the locusts into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left anywhere in Egypt,)O Moses left the palace and prayed.jO Forgive me one more time and ask the LORD to stop these insects from killing every living plant."{q At once the king sent for Moses and Aaron. He told them, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. ; The ground was black with locusts, and they ate everything left on the trees and in the fields. Nothing green remained in Egypt--not a tree or a plant.y were swarming everywhere. Never before had there been so many locusts in Egypt, and never again will there be so many.3 Moses held out his walking stick, and the LORD sent an east wind that blew across Egypt the rest of the day and all that night. By morning, locusts~y The LORD told Moses, "Stretch your arm toward Egypt. Swarms of locusts will come and eat everything left by the hail."} Do you want to worship the LORD? All right, take only the men and go." Then Moses and Aaron were chased out of the palace.| The king replied, "The LORD had better watch over you on the day I let you leave with your families! You're up to no good.!{= "Everyone, young and old," Moses answered. "We will even take our sheep, goats, and cattle, because we want to hold a celebration in honor of the LORD."z3 The king had Moses and Aaron brought back, and he said, "All right, you may go and worship the LORD your God. But first tell me who will be going."ay= the king's officials asked, "Your Majesty, how much longer is this man going to be a troublemaker? Why don't you let the people leave, so they can worship the LORD their God? Don't you know that Egypt is a disaster?"7xi Your palace, the homes of your officials, and all other houses in Egypt will overflow with more locusts than have ever been seen in this country. After Moses left the palace,-wU that you won't be able to see the ground. Most of your crops were ruined by the hailstones, but these locusts will destroy what little is left, including the trees.Ov Do this by tomorrow, or I will cover your country with so many locusts8uk Moses and Aaron went to the king and told him that the LORD God of the Hebrews had said: How long will you stubbornly refuse to obey? Release my people so they can worship me.Bt I did this because I want you to tell your children and your grandchildren about my miracles and about my harsh treatment of the Egyptians. Then all of you will know that I am the LORD.s  The LORD said to Moses: Go back to the king. I have made him and his officials stubborn, so that I could work these miracles.hrK #that he refused to let the Israelites go. This was exactly what the LORD had said would happen.vqg "When the king realized that the storm was over, he disobeyed once more. He and his officials were so stubbornp% !After Moses left the royal palace and the city, he lifted his arms in prayer to the LORD, and the thunder, hail, and drenching rain stopped.Do But the wheat crops ripen later, and they were not damaged.onY Meanwhile, the flax and barley crops had been destroyed by the storm because they were ready to ripen.Xm+ But I am certain that neither you nor your officials really fear the LORD God."'lI Moses answered, "As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my arms in prayer. When the thunder and hail stop, you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD. k; We can't stand any more of this thunder and hail. Please ask the LORD to make it stop. Your people can go--you don't have to stay in Egypt any longer."j  The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "Now I have really sinned! My people and I are guilty, and the LORD is right.Ji Only Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was safe from the storm.ehE People, animals, and crops were pounded by the hailstones, and bark was stripped from trees.g/ (SEE 9:23)`f; Moses pointed his walking stick toward the sky, and hailstones started falling everywhere. Thunder roared, and lightning flashed back and forth, striking the ground. This was the worst storm in the history of Egypt.e' Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch your arm toward the sky, so that hailstones will fall on people, animals, and crops in the land of Egypt."gdI But others paid no attention to his threats and left their slaves and animals out in the open.c' Some of the king's officials were frightened by what the LORD had said, and they hurried off to make sure their slaves and animals were safe.}bu You had better give orders for every person and every animal in Egypt to take shelter. If they don't, they will die.eaE All right. At this time tomorrow, he will bring on Egypt the worst hailstorm in its history.A` You are still determined not to let the LORD's people go.u_e But he has kept you alive, just to show you his power and to bring honor to himself everywhere in the world.i^M In fact, he could already have sent a terrible disease and wiped you from the face of the earth./]Y If you don't, he will send his worst plagues to strike you, your officials, and everyone else in your country. Then you will find out that no one can oppose the LORD.*\O The LORD told Moses to get up early the next morning and say to the king: The LORD God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him!y[m Everything happened just as the LORD had told Moses--he made the king too stubborn to listen to Moses and Aaron.eZE The magicians were suffering so much from the sores, that they could not even come to Moses.&YG So they took a few handfuls of ashes and went to the king. Moses threw them into the air, and sores immediately broke out on the Egyptians and their animals.hXK The ashes will blow across the land of Egypt, causing sores to break out on people and animals.W/ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: Take a few handfuls of ashes from a stove and have Moses throw them into the air. Be sure the king is watching.QV When the king found out, he was still too stubborn to let the people go.U{ It happened the next day--all of the animals belonging to the Egyptians died, but the Israelites did not lose even one.8Tm Tomorrow is the day the LORD has set to do this.pS[ But the LORD will protect the animals that belong to the people of Israel, and none of theirs will die.wRi he will bring a terrible disease on your horses and donkeys, your camels and cattle, and your sheep and goats.Q7 If you keep refusing,P 5 The LORD sent Moses with this message for the king of Egypt: The LORD God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him.LO But the king turned stubborn again and would not let the people go.yNmand the LORD answered his prayer. Not a fly was left to pester the king, his officials, or anyone else in Egypt./M[After leaving the palace, Moses prayed,6Lg"Your Majesty," Moses replied, "I'll pray for you as soon as I leave, and by tomorrow the flies will stop bothering you, your officials, and the citizens of your country. Only make sure that you're telling the truth this time and that you really intend to let our people offer sacrifices to the LORD."K!Then the king told him, "I'll let you go into the desert to offer sacrifices, if you don't go very far. But in the meantime, pray for me."JNo indeed! The LORD has ordered us to walk three days into the desert before offering sacrifices to him, and that's what we have to do."I+"That's impossible!" Moses replied. "Any sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would disgust the Egyptians, and they would stone us to death.rH_Then the king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "Go sacrifice to your God, but stay here in Egypt."#GAThe LORD kept his promise--the palace and the homes of the royal officials swarmed with flies, and the rest of the country was infested with them as well.F/(SEE 8:22)dEC"The LORD's people in Goshen won't be bothered by flies, but your people in the rest of the country will be tormented by them. That's how you will know that the LORD is here in Egypt. This miracle will happen tomorrow."8DkIf you don't, he will send swarms of flies to attack you, your officials, and every citizen of your country. Houses will be full of flies, and the ground will crawl with them.)But when the king saw that things were now better, he again did just as the LORD had said and stubbornly refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.S=!The dead frogs were placed in piles, and the whole country began to stink.]<5 The LORD listened to Moses, and frogs died everywhere--in houses, yards, and fields. ; After Moses and Aaron left the palace, Moses begged the LORD to do something about the frogs he had sent as punishment for the king.I:  and frogs will no longer be found anywhere, except in the Nile." 9 "Do it tomorrow!" the king replied. "As you wish," Moses agreed. "Then everyone will discover that there is no god like the LORD,U8% "All right," Moses answered. "You choose the time when I am to pray for the frogs to stop bothering you, your officials, and your people, and for them to leave your houses and be found only in the river."67gThe king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "If you ask the LORD to take these frogs away from me and my people, I will let your people go and offer sacrifices to him."I6 But the magicians used their secret powers to do the same thing.C5Aaron obeyed, and suddenly frogs were everywhere in Egypt.#4AMoses, now command Aaron to hold his stick over the water. Then frogs will come from all rivers, canals, and ponds in Egypt, and they will cover the land.a3=Frogs will be crawling on everyone--the king, his officials, and every citizen of Egypt.2!Warn the king that the Nile will be full of frogs, and from there they will spread into the royal palace, including the king's bedroom and even his bed. Frogs will enter the homes of his officials and will find their way into ovens and into the bowls of bread dough.C1If he refuses, I will cover his entire country with frogs.0 he said to Moses: Go to the palace and tell the king of Egypt that I order him to let my people go, so they can worship me.6/iSeven days after the LORD had struck the Nile,. The Egyptians had to dig holes along the banks of the Nile for drinking water, because water from the river was unfit to drink.L-Then he went back to his palace and never gave it a second thought.,1But the Egyptian magicians used their secret powers to do the same thing. The king did just as the LORD had said--he stubbornly refused to listen.~+wthe fish died, and the water smelled so bad that none of the Egyptians could drink it. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.*5Moses and Aaron obeyed the LORD. Aaron held out his stick, then struck the Nile, as the king and his officials watched. The river turned into blood,R)Moses, then command Aaron to hold his stick over the water. And when he does, every drop of water in Egypt will turn into blood, including rivers, canals, ponds, and even the water in buckets and jars.m(UThe fish will die, the river will stink, and none of you Egyptians will be able to drink the water."'9"The LORD is going to do something to show you that he really is the LORD. I will strike the Nile with this stick, and the water will turn into blood.-&UTell him, "The LORD God of the Hebrews sent me to order you to release his people, so they can worship him in the desert. But until now, you have paid no attention.p%[Tomorrow morning take the stick that turned into a snake, then wait beside the Nile River for the king.o$YThe LORD said to Moses: The Egyptian king stubbornly refuses to change his mind and let the people go.U#% The king behaved just as the LORD had said and stubbornly refused to listen.\"3 they threw down sticks that turned into snakes. But Aaron's snake swallowed theirs.t!c Then the king called in the wise men and the magicians, who used their secret powers to do the same thing-- 7 Moses and Aaron went to the king and his officials and did exactly as the LORD had commanded--Aaron threw the stick down, and it turned into a snake.- (SEE 7:8):oThe LORD said, "Moses, when the king asks you and Aaron to perform a miracle, command Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it will turn into a snake."dCand spoke to the king. At the time, Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three.'KMoses and Aaron obeyed the LORDG When this happens, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.-(SEE 7:3){qBut I will make the king so stubborn that he won't listen to you. He won't listen even when I do many terrible things to him and his nation. Then I will bring a final punishment on Egypt, and the king will let Israel's families and tribes go.kQTell Aaron everything I say to you, and he will order the king to let my people leave his country.$ EThe LORD said: I am going to let your brother Aaron speak for you. He will tell your message to the king, just as a prophet speaks my message to the people.gIBut Moses answered, "You know I am a very poor speaker, and the king will never listen to me."Rhe said, "I am the LORD. Tell the king of Egypt everything I say to you.":qWhen the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,Pand so they ordered the king of Egypt to set the people of Israel free.fGThe LORD had commanded Aaron and Moses to lead every family and tribe of Israel out of Egypt,&GAaron's son Eleazar married one of Putiel's daughters, and their son was Phinehas. This ends the list of those who were the heads of clans in the Levi tribe.7kKorah's sons were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph.%Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon; they had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.9oUzziel's sons were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.4 eIzhar's sons were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. Amram lived to be one hundred thirty-seven. He married his father's sister Jochebed, and they had two sons, Aaron and Moses.W )Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. All of the above were from the Levi tribe.e EKohath lived to be one hundred thirty-three; his sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.- WGershon's sons were Libni and Shimei.^7Levi lived to be one hundred thirty-seven; his sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.mUThe sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.The following men were the heads of their ancestral clans: The sons of Reuben, Jacob's oldest son, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.5 But the LORD sent Aaron and Moses with a message for the Israelites and for the king; he also ordered Aaron and Moses to free the people from Egypt.}u But Moses replied, "I'm not a powerful speaker. If the Israelites won't listen to me, why should the king of Egypt?"C to demand that the king of Egypt let the Israelites leave. = Then the LORD told MosesiM When Moses told this to the Israelites, they were too discouraged and mistreated to believe him.}I will bring you into the land that I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it will be yours. I am the LORD!" I will accept you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I was the one who rescued you from the Egyptians.~ Here is my message for Israel: "I am the LORD! And with my mighty power I will punish the Egyptians and free you from slavery.u}eNow I have seen how the people of Israel are suffering because of the Egyptians, and I will keep my promise.h|KI made an agreement and promised them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners.n{WBut when I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I came as God All-Powerful and did not use my name.z5My name is the LORD.4y eThe LORD God told Moses: Soon you will see what I will do to the king. Because of my mighty power, he will let my people go, and he will even chase them out of his country.xEver since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help."wMoses left them and prayed, "Our LORD, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here?v7Then the men said, "We hope the LORD will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us."cuAAfter they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them.rt_The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day.hsKGet back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks."rThe king replied, "You are lazy--nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your LORD.q5No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame."pp[Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, "Why are you treating us like this?#oAThe bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, "Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?"n But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, "Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.":mq The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw.hlK Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before." k  The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, "The king says he will not give you any more straw.Rj Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.i+but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God.{hqDon't give the slaves any more straw to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can,g That same day the king gave orders to his slave bosses and to the men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:f-(SEE 5:4)-eUThe king said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!"fdGThey answered, "The LORD God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war."rc_"Who is this LORD and why should I obey him?" the king replied. "I refuse to let you and your people go!"(b MMoses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, "The LORD God says, 'Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.' "a%and everyone believed. They bowed down and worshiped the LORD because they knew that he had seen their suffering and was going to help them.p`[and Aaron told them what the LORD had sent Moses to say. Then Moses worked the miracles for the people,:_qLater they brought together the leaders of Israel,^Moses told Aaron what God had sent him to say; he also told him about the miracles God had given him the power to perform.x]kThe LORD sent Aaron to meet Moses in the desert. So Aaron met Moses at Mount Sinai and greeted him with a kiss.w\iSo the LORD did not harm Moses. Then Zipporah said, "Yes, my dear, you are safe because of this circumcision."&[GBut Zipporah circumcised her son with a flint knife. She touched his legs with the skin she had cut off and said, "My dear son, this blood will protect you."KZOne night while Moses was in camp, the LORD was about to kill him.Yyand I commanded you to release him, so he could worship me. But you refused, and now I will kill your first-born son."FXThen tell him that I have said, "Israel is my first-born son,BWOn the way the LORD said to Moses: When you get to Egypt, go to the king and work the miracles I have shown you. But I will make him so stubborn that he will refuse to let my people go.}VuSo Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for Egypt, holding the walking stick that had the power of God.UBut even before this, the LORD had told Moses, "Leave the land of Midian and return to Egypt. Everyone who wanted to kill you is dead.";TqMoses went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked, "Please let me return to Egypt to see if any of my people are still alive." "All right," Jethro replied. "I hope all goes well."DSNow take this walking stick and use it to perform miracles.R/(SEE 4:15)5QeAaron will speak to the people for you, and you will be like me, telling Aaron what to say. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will tell each of you what to do.RPThe LORD became irritated with Moses and said: What about your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know he is a good speaker. He is already on his way here to visit you, and he will be happy to see you again.@O} Moses begged, "LORD, please send someone else to do it."SN! Now go! When you speak, I will be with you and give you the words to say."HM  But the LORD answered, "Who makes people able to speak or makes them deaf or unable to speak? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Don't you know that I am the one who does these things?2L_ Moses replied, "I have never been a good speaker. I wasn't one before you spoke to me, and I'm not one now. I am slow at speaking, and I can never think of what to say."K- (SEE 4:8)6JgThen the LORD said, "If no one believes either of these miracles, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground. The water will immediately turn into blood."I1"Put your hand back inside your shirt," the LORD told him. Moses did so, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.0H[Next, the LORD commanded Moses, "Put your hand inside your shirt." Moses obeyed, and when he took it out, his hand had turned white as snow--like someone with leprosy.#GA"Do this," the LORD said, "and the Israelites will believe that you have seen me, the God who was worshiped by their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."zFo"Pick it up by the tail!" the LORD told him. And when Moses did this, the snake turned back into a walking stick.E"Throw it down!" the LORD commanded. So Moses threw the stick on the ground. It immediately turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back.YD-The LORD answered, "What's that in your hand?" "A walking stick," Moses replied. YO~~@}k|{{Uzz>===B<<%;;|::99098Y776554U33R22X11u00//L---,,,7+y+#**;))!(m(''w&&&,%|$$R$(##)""!!! 6p{{$jR9 *t $}e< 7 : C  o +kyK#DY!0=Suppose two of you are arguing, and you hit the other with either a rock or your fist, without causing a fatal injury. If the victim has to stay in bed,C/Death is the punishment for cursing your father or mother..!Death is the punishment for kidnapping. If you sell the person you kidnapped, or if you are caught with that person, the penalty is death.E-Death is the punishment for attacking your father or mother. ,If you plan in advance to murder someone, there's no escape, not even by holding on to my altar. You will be dragged off and killed.+! But if you did not intend to kill someone, and I, the LORD, let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside.+*S Death is the punishment for murder.[)1 If he fails to do any of these things, she must be given her freedom without cost.( If the man later marries another woman, he must continue to provide food and clothing for the one he bought and to treat her as a wife.X'+ If he selects her as a wife for his son, he must treat her as his own daughter.7&iIf she doesn't please the man who bought her to be his wife, he must let her be bought back. He cannot sell her to foreigners; this would break the contract he made with her.k%QA young woman who was sold by her father doesn't gain her freedom in the same way that a man does.Q$Then he must stand beside either the door or the doorpost at the place of worship, while his owner punches a small hole through one of his ears with a sharp metal rod. This makes him a slave for life.d#CBut suppose the slave loves his wife and children so much that he won't leave without them.")If you give him a wife, and they have children, only the man himself must be set free; his wife and children remain the property of his owner.%!EIf he was single at the time you bought him, he alone must be set free. But if he was married at the time, both he and his wife must be given their freedom. If you buy a Hebrew slave, he must remain your slave for six years. But in the seventh year you must set him free, without cost to him.= yThe LORD gave Moses the following laws for his people:cAAnd don't build an altar that requires steps; you might expose yourself when you climb up. If you ever build an altar for me out of stones, do not use any tools to chisel the stones, because that would make the altar unfit.$CBuild an altar out of earth, and offer on it your sacrifices of sheep, goats, and cattle. Wherever I choose to be worshiped, I will come down to bless you.RSo you must never make idols of silver or gold to worship in place of me.ueThe LORD told Moses to say to the people of Israel: With your own eyes, you saw me speak to you from heaven.b?But when Moses went near the thick cloud where God was, the people stayed a long way off.q]"Don't be afraid!" Moses replied. "God has come only to test you, so that by obeying him you won't sin."p[and said to Moses, "If you speak to us, we will listen. But don't let God speak to us, or we will die!"*OThe people trembled with fear when they heard the thunder and the trumpet and saw the lightning and the smoke coming from the mountain. They stood a long way offDo not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's house, wife or husband, slaves, oxen, donkeys or anything else.&IDo not tell lies about others.'Do not steal. =Be faithful in marriage.) Do not murder.hK Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long time in the land I am giving you.4c In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.>w but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day--not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns.4 e You have six days when you can do your work,4 eRemember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me.e EDo not misuse my name. I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.k QBut if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.+ QDon't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me, I will punish your families for three or four generations.jODo not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.)ODo not worship any god except me.\3I am the LORD your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.( OGod said to the people of Israel:S!After Moses had gone back down, he told the people what the LORD had said.8kThen the LORD told Moses, "Go down and bring Aaron back here with you. But the priests and people must not try to push their way through, or I will rush at them like a flood!"p[Moses replied, "The people cannot come up the mountain. You warned us to stay away because it is holy."Only the priests may come near me, and they must obey strict rules before I let them. If they don't, they will be punished."S!Then he said, "Moses, go and warn the people not to cross the boundary that you set at the foot of the mountain. They must not cross it to come and look at me, because if they do, many of them will die.W)The LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai and told Moses to meet him there.\~3The trumpet blew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.1}]Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had come down in a flaming fire. Smoke poured out of the mountain just like a furnace, and the whole mountain shook.`|;Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.6{gOn the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain, a loud trumpet blast was heard, and everyone in camp trembled with fear.Tz#He told them to be ready in three days and not to have sex in the meantime.yAfter Moses went down the mountain, he gave orders for the people to wash their clothes and make themselves acceptable to worship God.mxU either with stones or arrows, and no one must touch the body of a person killed in this way. Even an animal that touches this mountain must be put to death. You may go up the mountain only after a signal is given on the trumpet.ywm Warn the people that they are forbidden to touch any part of the mountain. Anyone who does will be put to death,tvc and be ready by the day after tomorrow, when I will come down to Mount Sinai, where all of them can see me.'uI Once more the LORD spoke to Moses: Go back and tell the people that today and tomorrow they must get themselves ready to meet me. They must wash their clothesOt The LORD said to Moses, "I will come to you in a thick cloud and let the people hear me speak to you. Then they will always trust you." Again Moses reported to the people what the LORD had told him.nsWand they promised, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded." So Moses told the LORD about this.RrAfter Moses went back, he reported to the leaders what the LORD had said,rq_but you will be my holy nation and serve me as priests. Moses, that is what you must tell the Israelites.epENow if you will faithfully obey me, you will be my very own people. The whole world is mine,zooYou saw what I did in Egypt, and you know how I brought you here to me, just as a mighty eagle carries its young.an=Moses went up the mountain to meet with the LORD God, who told him to say to the people:m/(SEE 19:1)+l SThe Israelites left Rephidim. Then two months after leaving Egypt, they arrived at the desert near Mount Sinai, where they set up camp at the foot of the mountain.gkIAfter Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said good-by to each other, Jethro returned home.rj_They served as judges, deciding the easy cases themselves, but bringing the more difficult ones to Moses.iHe chose some competent leaders from every tribe in Israel and put them over groups of ten, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand.'hKMoses followed Jethro's advice. gThis is the way God wants it done. You won't be under nearly as much stress, and everyone else will return home feeling satisfied.f)These judges can handle the ordinary cases and bring the more difficult ones to you. Having them to share the load will make your work easier.,eSYou will need to appoint some competent leaders who respect God and are trustworthy and honest. Then put them over groups of ten, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand.\d3and you should teach them God's laws and show them what they must do to live right.icMGod will help you if you follow my advice. You should be the one to speak to God for the people,}buYou and the people who come to you will soon be worn out. The job is too much for one person; you can't do it alone.9aoJethro replied: That isn't the best way to do it.]`5They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws."W_)Moses answered, "Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do.0^[Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, "Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?"] The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening.\} Jethro offered sacrifices to God. Then Aaron and Israel's leaders came to eat with Jethro there at the place of worship.r[_ Now I know that the LORD is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies."pZ[ that he shouted, "Praise the LORD! He rescued you and the Israelites from the Egyptians and their king.SY! Jethro was so pleased to hear this good news about what the LORD had done,:Xowhere Moses told him everything the LORD had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the LORD had helped them in all of their troubles.W/When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent,V/(SEE 18:5)&UGWhile Israel was camped in the desert near Mount Sinai, Jethro sent Moses this message: "I am coming to visit you, and I am bringing your wife and two sons."T/(SEE 18:2)S/(SEE 18:2)uReIn the meantime, Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and her two sons to stay with Jethro, and he had welcomed them. Moses was still a foreigner in Midian when his first son was born, and so Moses said, "I'll name him Gershom." When his second son was born, Moses said, "I'll name him Eliezer, because the God my father worshiped has saved me from the king of Egypt.")Q OJethro was the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses. And he heard what the LORD God had done for Moses and his people, after rescuing them from Egypt.P%Then Moses explained, "This is because I depended on the LORD. But in future generations, the LORD will have to fight the Amalekites again."GO Moses built an altar and named it "The LORD Gives Me Victory."N%Afterwards, the LORD said to Moses, "Write an account of this victory and read it to Joshua. I want the Amalekites to be forgotten forever."2Ma That's how Joshua defeated the Amalekites.*LO Finally, Moses was so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms in the same position until sunset. K The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms, but they started losing whenever he had to lower them.hJK Joshua led the attack as Moses had commanded, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur stood on the hilltop.(IK So Moses told Joshua, "Have some men ready to attack the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on a hilltop, holding this walking stick that has the power of God."TH#When the Israelites were at Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites.?GyThe people had complained and tested the LORD by asking, "Is the LORD really with us?" So Moses named that place Massah, which means "testing" and Meribah, which means "complaining."KFand when you get to the rock at Mount Sinai, I will be there with you. Strike the rock with the stick, and water will pour out for the people to drink." Moses did this while the leaders watched.+EQThe LORD answered, "Take some of the leaders with you and go ahead of the rest of the people. Also take along the walking stick you used to strike the Nile River,wDiThen Moses prayed to the LORD, "What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!"#CABut the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, "Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?"B7The people started complaining to Moses, "Give us some water!" Moses replied, "Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the LORD to the test?"6A iThe Israelites left the desert and moved from one place to another each time the LORD ordered them to. Once they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for them to drink.@1$(SEE 16:35)t?c#The Israelites ate manna for forty years, before they came to the border of Canaan that was a settled land.o>Y"Aaron followed the LORD's instructions and put the manna in front of the sacred chest for safekeeping.}=u!Then Moses told Aaron, "Put some manna in a jar and store it in the place of worship for future generations to see."_<9 Moses told the people that the LORD had said, "Store up two quarts of this manna, because I want future generations to see the food I gave you during the time you were in the desert after I rescued you from Egypt."y;mThe Israelites called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and delicious as wafers made with honey.*:QAnd so they rested on the Sabbath.29_Remember that I was the one who gave you the Sabbath. That's why on the sixth day I provide enough bread for two days. Everyone is to stay home and rest on the Sabbath."d8CThen the LORD said, "Moses, how long will you people keep disobeying my laws and teachings?Q7A few of the Israelites did go out to look for some, but there was none.\63You will find it there for the first six days of the week, but not on the Sabbath."5"You may eat the food," Moses said. "Today is the Sabbath in honor of the LORD, and there won't be any of this food on the ground today.X4+The people obeyed, and the next morning the food smelled fine and had no worms.A3}he told them that the LORD had said, "Tomorrow is the Sabbath, a sacred day of rest in honor of me. So gather all you want to bake or boil, and make sure you save enough for tomorrow."2'However, on the sixth day of the week, everyone gathered enough to have four quarts, instead of two. When the leaders reported this to Moses,k1QEach morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and in the heat of the day the rest melted.y0mSome of them disobeyed, but the next morning what they kept was stinking and full of worms, and Moses was angry.2/aMoses told them not to keep any overnight.9.oaccording to their needs, and none was left over.O-They did as they were told. Some gathered more and some gathered less,w,iAnd he orders you to gather about two quarts for each person in your family--that should be more than enough."/+YThe people had never seen anything like this, and they started asking each other, "What is it?" Moses answered, "This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.`*;After the dew had gone, the desert was covered with thin flakes that looked like frost.z)o That evening a lot of quails came and landed everywhere in the camp, and the next morning dew covered the ground.I(  "I have heard my people complain. Now tell them that each evening they will have meat and each morning they will have more than enough bread. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."'; The LORD said to Moses,&{ Aaron was speaking to them, when everyone looked out toward the desert and saw the bright glory of the LORD in a cloud.r%_ Moses turned to Aaron and said, "Bring the people together, because the LORD has heard their complaints."{$qThen Moses continued, "You will know it is the LORD when he gives you meat each evening and more than enough bread each morning. He is really the one you are complaining about, not us--we are nobodies--but the LORD has heard your complaints."#-And in the morning you will see his glorious power, because he has heard your complaints against him. Why should you grumble to us? Who are we?"{"qMoses and Aaron told the people, "This evening you will know that the LORD was the one who rescued you from Egypt.T!#But on the sixth day of each week they must gather and cook twice as much.": oThe LORD said to Moses, "I will send bread down from heaven like rain. Each day the people can go out and gather only enough for that day. That's how I will see if they obey me.^7"We wish the LORD had killed us in Egypt. When we lived there, we could at least sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted. But you have brought us out here into this desert, where we are going to starve."I There in the desert they started complaining to Moses and Aaron,F On the fifteenth day of the second month after the Israelites had escaped from Egypt, they left Elim and started through the western edge of the Sinai Desert in the direction of Mount Sinai.ymLater the Israelites came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees. So they camped there.NThen he said, "I am the LORD your God, and I cure your diseases. If you obey me by doing right and by following my laws and teachings, I won't punish you with the diseases I sent on the Egyptians."gIMoses asked the LORD for help, and the LORD told him to throw a piece of wood into the water. Moses did so, and the water became fit to drink. At Marah the LORD tested his people and also gave them some laws and teachings.MThe people complained and said, "Moses, what are we going to drink?"_9They did find water at Marah, but it was bitter, which is how that place got its name.|sAfter the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water.  Then she sang to them: "Sing praises to the LORD for his great victory! He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea."Miriam the sister of Aaron was a prophet. So she took her tambourine and led the other women out to play their tambourines and to dance. The LORD covered the royal Egyptian cavalry and chariots with the sea, after the Israelites had walked safely through on dry ground.(MOur LORD, you will rule forever!lSYou will let your people settle on your chosen mountain, where you built your home and your temple.struck down by fear. Our LORD, your powerful arm kept them still as a rock until the people you rescued for your very own had marched by.T#The leaders of Edom and of Moab were terrified. Everyone in Canaan fainted,NNations learned of this and trembled-- Philistines shook with horror.R The people you rescued were led by your powerful love to your holy place.a = When you signaled with your right hand, your enemies were swallowed deep into the earth.m U Our LORD, no other gods compare with you-- Majestic and holy! Fearsome and glorious! Miracle worker!Q  But when you got furious, they sank like lead, swallowed by ocean waves., S Your enemies boasted that they would pursue and capture us, divide up our possessions, treat us as they wished, then take out their swords and kill us right there.i MYou were so furious that the sea piled up like a wall, and the ocean depths curdled like cheese.What a great victory was yours, as you defeated everyone who opposed you. Your fiery anger wiped them out, as though they were straw.Y-With the tremendous force of your right arm, our LORD, you crushed your enemies.1_They sank to the bottom just like stones.ymHe threw the chariots and army of Egypt's king into the Red Sea, and he drowned the best of the king's officers.2aThe LORD is his name, and he is a warrior!/The LORD is my strength, the reason for my song, because he has saved me. I praise and honor the LORD-- he is my God and the God of my ancestors.0 ]Moses and the Israelites sang this song in praise of the LORD: I sing praises to the LORD for his great victory! He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea. Because of the mighty power he had used against the Egyptians, the Israelites worshiped him and trusted him and his servant Moses.  On that day, when the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they knew that the LORD had saved them.q]But the sea had made a wall of water on each side of the Israelites; so they walked through on dry land.)~MThe water came and covered the chariots, the cavalry, and the whole Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them was left alive.}/Moses stretched out his arm, and at daybreak the water rushed toward the Egyptians. They tried to run away, but the LORD drowned them in the sea.|The LORD told Moses, "Stretch your arm toward the sea--the water will cover the Egyptians and their cavalry and chariots."H{ Their chariot wheels got stuck, and it was hard for them to move. So the Egyptians said to one another, "Let's leave these people alone! The LORD is on their side and is fighting against us."pz[But before daylight the LORD looked down at the Egyptian army from the fiery cloud and made them panic.:yqThe Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them.Yx-and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.-wUMoses stretched his arm over the sea, and the LORD sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened up,Dvbut now it moved between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but made it dark for the Egyptians, and during the night they could not come any closer. uAll this time God's angel had gone ahead of Israel's army, but now he moved behind them. A large cloud had also gone ahead of them,=twThe Egyptians will know for sure that I am the LORD."$sCI will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go after you. Then I will be praised because of what happens to the king and his chariots and cavalry.rThen hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground.rq_The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you keep calling out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward.Hp The LORD will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing."o But Moses answered, "Don't be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the LORD save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again.~nw While we were there, didn't we tell you to leave us alone? We had rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!":mo They also complained to Moses, "Wasn't there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway?rl_ When the Israelites saw the king coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the LORD for help.k% But the king's horses and chariots and soldiers caught up with them while they were camping by the Red Sea near Pi-Hahiroth and Baal-Zephon.zjoThe LORD made the king so stubborn that he went after them, even though the Israelites proudly went on their way.i He commanded his officers in charge of his six hundred best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites.4heThe king got his war chariot and army ready.Ug%When the king of Egypt heard that the Israelites had finally left, he and his officials changed their minds and said, "Look what we have done! We let them get away, and they will no longer be our slaves."f)I will make the king stubborn again, and he will try to catch you. Then I will destroy him and his army. People everywhere will praise me for my victory, and the Egyptians will know that I really am the LORD. The Israelites obeyed the LORD and camped where he told them.e'The king will think they were afraid to cross the desert and that they are wandering around, trying to find another way to leave the country.dTell the people of Israel to turn back and camp across from Pi-Hahiroth near Baal-Zephon, between Migdol and the Red Sea.'c MAt Etham the LORD said to Moses:b1 (SEE 13:21)Oa During the day the LORD went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the LORD could lead them at all times, whether day or night.f`G The people of Israel left Succoth and camped at Etham at the border of Egypt near the desert.%_E Moses had them take along the bones of Joseph, whose dying words had been, "God will come to your rescue, and when he does, be sure to take along my bones."y^m So he led them around through the desert and toward the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle.[]1 After the king had finally let the people go, the LORD did not lead them through Philistine territory, though that was the shortest way. God had said, "If they are attacked, they may decide to return to Egypt."\+ This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the LORD's mighty power rescued us from Egypt.[  The king stubbornly refused to set us free, so the LORD killed the first-born male of every animal and the first-born son of every Egyptian family. This is why we sacrifice to the LORD every first-born male of every animal and save every first-born son.")ZM In the future your children will ask what this ceremony means. Explain it to them by saying, "The LORD used his mighty power to rescue us from slavery in Egypt. Y; You can save the life of a first-born donkey by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must save every first-born son.X/ From then on, you must give him every first-born son from your families and every first-born male from your animals, because these belong to him.gWI The LORD will give you the land of the Canaanites, just as he promised you and your ancestors.;Vs Celebrate this festival each year at the same time.FU This celebration will be like wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on to others the teaching of the LORD, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt.~Tw Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the LORD brought you out of Egypt.xSk During those seven days, you must not eat anything made with yeast or even have yeast anywhere near your homes. R For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day you are to celebrate a festival in honor of the LORD.Q The LORD promised your ancestors that he would bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land rich with milk and honey. Each year during the month of Abib, celebrate these events in the following way:P/ (SEE 13:3)IO  Moses said to the people: Remember this day in the month of Abib. It is the day when the LORD's mighty power rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Do not eat anything made with yeast.N "Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me."M ; The LORD said to Moses,YL- 3And on that same day the LORD brought Israel's families and tribes out of Egypt.^K7 2The Israelites obeyed everything the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron to tell them._J9 1This law applies both to native Israelites and to those foreigners who live among you.Iy 0If anyone who isn't an Israelite wants to celebrate Passover with you, every man and boy in that family must first be circumcised. Then they may join in the meal, just like native Israelites. No uncircumcised man or boy may eat the Passover meal!6Hi /And all Israelites must take part in the meal.G .The entire meal must be eaten inside, and no one may leave the house during the celebration. No bones of the Passover lamb may be broken.DF -but no foreigners who work for you are allowed to have any.DE ,Your slaves may eat the meal if they have been circumcised,D +The LORD gave Moses and Aaron the following instructions for celebrating Passover: No one except Israelites may eat the Passover meal. C  *On that night the LORD kept watch for them, and on this same night each year Israel will always keep watch in honor of the LORD.B1 )(SEE 12:40)_A9 (The LORD's people left Egypt exactly four hundred thirty years after they had arrived.)@M 'They left Egypt in such a hurry that they did not have time to prepare any food except the bread dough made without yeast. So they baked it and made thin bread.i?M &Many other people went with them as well, and there were also a lot of sheep, goats, and cattle.>9 %The Israelites walked from the city of Rameses to the city of Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand of them, not counting women and children.J= $The LORD had made the Egyptians friendly toward the people of Israel, and they gave them whatever they asked for. In this way they carried away the wealth of the Egyptians when they left Egypt.!<= #The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them to do. They had gone to their Egyptian neighbors and asked for gold and silver and for clothes.Q; "So the Israelites quickly made some bread dough and put it in pans. But they did not mix any yeast in the dough to make it rise. They wrapped cloth around the pans and carried them on their shoulders.+:Q !The Egyptians did everything they could to get the Israelites to leave their country fast. They said, "Please hurry and leave. If you don't, we will all be dead."]95 Take your sheep, goats, and cattle, and get out. But ask your God to be kind to me."-8U During the night the king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "Get your people out of my country and leave us alone! Go and worship the LORD, as you have asked. m;~~:}M|||z|{{)zXzyyxxTwvvLtttssrsrq^ppoo(nmm3lll]l kktk"jjHiiXihggegff`eeTedd?ccbaa{a@`3__9^^]]7\\P[[c[ZZIYY>X_XWVVVUFTTlSS:RR;QQPPOONNjNIMMM_M(LLeLKK1JJ{J=IIIKIHHH1GGDFFmFPFEvEYDDdCCCMC-BBOAAfA @???g>>>>%> =R= <<;;;G::99999a888Y8777<6555u5433j32l1000k0O/.-----x-\,,++R*))5((V'm&&%%$P$4$###n"""?!!!N Q 4 QhkNTHgz9eY3VHx+ 2 k ,  YN\  m|Ms,Because of who I am, the tent will become sacred, and Aaron and his sons will become worthy to serve as my priests.L1+(SEE 29:42)ZK/*You and your descendants must always offer this sacrifice on the altar at the entrance to the sacred tent. People of Israel, I will meet and speak with you there, and my shining glory will make the place holy.J1)(SEE 29:40)cIA(With each lamb offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of pure olive oil, and also pour out a quart of wine as an offering. The smell of this sacrifice on the fires of the altar will be pleasing to me.2Ha'one in the morning and one in the evening.9Go&Each day you must sacrifice two lambs a year old,oFY%Do this for seven days, and the altar will become so holy that anyone who touches it will become holy.4Ec$Each day you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for sin and as a way of purifying the altar. In addition, you must smear the altar with olive oil to make it completely holy.sDa#Repeat this ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons seven days in a row, just as I have instructed you.OC"If any of the sacred food is left until morning, it must be burned up. B!At their ordination, a ceremony of forgiveness was performed for them with this sacred food, and only they have the right to eat it.wAi then have Aaron and his sons eat it together with the three kinds of bread at the entrance to the sacred tent.>@yBoil the meat of the ordination ram in a sacred place,?1(SEE 29:29)H> After Aaron's death, his priestly clothes are to be handed down to each descendant who succeeds him as high priest, and these clothes must be worn during the seven-day ceremony of ordination.=1(SEE 29:27)d<CIn the future, when anyone from Israel offers the ribs and a hind leg of a ram either to ordain a priest or to ask for my blessing, the meat belongs to me, but it may be eaten by the priests. This law will never change.;You may eat the choice ribs from this second ram, but you must first lift them up to show that this meat is dedicated to me.x:kAfter this, the meat and bread are to be placed on the altar and sent up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.93and put this bread, together with the meat, into the hands of Aaron and his sons. Then they will lift it all up to show that it is dedicated to me.<8uTake one loaf of each kind of bread from the basket,C7This ram is part of the ordination service. So remove its right hind leg, its fat tail, the fat on its insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat.u6eThen take some of the blood from the altar, mix it with the oil used for ordination, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his clothes, and also on his sons and their clothes. This will show that they and their clothes have been dedicated to me.i5MKill the ram and place some of its blood on Aaron's right ear lobe, his right thumb, and the big toe of his right foot. Do the same for each of his sons and splatter the rest of the blood against the four sides of the altar.]45Bring the other ram to Aaron and his sons and have them lay their hands on its head.\33Then make sure that the whole animal goes up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.n2WCut up the ram, wash its insides and legs, and lay all of its parts on the altar, including the head.Q1Kill the ram and splatter its blood against all four sides of the altar._09Bring one of the rams to Aaron and his sons and have them lay their hands on its head.(/KBut the meat, the skin, and the food still in the bull's stomach must be burned outside the camp as an offering to ask forgiveness for the sins of the priests.(.K Then take the fat from the animal's insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and send them up in smoke on the altar.-5 Use a finger to smear some of its blood on each of the four corners of the altar and pour out the rest of the blood on the ground next to the altar.9,o Kill the bull near my altar in front of the tent.u+e Lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head.p*[ and caps and their sashes, then ordain them, because they and their descendants will always be priests.8)mNext, dress Aaron's sons in their special shirts=(wand then ordain him by pouring olive oil on his head.@'}Put on his turban with its narrow strip of engraved gold&Dress Aaron in the priestly shirt, the robe that goes under the sacred vest, the vest itself, the breastpiece, and the sash.c%ABring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the sacred tent and have them wash themselves.k$QPut all of this bread in a basket and bring it when you come to sacrifice the three animals to me.S#!Then from your finest flour make three batches of dough without yeast. Shape some of it into larger loaves, some into smaller loaves mixed with olive oil, and the rest into thin wafers brushed with oil.}" wWhen you ordain one of Aaron's sons as my priest, choose a young bull and two rams that have nothing wrong with them.f!G+Whenever they enter the sacred tent or serve at the altar or enter the holy place, they must wear these shorts, or else they will be guilty and die. This same rule applies to any of their descendants who serve as priests.q ]*Make linen shorts for them that reach from the waist down to the thigh, so they won't expose themselves.vg)Then dress Aaron and his sons in these clothes, pour olive oil on their heads, and ordain them as my priests.{q(Since Aaron's sons are priests, they should also look dignified. So make robes, sashes, and special caps for them.`;'Make Aaron's robe and turban of fine linen and decorate his sash with fancy needlework.B&so he can wear it on his forehead. This will show that he will take on himself the guilt for any sins the people of Israel commit in offering their gifts to me, and I will forgive them.C%Fasten it to the front of Aaron's turban with a blue cord,S!$On a narrow strip of pure gold engrave the words: "Dedicated to the LORD." ;#If Aaron wears these clothes when he enters the holy place as my high priest, the sound of the bells will be heard, and his life will not be in danger.1"(SEE 28:33)zo!Along the hem of the robe weave pomegranates of blue, purple, and red wool with a gold bell between each of them.}u with an opening in the center for his head. Be sure to bind the material around the collar to keep it from raveling.:qUnder his vest Aaron must wear a robe of blue woollSHe must also wear on his breastpiece the two small objects that he uses to receive answers from me.)MIn this way Aaron will have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on his heart each time he enters the holy place, and I will never forget my people. Then take a blue cord and tie the two lower rings on the breastpiece to those on the vest. This will keep the breastpiece in place.Rand two more near the bottom of the shoulder straps right above the sash.QAttach two other gold rings to the lower inside corners next to the vest1(SEE 28:22)1(SEE 28:22) 1(SEE 28:22)" ?Attach two gold rings to the upper front corners of the breastpiece and fasten them with two braided gold chains to gold settings on the shoulder straps.T #and engrave on each of them the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.i Mand in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount the stones in delicate gold settings> yin the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;Ain the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;q]with four rows of three precious stones: In the first row put a carnelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald;8mIt is to be nine inches square and folded double}uFrom the same costly material make a breastpiece for the high priest to use in learning what I want my people to do.1(SEE 28:13)nW Attach two gold settings to the shoulder straps and fasten them with two braided chains of pure gold./ (SEE 28:9)/ (SEE 28:9)/ (SEE 28:9)  Put two onyx stones in gold settings, then attach one to each of the shoulder straps. On one of these stones engrave the names of Israel's first six sons in the order of their birth. And do the same with his remaining six sons on the other stone. In this way Aaron will always carry the names of the tribes of Israel when he enters the holy place, and I will never forget my people.~/(SEE 28:6)}/(SEE 28:6)a|=The entire priestly vest must be made of fine linen skillfully woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and decorated with gold. It is to have two shoulder straps to support it and a sash that fastens around the waist.r{_Only gold and fine linen, woven with blue, purple, and red wool, are to be used for making these clothes.ezEHere are the items that need to be made: a breastpiece, a priestly vest, a robe, an embroidered shirt, a turban, and a sash. These sacred clothes are to be made for your brother Aaron and his sons who will be my priests. yAaron is to be dedicated as my high priest, and his clothes must be made only by persons who possess skills that I have given them.LxMake Aaron some beautiful clothes that are worthy of a high priest.w -Send for your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. They are the ones I have chosen from Israel to serve as my priests.vin front of the curtain that separates the holy place from the most holy place, where the sacred chest is kept. Aaron and his sons are responsible for keeping the lamp burning every night in the sacred tent. The Israelites must always obey this command.tucCommand the people of Israel to supply you with the purest olive oil. Do this so the lamp will keep burningt5The rest of the equipment for the sacred tent must be made of bronze, including the pegs for the tent and for the curtain surrounding the courtyard.s1(SEE 27:17)r+The curtains that surround the courtyard must be two and a half yards high and are to be hung from the bronze posts with silver hooks and rods.,qSUse four more of these posts for the entrance way, then hang on them an embroidered curtain of fine linen ten yards long and woven with blue, purple, and red wool.p/(SEE 27:9)o/(SEE 27:9)n/ (SEE 27:9)m/ (SEE 27:9)l/ (SEE 27:9)k/ (SEE 27:9)cjA Surround the sacred tent with a courtyard one hundred fifty feet long on the south and north and seventy-five feet wide on the east and west. Use twenty bronze posts on bronze stands for the south and north and ten for the west. Then hang a curtain of fine linen on the posts along each of these three sides by using silver hooks and rods. Place three bronze posts on each side of the entrance at the east and hang a curtain seven and a half yards wide on each set of posts.ai=Construct the altar in the shape of an open box, just as you were shown on the mountain.h/(SEE 27:6)ggICover two acacia wood poles with bronze and put them through the rings for carrying the altar.f/(SEE 27:4)LeMidway up the altar build a ledge around it, and cover the bottom half of the altar with a decorative bronze grating. Then attach a bronze ring beneath the ledge at the four corners of the altar.'dIAll the equipment for the altar must also be made of bronze--the pans for the hot ashes, the shovels, the sprinkling bowls, the meat forks, and the fire pans.cand make each of the four top corners stick up like the horn of a bull. Then cover the whole altar with bronze, including the four horns.eb GUse acacia wood to build an altar seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high,a%Cover five acacia wood posts with gold and set them each on a bronze stand. Then put gold hooks on the posts and hang the curtain there. `$For the entrance to the tent, use a piece of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with fancy needlework.u_e#Outside the curtain put the table for the sacred bread on the right side and the gold lampstand on the left.j^O"Inside the most holy place, you must put the sacred chest that has the place of mercy on its lid.]1!(SEE 26:31)\1 (SEE 26:31)@[{Make a curtain to separate the holy place from the most holy place. Use fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and embroidered with figures of winged creatures. Cover four acacia wood posts with gold and set them each on a silver stand. Then fasten gold hooks to the posts and hang the curtain there.FZThen set up the tent in the way I showed you on the mountain.wYiCover the frames and the crossbars with gold and attach gold rings to the frames to run the crossbars through.FXwith the center crossbar running the full length of the wall.W1(SEE 26:26):VqMake five crossbars for each of the wooden frames,aU=Altogether, this back wall will have eight frames with two silver stands under each one.T1(SEE 26:23)Swith two more at the southwest and northwest corners. Make certain that these corner frames are joined from top to bottom.(SEE 26:18)P1(SEE 26:18)O1(SEE 26:18)NNPlace two silver stands under each frame with sockets for the pegs, so the frames can be joined together. Twenty of these frames are to be used along the south side and twenty more along the north.-MWwith two wooden pegs near the bottom.KLEach frame is to be fifteen feet high and twenty-seven inches wideKKBuild a framework of acacia wood for the walls of the sacred tent.^J7Make two more coverings--one with ram skins dyed red and the other with fine leather.I1 (SEE 26:12)*HO The panel of goat hair will be a yard longer than the tent itself, so fold half a yard of the material behind the tent and on each side as a protective covering.HG  and fasten the two panels at the loops with fifty bronze hooks.CF Put fifty loops along one of the wider sides of each panel3Ea Sew five of the sections together to make one panel. Then sew the other six together to make a second panel, and fold the sixth section double over the front of the tent.D/(SEE 26:7)nCWAs the material for the tent, use goat hair to weave eleven sections fifteen yards by two yards each.B/(SEE 26:4)A/(SEE 26:4)@%Put fifty loops of blue cloth along one of the wider sides of each curtain, then fasten the two curtains at the loops with fifty gold hooks.I? and sew them together into two curtains with five sections each.>>yMake each piece fourteen yards long and two yards wide<= uFurnish the sacred tent with curtains made from ten pieces of the finest linen. They must be woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with figures of winged creatures.U<%(and they must be made according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain.W;)'The lampstand and its equipment will require seventy-five pounds of pure gold,V:'&The tongs and trays for taking care of the lamps are to be made of pure gold. 9%The lamp on the top and those at the end of each of its six branches must be made so as to shine toward the front of the lampstand.~8w$The lampstand, including its branches and decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered pure gold.Z7/#There must also be a blossom where each pair of branches comes out from the stem.67"and four on the stem.H5 !There are to be three decorative almond blossoms on each branch54g with three branches on each of its two sides.3Make a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered gold21(SEE 25:29)T1#The table is to be kept in the holy place, and the sacred loaves of bread must always be put on it. All bowls, plates, jars, and cups for wine offerings are to be made of pure gold and set on this table.01(SEE 25:27)/#near the edging. The poles for carrying the table are to be placed through these rings and are to be made of acacia wood covered with gold.?.{Make four gold rings and attach one to each of the legs-1(SEE 25:24)a,=Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it with a border three inches wide.p+[Make a table of acacia wood thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.w*iI will meet you there between the two creatures and tell you what my people must do and what they must not do.p)[Inside it place the two flat stones with the Ten Commandments and put the gold lid on top of the chest.S(!The creatures must face each other with their wings spread over the chest.'1(SEE 25:18)o&YThen hammer out two winged creatures of pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends of the chest.2%aCover the lid of the chest with pure gold.d$CWhen I give you the Ten Commandments written on two flat stones, put them inside the chest.3#cDon't ever remove the poles from the rings.R"and put them through the rings, so the chest can be carried by the poles.;!s Make two poles of acacia wood. Cover them with gold[ 1 Make four gold rings and fasten one of them to each of the four legs of the chest.U% Cover it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the lid.  Tell the people to build a chest of acacia wood forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.N Make it and its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.T#I also want them to build a special place where I can live among my people.@}and onyx stones for the sacred vest and the breastpiece.}uolive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices to mix with the oil for dedicating the tent and ordaining the priests;4etanned ram skins; fine leather; acacia wood;:qblue, purple, and red wool; fine linen; goat hair;MHere is a list of what you are to collect: Gold, silver, and bronze;Z/Tell everyone in Israel who wants to give gifts that they must bring them to you. ;The LORD said to Moses:1(SEE 24:17)Moses did so and stayed there forty days and nights. To the people, the LORD's glory looked like a blazing fire on top of the mountain.5eand the bright glory of the LORD came down and stayed there. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the LORD told Moses to come into the cloud.>yWhen Moses went up on Mount Sinai, a cloud covered it,-Moses had told the leaders, "Wait here until we come back. Aaron and Hur will be with you, and they can settle any arguments while we are away."gI Moses and Joshua his assistant got ready, then Moses started up the mountain to meet with God.4c The LORD said to Moses, "Come up on the mountain and stay here for a while. I will give you the two flat stones on which I have written the laws that my people must obey."d C Even though these leaders of Israel saw God, he did not punish them. So they ate and drank. ! and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something that looked like a pavement made out of sapphire, and it was as bright as the sky.e E Moses and Aaron, together with Nadab and Abihu and the seventy leaders, went up the mountain -Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people. Next, he told them, "With this blood the LORD makes his agreement with you." Then he read aloud the LORD's commands and promises, and the people shouted, "We will obey the LORD and do everything he has commanded!"eEMoses put half of the blood from the animals into bowls and sprinkled the rest on the altar.oYHe also sent some young men to burn offerings and to sacrifice bulls as special offerings to the LORD.KThen Moses wrote down what the LORD had said. The next morning Moses got up early. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up a large stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.}uMoses gave the LORD's instructions to the people, and they promised, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded!"Abut you are to come near. Don't let anyone else come up."A The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on this mountain. Bring along Aaron, as well as his two sons Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's leaders. They must worship me at a distance,p[!Don't let them stay in your land. They will trap you into sinning against me and worshiping their gods.K But you must not make any agreements with them or with their gods.[1I will see that your borders reach from the Red Sea to the Euphrates River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert. I will let you defeat the people who live there, and you will force them out of the land. Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.}~uBut I won't do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere.Q}I will make the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites panic as you approach.d|CI will terrify those nations and make your enemies so confused that they will run from you.\{3Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.pz[Worship only me, the LORD your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong.wyiDon't worship their gods or follow their customs. Instead, destroy their idols and shatter their stone images.xMy angel will lead you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.NwIf you faithfully obey him, I will be a fierce enemy of your enemies.vyCarefully obey everything the angel says, because I am giving him complete authority, and he won't tolerate rebellion.au=I am sending an angel to protect you and to lead you into the land I have ready for you.tEach year bring the best part of your first harvest to the place of worship. Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.sDo not offer bread made with yeast when you sacrifice an animal to me. And make sure that the fat of the animal is burned that same day.MrYour men must come to these three festivals each year to worship me.&qGCelebrate the Harvest Festival each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters each autumn when you pick your fruit. p Celebrate the Festival of Thin Bread by eating bread made without yeast, just as I have commanded. Do this at the proper time during the month of Abib, because it is the month when you left Egypt. And make certain that everyone brings the proper offerings.8omCelebrate three festivals each year in my honor.qn] Make certain that you obey everything I have said. Don't pray to other gods or even mention their names.Cm Work the first six days of the week, but rest and relax on the seventh day. This law is not only for you, but for your oxen, donkeys, and slaves, as well as for any foreigners among you.mlU but let the land rest during the seventh year. The poor are to eat what they want from your fields, vineyards, and olive trees during that year, and when they have all they want from your fields, leave the rest for wild animals.3kc Plant and harvest your crops for six years,_j9 Don't mistreat foreigners. You were foreigners in Egypt, and you know what it is like.RiDon't accept bribes. Judges are blinded and justice is twisted by bribes.yhmDon't bring false charges against anyone or sentence an innocent person to death. I won't forgive you if you do.AgMake sure that the poor are given equal justice in court.f If a donkey is overloaded and falls down, you must do what you can to help, even if it belongs to someone who doesn't like you.}euIf you find an ox or a donkey that has wandered off, take it back where it belongs, even if the owner is your enemy.?d{And don't favor the poor, simply because they are poor.mcUAlways tell the truth in court, even if everyone else is dishonest and stands in the way of justice.Pb Don't spread harmful rumors or help a criminal by giving false evidence.a!You are my chosen people, so don't eat the meat of any of your livestock that was killed by a wild animal. Instead, feed the meat to dogs.`9and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Let the animals stay with their mothers for seven days, then on the eighth day give them to me, your God.u_eDon't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me. Dedicate to me your first-born sons>^yDon't speak evil of me or of the ruler of your people.]3because that is the only cover the poor have when they sleep at night. I am a merciful God, and when they call out to me, I will come to help them.M\Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan,W[)Don't charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need.}ZuIn fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.OYIf you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue.*XQDo not mistreat widows or orphans.hWKDo not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.NVDeath is the punishment for offering sacrifices to any god except me.>UyDeath is the punishment for having sex with an animal./T[Death is the punishment for witchcraft.`S;But if her father refuses to let her marry the man, the bride price must still be paid.R)Suppose a young woman has never been married and isn't engaged. If a man talks her into having sex, he must pay the bride price and marry her.EQBut if something happens to the animal while the owner is present, you do not have to replace it. If you had leased the animal, the money you paid the owner will cover any harm done to it. PSuppose you borrow an animal from a neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while the neighbor isn't around. Then you must replace it.O5 If the animal was attacked and killed by a wild animal, and you can show the remains of the dead animal to its owner, you do not have to replace it.NN But if the animal was stolen while in your care, you must replace it.M If you swear with me as your witness that you did not harm the animal, you do not have to replace it. Your word is enough.9Lm Suppose a neighbor who is going to be away asks you to keep a donkey or an ox or a sheep or some other animal, and it dies or gets injured or is stolen while no one is looking.4Kc Suppose two people claim to own the same ox or donkey or sheep or piece of clothing. Then the judges must decide the case, and the guilty person will pay the owner double.ZJ/But if the thief isn't caught, some judges will decide if you are the guilty one.&IGSuppose a neighbor asks you to keep some silver or other valuables, and they are stolen from your house. If the thief is caught, the thief must repay double.H+If you carelessly let a fire spread from your property to someone else's, you must pay the owner for any crops or fields destroyed by the fire.JGIf you allow any of your animals to stray from your property and graze in someone else's field or vineyard, you must repay the damage from the best part of your own harvest of grapes and grain.F/(SEE 22:2)E/(SEE 22:2) D But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double. If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder./C [If you steal an ox and slaughter or sell it, you must replace it with five oxen; if you steal a sheep and slaughter it or sell it, you must replace it with four sheep.B)$If you refuse to fence in a bull that is known to attack others, you must pay for any animal it kills, but the dead animal will belong to you.6Ag#If your bull kills someone else's, yours must be sold. Then the money from your bull and the meat from the dead bull must be divided equally between you and the other owner.?@{"You must pay for the dead animal, and it becomes yours.~?w!Suppose someone's ox or donkey is killed by falling into an open pit that you dug or left uncovered on your property.>1 If the bull kills a slave, you must pay the slave owner thirty pieces of silver for the loss of the slave, and the bull must be killed by stoning.K=This same law applies if the bull gores someone's son or daughter.Q<However, you may save your own life by paying whatever fine is demanded.M;Suppose you own a bull that has been in the habit of attacking people, but you have refused to keep it fenced in. If that bull kills someone, both you and the bull must be put to death by stoning.:!A bull that kills someone with its horns must be killed and its meat destroyed, but the owner of the bull isn't responsible for the death.T9#The same law applies if you knock out a slave's tooth--the slave goes free.`8;If you hit one of your slaves and cause the loss of an eye, the slave must be set free.:7qburn for burn, cut for cut, and bruise for bruise.D6eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,L5But if she is seriously injured, the payment will be life for life,i4MSuppose a pregnant woman suffers a miscarriage as the result of an injury caused by someone who is fighting. If she isn't badly hurt, the one who injured her must pay whatever fine her husband demands and the judges approve.13]However, if the slave lives a few days after the beating, you are not to be punished. After all, you have already lost the services of that slave who was your property.I2 Death is the punishment for beating to death any of your slaves.A1}and later has to use a stick when walking outside, you must pay for the loss of time and do what you can to help until the injury is completely healed. That's your only responsibility. U~~D}}q||@|${zzzyzy]y@xxwVw9wvvuuuu}u ttGssCrrrqqCppp_oo>o"onOllllflJkckFjbjEjiIhggGff]eddccubbCa``I___^x]]\\4[[ZiYY XWVVQUUTTzSRRzQ]QAPP]ONNNMMLL`KK8JJBIII HHGGFyEEPDDDCzBBAA@@3??>>==K<<<;::R998L77o66k544333V222k211[00090 /s...[.--A,,++?**c))X((4(''&&_&%m%=$$$2#;#""!!!j!M ?6< A}YO=oT=Hs n [ U {_C' vYe{&Seventy-five pounds of the silver were used to make each of the one hundred stands for the sacred tent and the curtain.d&Everyone who was counted paid the required amount, and there was a total of 603,550 men who were twenty years old or older.ycm&and the silver that was collected when the people were counted came to seven thousand five hundred fifty pounds.nbW&According to the official weights, the amount of gold given was two thousand two hundred nine pounds,a1&(SEE 38:21)`1&(SEE 38:21)5_e&Bezalel had worked closely with Oholiab, who was an expert at designing and engraving, and at embroidering blue, purple, and red wool. The two of them completed the work that the LORD had commanded. Moses made Aaron's son Ithamar responsible for keeping record of the metals used for the sacred tent.W^)&The pegs for the tent and for the curtain around the tent were made of bronze.]1&(SEE 38:18)u\e&For the entrance to the courtyard, Bezalel made a curtain ten yards long, which he hung on four bronze posts that were set on bronze stands. This curtain was the same height as the one for the rest of the courtyard and was made of fine linen embroidered and woven with blue, purple, and red wool. He hung the curtain on the four posts, using silver hooks and rods.[/&(SEE 38:9)Z/&(SEE 38:9)Y/&(SEE 38:9)X/&(SEE 38:9)W/& (SEE 38:9)V/& (SEE 38:9)U/& (SEE 38:9)T/& (SEE 38:9)uSe& Around the sacred tent Bezalel built a courtyard one hundred fifty feet long on the south and north and seventy-five feet wide on the east and west. He used twenty bronze posts on bronze stands for the south and north and ten for the west. Then he hung a curtain of fine linen on the posts along each of these three sides by using silver hooks and rods. He placed three bronze posts on each side of the entrance at the east and hung a curtain seven and a half yards wide on each set of posts. R &Bezalel made a large bowl and a stand out of bronze from the mirrors of the women who helped at the entrance to the sacred tent.^Q7&put them through the rings for carrying the altar, which was shaped like an open box.8Pm&He covered two acacia wood poles with bronze andgOI&Then he attached a bronze ring beneath the ledge at the four corners to put the poles through.N&Midway up the altar he built a ledge around it and covered the bottom half of the altar with a decorative bronze grating. M &The equipment for the altar was also made of bronze--the pans for the hot ashes, the shovels, the meat forks, and the fire pans.vLg&with each of its four corners sticking up like the horn of a bull, and it was completely covered with bronze.K &Bezalel built an altar of acacia wood for offering sacrifices. It was seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high\J3%Bezalel mixed the oil for dedication and the sweet-smelling spices for the incense.II %These poles were also made of acacia wood and covered with gold.H%Then below the edging on opposite sides he attached two gold rings through which he put the poles for carrying the altar.FG%He covered it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it.?Fy%For burning incense, Bezalel made an altar of acacia wood. It was eighteen inches square and thirty-six inches high with each of its four corners sticking up like the horn of a bull.E1%(SEE 37:23)xDk%The lamp and its equipment, including the tongs and trays, were made of about seventy-five pounds of pure gold.zCo%The lampstand, including its branches and decorative flowers, was made from a single piece of hammered pure gold.UB%%There was also a blossom where each pair of branches came out from the stem.A7%and four on the stem.C@%There were three decorative almond blossoms on each branch5?g%with three branches on each of its two sides.>%%Bezalel made a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, was made from a single piece of hammered gold,={%Everything that was to be set on the table was made of pure gold--the bowls, plates, jars, and cups for wine offerings.7<k%and were made of acacia wood covered with gold.Z;/%near the edging. The poles for carrying the table were placed through these ringsE:% He made four gold rings and attached one to each of the legs91% (SEE 37:11)f8G% He covered it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it with a border three inches wide.y7m% Bezalel built a table of acacia wood thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.6/% (SEE 37:7)5/%(SEE 37:7)43%On each of the two ends of the chest he made a winged creature of hammered gold. They faced each other, and their wings covered the place of mercy.d3C%The entire lid of the chest, which was also covered with pure gold, was the place of mercy.T2#%and put them through the rings, so the chest could be carried by the poles.G1 %Then he made two poles of acacia wood, covered them with gold,`0;%He made four gold rings and fastened one of them to each of the four legs of the chest.Z//%He covered it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the top.|. u%Bezalel built a chest of acacia wood forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.!-=$&They made five posts, covered them completely with gold, and set them each on a gold-covered bronze stand. Finally, they attached hooks for the curtain.,%$%For the entrance to the tent, they used a curtain of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with fancy needlework.+)$$They also made four acacia wood posts and covered them with gold. Then gold rings were fastened to the posts, which were set on silver stands. *$#They made the inside curtain of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and embroidered with figures of winged creatures.)$"The frames and crossbars were covered with gold, and gold rings were attached to the frames to run the crossbars through.(1$!(SEE 36:31)'1$ (SEE 36:31)~&w$Five crossbars were made for each of the wooden frames, with the center crossbar running the full length of the wall.k%Q$Altogether, along the back wall there were eight frames with two silver stands under each of them.$1$(SEE 36:28)r#_$with two more at the southwest and northwest corners. These corner frames were joined from top to bottom.C"$Six frames were used for the back wall along the west side!1$(SEE 36:22) 1$(SEE 36:22)1$(SEE 36:22)1$(SEE 36:22)vg$with two wooden pegs near the bottom. Then two silver stands were placed under each frame with sockets for the pegs, so they could be joined together. Twenty of these frames were used along the south side and twenty more along the north.F$Each frame was fifteen feet high and twenty-seven inches wideV'$Acacia wood was used to build the framework for the walls of the sacred tent.dC$Two other coverings were made--one with fine leather and the other with ram skins dyed red.O$and the two panels were fastened at the loops with fifty bronze hooks.I $Fifty loops were put along one of the wider sides of each panel,mU$These eleven sections were joined to make two panels, one with five and the other with six sections.1$(SEE 36:14)sa$As the material for the tent, goat hair was used to weave eleven sections fifteen yards by two yards each.1$ (SEE 36:11)1$ (SEE 36:11).W$ Then fifty loops of blue cloth were put along one of the wider sides of each curtain, and the two curtains were fastened together at the loops with fifty gold hooks.P$ and they were sewn together to make two curtains with five panels each./$ (SEE 36:8)sa$The skilled workers got together to make the sacred tent and its linen curtains woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with figures of winged creatures. Each of the ten panels was fourteen yards long and two yards wide,M$But there was already more than enough to do what needed to be done.H  $So Moses sent word for the people to stop giving, and they did.m U$and said, "Moses, there is already more money than we need for what the LORD has assigned us to do."- W$that finally everyone stopped working! =$and he gave them the money that the people of Israel had donated for building the place of worship. In fact, so much money was being given each morning,J $Then Moses brought together these workers who were eager to work, 3$The LORD has given to Bezalel, Oholiab, and others the skills needed for building a place of worship, and they will follow the LORD's instructions.#A##And he has given them all kinds of artistic skills, including the ability to design and embroider with blue, purple, and red wool and to weave fine linen.R#"The LORD is urging him and Oholiab from the tribe of Dan to teach others.1#!(SEE 35:31)1# (SEE 35:31)A}#Not only has the LORD filled him with his Spirit, but he has given him wisdom and made him a skilled craftsman who can create objects of art with gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood.\3#Moses said to the people of Israel: The LORD has chosen Bezalel of the Judah tribe.r_#Moses had told the people what the LORD wanted them to do, and many of them decided to bring their gifts.#They also brought sweet-smelling spices to be mixed with the incense and olive oil that were for the lamps and for ordaining the priests.}#The leaders brought different kinds of jewels to be sewn on the special clothes and the breastpiece for the high priest.T~##And the women who knew how to make cloth from goat hair were glad to do so.z}o#The women who were good at weaving cloth brought the blue, purple, and red wool and the fine linen they had made.Y|-#Anyone who had silver or bronze or acacia wood brought it as a gift to the LORD.,{S#Everyone brought their blue, purple, and red wool, their fine linen, and their cloth made of goat hair, as well as their ram skins dyed red and their fine leather.vzg#Men and women came willingly and gave all kinds of gold jewelry such as pins, earrings, rings, and necklaces.y)#Then those who wanted to bring gifts to the LORD, brought them to be used for the sacred tent, the worship services, and the priestly clothes.3xc#Moses finished speaking, and everyone left.Fw#and the finely woven priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons.:vq#the pegs and ropes for the tent and the courtyard;Mu#the curtains with the posts and stands that go around the courtyard;t #the altar for sacrifices with its bronze grating, its carrying poles, and its equipment; the large bronze bowl with its stand;s!#the incense altar with its carrying poles and sweet-smelling incense; the ordination oil; the curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent;,rU#the lamp with its equipment and oil;Hq # the table with all that goes on it, including the sacred bread;fpG# the sacred chest with its carrying poles, its place of mercy, and the curtain in front of it;koQ# the sacred tent with its covering and hooks, its framework and crossbars, and its post and stands;Xn+# If you have any skills, you should use them to help make what I have commanded:Gm # onyx stones or other gems for the sacred vest and breastpiece.hlK#olive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices for the oil of dedication and for the incense; or5kg#tanned ram skin or fine leather; acacia wood;9jo#blue, purple, or red wool; fine linen; goat hair;tic#I would welcome an offering from anyone who wants to give something. You may bring gold, silver, or bronze;?h{#Moses told the people of Israel that the LORD had said:?g{#Don't even build a cooking fire at home on the Sabbath.1f]#You have six days in which to do your work. But the seventh day must be dedicated to me, your LORD, as a day of rest. Whoever works on the Sabbath will be put to death.Xe -#Moses called together the people of Israel and told them that the LORD had said:Hw"I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren."%GE"Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, "I am the LORD God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted.}Fu"The LORD God came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses there on the mountain. God spoke his holy name, "the LORD." E;"So Moses cut two flat stones like the first ones, and early the next morning he carried them to the top of Mount Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded. D"No one is to come with you or to be on the mountain at all. Don't even let the sheep and cattle graze at the foot of the mountain."QC"Be ready tomorrow morning to come up Mount Sinai and meet me at the top.'B K"One day the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two flat stones like the first ones I made, and I will write on them the same commandments that were on the two you broke.[A1!Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. You will not see my face."@?!and before I pass by in all of my shining glory, I will put you in a large crack in the rock. I will cover your eyes with my hand until I have passed by.9?o!There is a rock not far from me. Stand beside it,S>!!but I won't let you see my face, because anyone who sees my face will die.=/!The LORD answered: All right. I am the LORD, and I show mercy and kindness to anyone I choose. I will let you see my glory and hear my holy name,U<%!Then Moses said, "I pray that you will let me see you in all of your glory."s;a!So the LORD told him, "I will do what you have asked, because I am your friend and I am pleased with you.".:W!But if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth."a9=!Then Moses replied, "If you aren't going with us, please don't make us leave this place.?8{!The LORD said, "I will go with you and give you peace.")7M! If this is true, let me know what your plans are, then I can obey and continue to please you. And don't forget that you have chosen this nation to be your own."l6S! Moses said to the LORD, "I know that you have told me to lead these people to the land you promised them. But you have not told me who my assistant will be. You have said that you are my friend and that you are pleased with me.5/! (SEE 33:9)4/! (SEE 33:9)3{! Then they would bow down because a thick cloud would come down in front of the tent, and the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, just like a friend. Afterwards, Moses would return to camp, but his young assistant Joshua would stay at the tent.{2q!Each time Moses went out to the tent, everyone would stand at the entrance to their own tents and watch him enter.1!Moses used to set up a tent far from camp. He called it the "meeting tent," and whoever needed some message from the LORD would go there.K0!and after leaving Mount Sinai, they stopped wearing fancy jewelry.//!(SEE 33:4).-!Even before the LORD said these harsh things, he had told Moses, "These people really are rebellious, and I would kill them at once, if I went with them. But tell them to take off their fancy jewelry, then I'll decide what to do with them." So the people started mourning,-/!(SEE 33:2)5,e!It is a land rich with milk and honey, and I will send an angel to force out those people who live there--the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I would go with my people, but they are so rebellious that I would destroy them before they get there.'+ K!The LORD said to Moses: You led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Now get ready to lead them to the land I promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.w*i #So the LORD punished the people of Israel with a terrible disease for talking Aaron into making the gold idol.) "Now take my people to the place I told you about, and my angel will lead you. But when the time comes, I will punish them for this sin."f(G !The LORD replied, "I will wipe out of my book the name of everyone who has sinned against me.\'3 But I beg you to forgive them. If you don't, please wipe my name out of your book."& Moses returned to the LORD and said, "The people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a gold idol to be their god.@%{ The next day Moses told the people, "This is a terrible thing you have done. But I will go back to the LORD to see if I can do something to keep this sin from being held against you."~$w Moses said to them, "You obeyed the LORD and did what was right, and so you will serve as his priests for the people of Israel. It was hard for you to kill your own sons and brothers, but the LORD has blessed you and made you his priests today."j#O The men of the Levi tribe followed his orders, and that day they killed about three thousand men.."W and he said to them, "The LORD God of Israel commands you to strap on your swords and go through the camp, killing your relatives, your friends, and your neighbors."'!I So Moses stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, "Everyone who is on the LORD's side come over here!" Then the men of the Levi tribe gathered around Moses, 1 Moses knew that the people were out of control and that it was Aaron's fault. And now they had made fools of themselves in front of their enemies.- Then I asked them to bring me their gold earrings. They took them off and gave them to me. I threw the gold into a fire, and out came this bull.  They even told me, "That man Moses led us out of Egypt, but now we don't know what has happened to him. Make us a god to lead us."nW Aaron answered: Don't be angry with me. You know as well as I do that they are determined to do evil.sa Moses asked Aaron, "What did these people do to harm you? Why did you make them sin in this terrible way?" He melted the idol the people had made, and he ground it into powder. He scattered it in their water and made them drink it.P As Moses got closer to the camp, he saw the idol, and he also saw the people dancing around. This made him so angry that he threw down the stones and broke them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. But Moses replied, "It doesn't sound like they are shouting because they have won or lost a battle. They are singing wildly!"zo When Joshua heard the noisy shouts of the people, he said to Moses, "A battle must be going on down in the camp."1 (SEE 32:15))M Moses went back down the mountain with the two flat stones on which God had written all of his laws with his own hand, and he had used both sides of the stones.mU So even though the LORD had threatened to destroy the people, he changed his mind and let them live.J Remember the solemn promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised that someday they would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and that you would give them land.8k If you do, the Egyptians will say that you brought your people out here into the mountains just to get rid of them. Please don't be angry with your people. Don't destroy them!.W Moses tried to get the LORD God to change his mind: Our LORD, you used your mighty power to bring these people out of Egypt. Now don't become angry and destroy them.}u and I'm angry enough to destroy them, so don't try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation.9o Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are,W) They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt.jO The LORD said to Moses: Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools.M  The people got up early the next morning and killed some animals to be used for sacrifices and others to be eaten. Then everyone ate and drank so much that they began to carry on like wild people.  When Aaron saw what was happening, he built an altar in front of the idol and said, "Tomorrow we will celebrate in honor of the LORD." 7 then he melted them and made an idol in the shape of a young bull. All the people said to one another, "This is the god who brought us out of Egypt!"E  Everybody took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron,j O Aaron told them, "Bring me the gold earrings that your wives and sons and daughters are wearing."r a After the people saw that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time, they went to Aaron and said, "Make us an image of a god who will lead and protect us. Moses brought us out of Egypt, but nobody knows what has happened to him."1When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two flat stones on which he had written all of his laws with his own hand.5eThis day will always serve as a reminder, both to me and to the Israelites, that I made the heavens and the earth in six days, then on the seventh day I rested and relaxed.@}Every generation of Israelites must respect the Sabbath.1(SEE 31:14)`;Keep the Sabbath holy. You have six days to do your work, but the Sabbath is mine, and it must remain a day of rest. If you work on the Sabbath, you will no longer be part of my people, and you will be put to death.1 (SEE 31:12)cA Moses told the Israelites that the LORD had said: The Sabbath belongs to me. Now I command you and your descendants to always obey the laws of the Sabbath. By doing this, you will know that I have chosen you as my own./ (SEE 31:7)/ (SEE 31:7)~/ (SEE 31:7)}/(SEE 31:7)|the sacred tent with its furnishings, the sacred chest with its place of mercy, the table with all that is on it, the lamp with its equipment, the incense altar, the altar for sacrifices with its equipment, the bronze bowl with its stand, the beautiful priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons, the oil for dedication and ordination services, and the sweet-smelling incense for the holy place.3{aI have appointed Oholiab from the tribe of Dan to work with him, and I have also given skills to those who will help them make everything exactly as I have commanded you:z/(SEE 31:3)y/(SEE 31:3):xoNot only have I filled him with my Spirit, but I have given him wisdom and made him a skilled craftsman who can create objects of art with gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood.`w;I have chosen Bezalel from the Judah tribe to make the sacred tent and its furnishings.v ;The LORD said to Moses:^u7&If you ever make any of it to use as perfume, you will no longer belong to my people._t9%It is truly holy because it is dedicated to me, so don't ever make any for yourselves. s;$Pound some of it into powder and sprinkle it in front of the sacred chest, where I meet with you. Be sure to treat this incense as something very holy.r1#(SEE 30:34)q"Mix equal amounts of the costly spices stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, then add salt to make the mixture pure and holy.Dp!If you do, you will no longer belong to the LORD's people."`o; So treat it as holy! Don't ever use it for everyday purposes or mix any for yourselves.n7and say to the people of Israel: "This oil must always be used in the ordination service of a priest. It is holy because it is dedicated to the LORD._m9When you ordain Aaron and his sons as my priests, sprinkle them with some of this oil,wliBy dedicating them in this way, you will make them so holy that anyone who even touches them will become holy.Ekthe altar for sacrifices, and the large bowl with its stand.qj]the table with its equipment, the lampstand with its equipment, the incense altar with all its utensils,*iQfor dedicating the tent and chest,h1(SEE 30:23)g1(SEE 30:23)ufeMix a gallon of olive oil with the following costly spices: twelve pounds of myrrh, six pounds of cinnamon, six pounds of cane, and twelve pounds of cassia. Measure these according to the official standards. Then use this sacred mixturee;The LORD said to Moses:d1(SEE 30:18)c1(SEE 30:18)b1(SEE 30:18)KaMake a large bronze bowl and a bronze stand for it. Then put them between the altar for sacrifice and the sacred tent, so the priests can wash their hands and feet before entering the tent or offering a sacrifice on the altar. Each priest in every generation must wash himself in this way, or else he will die right there.`;The LORD said to Moses:v_gThis money is to be used for the upkeep of the sacred tent, and because of it, I will never forget my people.^1(SEE 30:13)]1(SEE 30:13) \  Each man over nineteen, whether rich or poor, must pay me the same amount of money, weighed according to the official standards.[% Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them.Z; The LORD said to Moses:YY- Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing on its four corners the blood of an animal sacrificed for sin, and this practice must always be followed. The altar is sacred because it is dedicated to me.X} Burn only the proper incense on the altar and never use it for grain sacrifices or animal sacrifices or drink offerings.W/(SEE 30:7)V}From now on, when Aaron tends the lamp each morning and evening, he must burn sweet-smelling incense to me on the altar.(UKPut the altar in front of the inside curtain of the sacred tent. The chest with the place of mercy is kept behind that curtain, and I will talk with you there.JTThese poles are also to be made of acacia wood covered with gold.SThen below the edging on opposite sides attach two gold rings through which you can put the poles for carrying the altar.@R}Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it.Q Make it eighteen inches square and thirty-six inches high, and make each of its four corners stick up like the horn of a bull.@P Build an altar of acacia wood where you can burn incense.{Oq.and you will know that I am the LORD your God, the one who rescued you from Egypt, so that I could live among you.*NQ-I will live among you as your God,  D~~}U||p|{{zzpz:yy{y4xxdwwwwcwvuuu9tntQt4sBs%srrGqqJpppaponnkn"mmmhm2llLkkzkjjIiiiihhhRh ggg?feee[e%dddccEbbuaaa ```F_]]]]@\\s\![F[,ZZY7YXXWWVyULTSSnS RRQpQPOOONNMrLLsLKhKJJII}IHHGGFFTF7EE DDTCCBAAA @@???,>=<<<<[;;@:9998766Y55Y4z333 22(100'/..-W,+n+R*)K)/)(''''b&s&X%@%%$n##&""G!F V4lOPZFgZ#i / / w3&Tr# He also poured some of the oil on Aaron's head to dedicate him to the LORD.q He sprinkled the bronze altar seven times, and he sprinkled its equipment, as well as the large bronze bowl and its base.p Moses then dedicated the sacred tent and everything in it to the LORD by sprinkling them with some of the oil for ordination.o+ He placed the turban on Aaron's head, and on the front of the turban was the narrow strip of thin gold as a sign of his dedication to the LORD.vngNext, he put on Aaron the sacred breastpiece that was used in learning what the LORD wanted his people to do.,mSHe put the priestly shirt and robe on Aaron and wrapped the sash around his waist. Then he put the sacred vest on Aaron and fastened it with the finely woven belt.Zl/After Moses told Aaron and his sons to step forward, he had them wash themselves.Akhe said, "We are here to follow the LORD's instructions."DjMoses obeyed the LORD, and when everyone had come together,^i7Then bring the whole community of Israel together at the entrance to the sacred tent.7hiSend for Aaron and his sons, as well as their priestly clothes, the oil for ordination, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and a basket of bread made without yeast.g ;The LORD said to Moses: f&While Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert at Mount Sinai, the LORD commanded them to start offering these sacrifices. e%These are the ceremonies for sacrifices to please the LORD, to give him thanks, and to ask his blessing or his forgiveness, as well as the ceremonies for those sacrifices that demand a payment and for the sacrifices that are offered when priests are ordained.2da$This law will never change. I am the LORD!6ci#who have been ordained as priests to serve me.b!"I have decided that the people of Israel must always give the choice ribs and the upper joint of the right hind leg to Aaron's descendantsa/!(SEE 7:32)p`[ The upper joint of the right hind leg is for the priest who offers the blood and the fat of the animal.m_UA priest from Aaron's family will then send the fat up in smoke, but the ribs belong to the priests.^/(SEE 7:29) ]to say to the people of Israel: If you want to offer a sacrifice to ask my blessing, you must bring the part to be burned and lay it on the bronze altar. But you must first lift up the choice ribs with their fat to show that the offering is dedicated to me. \=The LORD also told Moses@[}or you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.XZ+And no matter where you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal,YIf you eat the fat of an animal that can be used as a sacrifice to me, you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.vXgIf one of your animals dies or is killed by some wild animal, you may do anything with its fat except eat it.LWto say to the people: Don't eat the fat of cattle, sheep, or goats.V3The LORD told MosesU/(SEE 7:20)WT)But don't eat any of this meat if you have become unclean by touching something unclean from a human or an animal or from any other creature. If you do, you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.#SADon't eat any of the meat that touches something unclean. Instead, burn it. The rest of the meat may be eaten by anyone who is clean and acceptable to me.R/(SEE 7:17)2Q_but any that is left must be destroyed. If you eat any after the second day, your sacrifice will be useless and unacceptable, and you will be both disgusting and guilty.6PgIt is different with the sacrifices you offer when you make me a promise or voluntarily give me something. The meat from those sacrifices may be kept and eaten the next day,O When you offer an animal to ask a blessing from me or to thank me, the meat belongs to you, but it must be eaten the same day.(NKGive me one loaf or wafer from each of these four kinds of bread, after which they will belong to the priest who splattered the blood against the bronze altar.1M_ You must also make some bread with yeast.yLm If you offer it to give thanks, you must offer some bread together with it. Use the finest flour to make three kinds of bread without yeast--two in the form of loaves mixed with olive oil and one in the form of thin wafers brushed with oil.OK Here are the instructions for offering a sacrifice to ask my blessing:J All other grain sacrifices--with or without olive oil in them--are to be divided equally among the priests of Aaron's family.LI just as he may eat the bread from a sacrifice to give thanks to me.aH=In fact, the priest who offers a sacrifice to please me may keep the skin of the animal,$GCThe ceremony for this sacrifice and the one for sin are just alike, and the meat may be eaten only by the priest who performs this ceremony of forgiveness.F{This sacrifice for making things right is very holy. Only the priests may eat it, and they must eat it in a holy place._E9One of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke to me.SD!as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat.YC-Offer all of the animal's fat, including the fat on its tail and on its insides,6BgThe animal must be killed in the same place where the sacrifice to please me is killed, and the animal's blood must be splattered against the four sides of the bronze altar.9A qThe sacrifice to make things right is very sacred.%@ENone of the meat may be eaten from the sacrifices for sin that require blood to be brought into the sacred tent. These sacrifices must be completely burned.S?!This sacrifice is very holy, and only the priests may have any part of it.>9If the meat was cooked in a clay pot, the pot must be destroyed, but if it was cooked in a bronze pot, the pot must be scrubbed and rinsed with water.1=]and anyone or anything that touches the meat will be holy. If any of the animal's blood is splattered on the clothes of the priest, they must be washed in a holy place.e<EThe priest who offers this sacrifice must eat it in the sacred courtyard of the sacred tent,D;how the priests from Aaron's family were to offer the sacrifice for sin: This sacrifice is very sacred, and the animal must be killed in my presence at the north side of the bronze altar.:3The LORD told Moses9/(SEE 6:22)48cEach of Aaron's descendants who is ordained as a priest must perform this ceremony and make sure that the bread is completely burned on the altar. None of it may be eaten!79mixed with olive oil and cooked in a shallow pan. The bread must then be crumbled into small pieces and sent up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.D6and told him what sacrifices the priests must offer on the morning and evening of the day they are ordained: It is the same as the regular morning and evening sacrifices--a pound of flour5;The LORD spoke to Moses*4OOnly the men in Aaron's family are allowed to eat this bread, and they must go through a ceremony to be made holy before touching it. This law will never change.3/(SEE 6:16)"2?The rest of it is to be baked without yeast and eaten by the priests in the sacred courtyard of the sacred tent. This bread is very holy, just like the sacrifices for sin or for making things right, and I have given this part to the priests from what is offered to me on the altar.}1uwhere one of them will scoop up a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense on it. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, he will lay all of this on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.0When someone offers a sacrifice to give thanks to me, the priests from Aaron's family must bring it to the front of the bronze altar,J/ The altar fire must always be kept burning--it must never go out.Q. The fire must never go out, so put wood on it each morning. After this, you are to lay an animal on the altar next to the fat that you sacrifice to ask my blessing. Then send it all up in smoke to me.p-[ Change into your everyday clothes, take the ashes outside the camp, and pile them in the special place.3,a The next morning you will dress in your priestly clothes, including your linen underwear. Then clean away the ashes left by the sacrifices and pile them beside the altar.+- (SEE 6:8)*#The LORD told Moses to tell Aaron and his sons how to offer the daily sacrifices that are sent up in smoke to please the LORD: You must put the animal for the sacrifice on the altar in the evening and let it stay there all night. But make sure the fire keeps burning.)-(SEE 6:6)k(QIn addition, you must either bring to the priest a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay him for one. The priest will then offer it as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven for what you did wrong.3'cand pay the owner a fine of twenty percent.F&When this happens, you must return what doesn't belong to you%-(SEE 6:1)$-(SEE 6:1)x# mThe LORD told Moses what the people must do when they commit other sins against the LORD: You have sinned if you rob or cheat someone, if you keep back money or valuables left in your care, or if you find something and claim not to have it."/(SEE 5:17)!/(SEE 5:17)O If you break any of my commands without meaning to, you are still guilty, and you can be punished. When you realize what you have done, you must either bring to the priest a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay him for one. The priest will then offer it as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven.0[In addition, you must pay what you owe plus a fine of twenty percent. Then the priest will offer the ram as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven./(SEE 5:14)'IThe LORD told Moses what the people must do to make things right when they find out they have cheated the LORD without meaning to: If this happens, you must either sacrifice a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay the price of a ram with the official money used by the priests.:o By offering this sacrifice, the priest pays the price for any of these sins you may have committed. The priest gets the rest of the flour, just as he does with grain sacrifices.3a Give the flour to a priest, who will scoop up a handful and send it up in smoke together with the other offerings. This is a reminder that all of the flour belongs to me.[1 If you are so poor that you cannot afford doves or pigeons, you may bring two pounds of your finest flour. This is a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness, so don't sprinkle olive oil or sweet-smelling incense on it.>w Then he will follow the proper rules for offering the other bird as a sacrifice to please me. You will be forgiven when the priest offers these sacrifices as the price for your sin.ue splatter some of its blood on one side of the bronze altar, and drain out the rest at the foot of the altar.%Give both birds to the priest, who will offer one as a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness. He will wring its neck without tearing off its head,NIf you are poor and cannot afford to bring an animal, you may bring two doves or two pigeons. One of these will be a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness, and the other will be a sacrifice to please me.Then you must bring a female sheep or goat to me as the price for your sin. A priest will sacrifice the animal, and you will be forgiven.p[As soon as you discover that you have committed any of these sins, you must confess what you have done.nWYou are guilty the moment you realize that you have made a hasty promise to do something good or bad.r_You are guilty if you find out that you have accidentally touched any waste that comes from a human body.wiYou are guilty and unfit to worship me, if you accidentally touch the dead body of any kind of unclean animal.| uIf you refuse to testify in court about something you saw or know has happened, you have sinned and can be punished.[1#After this, all of the fat must be removed, just as when an animal is sacrificed to ask my blessing. Then the priest will send it up in smoke to me, together with a food offering, and your sin will be forgiven.7"The priest will dip a finger in the blood, smear some of it on each of the four corners of the altar, and pour out the rest at the foot of the altar.[ 1!Lead the lamb to the altar and lay your hand on its head, before having it killed.z o If you offer a lamb instead of a goat as a sacrifice for sin, it must be a female that has nothing wrong with it. 1After this, the priest will remove all of the fat, just as he does when an animal is sacrificed to ask my blessing. The priest will then send the fat up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. This animal is sacrificed so that I will forgive you ordinary people when you sin.( KThen a priest will dip a finger in the blood; he will smear some of it on each of the four corners of the altar and pour out the rest at the foot of the altar.t cLead the goat to the north side of the bronze altar and lay your hand on its head, before having it killed.tcAs soon as you realize what you have done, you must sacrifice a female goat that has nothing wrong with it.]5When any of you ordinary people disobey me without meaning to, you are still guilty.+QThen he must send all of the fat up in smoke, just as he does when a sacrifice is offered to ask my blessing. By this sacrifice the leader's sin will be forgiven.7The priest will dip a finger in the blood, smear some of it on each of the four corners of the altar, and pour out the rest at the foot of the altar.!=This is a sacrifice for sin. So he will lay his hand on the animal's head, before having it killed in my presence at the north side of the bronze altar.saAs soon as the leader realizes what has happened, he must sacrifice a goat that has nothing wrong with it.NAny tribal leader who disobeys me without meaning to is still guilty./(SEE 4:19)/(SEE 4:19)yAfter this, the priest will remove the fat from the bull and send it up in smoke on the altar. Finally, he will burn its remains outside the camp, just as he did with the other bull. By this sacrifice the sin of the whole nation will be forgiven.K~Then, in my presence, he must smear some of the blood on each of the four corners of the incense altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the bronze altar near the entrance to the tent.s}adip a finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times toward the sacred chest behind the curtain.R|The priest will take a bowl of the animal's blood inside the sacred tent,l{Swhere your tribal leaders will lay their hands on its head, before having it killed in my presence.z%Once you realize what has happened, you must sacrifice a young bull to ask my forgiveness. Lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent,dyC When the nation of Israel disobeys me without meaning to, the whole nation is still guilty.x/ (SEE 4:11):wo The skin and flesh of the bull, together with its legs, insides, and the food still in its stomach, are to be taken outside the camp and burned on a wood fire near the ash heap.v- (SEE 4:8)u- (SEE 4:8) tThe priest will remove the fat from the bull, just as he does when he sacrifices a bull to ask my blessing. This includes the fat on the insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. He will then send it all up in smoke.KsThen, in my presence, he will smear some of the blood on each of the four corners of the incense altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the bronze altar near the entrance to the tent.sradip a finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times toward the sacred chest behind the curtain.9qoHe will take a bowl of the blood inside the tent,wpiThe priest will lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay his hand on its head, and kill it there. oWhen the high priest sins, he makes everyone else guilty too. And so, he must sacrifice a young bull that has nothing wrong with it.n+to say to the community of Israel: Offer a sacrifice to ask forgiveness when you sin by accidentally doing something I have told you not to do.m 3The LORD told MoseslSo you and your descendants must never eat any fat or any blood, not even in the privacy of your own homes. This law will never change. k;One of the priests will put these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke as a food offering with a smell that pleases me. All fat belongs to me.Sj!as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat.5igOffer all of the fat on the animal's insides,+hQ at the entrance to the sacred tent. Lay your hand on its head and have it killed there. A priest will then splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.;gs If you offer a goat, you must also present it to mesfa One of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke as a food offering for me.Se! as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat.Ad Offer the fat on the tail, the tailbone, and the insides,c Lay your hand on its head and have it killed there. A priest will then splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.\b3If you offer a sheep, you must present it to me at the entrance to the sacred tent.daCInstead of a bull or a cow, you may offer any sheep or goat that has nothing wrong with it.1`]Some of the priests will lay these pieces on the altar and send them up in smoke with a smell that pleases me, together with the sacrifice that is offered to please me.S_!as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat.5^gOffer all of the fat on the animal's insides,C]Lead it to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay your hand on its head, and have it killed there. A priest from Aaron's family will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar. \ When you offer sacrifices to ask my blessing, you may offer either a bull or a cow, but there must be nothing wrong with the animal.&[GA priest will sprinkle all of the incense and some of the grain and oil on the altar and send them up in smoke to show that the whole offering belongs to me.bZ?You must mix in some olive oil and put incense on top, because this is a grain sacrifice.Y{Freshly cut grain, either roasted or coarsely ground, must be used when you offer the first part of your grain harvest.bX? Salt is offered when you make an agreement with me, so sprinkle salt on these sacrifices.W# You may offer either of them separately, when you present the first part of your harvest to me, but they must never be burned on the altar.sVa Yeast and honey must never be burned on the altar, so don't ever mix either of these in a grain sacrifice.eUE The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.T9 Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.S-You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar.mRUIf you cook your bread in a pan with a lid on it, you must also use the finest flour mixed with oil.KQThen break the bread into small pieces and sprinkle them with oil. PIf you cook bread in a shallow pan for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour. Mix it with olive oil, but do not use any yeast.bO?If you bake bread in an oven for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour, but without any yeast. You may make the flour into a loaf mixed with olive oil, or you may make it into thin wafers and brush them with oil.eNEThe rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.)MMand take it to the priests from Aaron's family. One of them will scoop up the incense together with a handful of the flour and oil. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay this part on the bronze altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.L 3When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me, you must use only your finest flour. Put it in a dish, sprinkle olive oil and incense on the flour,K Finally, he will take the bird by its wings, tear it partially open, and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.pJ ]remove the bird's craw with what is in it, and throw them on the ash heap at the east side of the altar..I YA priest will take the bird to the bronze altar, where he will wring its neck and put its head on the fire. Then he will drain out its blood on one side of the altar,VH )If you offer a bird for this kind of sacrifice, it must be a dove or a pigeon.G / (SEE 1:12)bF A Cut up the animal and wash its insides and hind legs. A priest will put these parts on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. Then he will send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.6E i Lead the animal to the north side of the altar, where it is to be killed in my presence. Then some of the priests will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.RD ! If you sacrifice a ram or a goat, it must not have anything wrong with it.C - (SEE 1:8)WB +Wash the bull's insides and hind legs, so the priests can lay them on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. A priest will then send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.OA while the priests pile wood on the altar fire to make it start blazing.#@ ESkin the bull and cut it up,#? CAfter the bull is killed in my presence, some priests from Aaron's family will offer its blood to me by splattering it against the four sides of the altar.i> OLay your hand on its head, and I will accept the animal as a sacrifice for taking away your sins.= -(SEE 1:1)< -(SEE 1:1)A; The LORD spoke to Moses from the sacred tent and gave him instructions for the community of Israel to follow when they offered sacrifices. Sacrifices to please me must be completely burned on the bronze altar. Bulls or rams or goats are the animals to be used for these sacrifices. If the animal is a bull, it must not have anything wrong with it. Lead it to the entrance of the sacred tent, and I will let you know if it is acceptable to me.:5(&No matter where the people traveled, the LORD was with them. Each day his cloud was over the tent, and each night a fire could be seen in the cloud.J9(%then they would set up camp and stay there, until it moved again.X8+($Whenever the cloud moved from the tent, the people would break camp and follow;/7[(#And so, Moses could not enter the tent.e6E("Suddenly the sacred tent was covered by a thick cloud and filled with the glory of the LORD.A5(!Finally, Moses had the curtain hung around the courtyard.%4E( In fact, they washed each time before entering the tent or offering sacrifices at the altar. These things were done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.W3)(then Moses and Aaron, together with Aaron's sons, washed their hands and feet.s2a(The large bronze bowl was placed between the altar and the entrance to the tent. It was filled with water, 1(Then the altar for offering sacrifices was put in front of the tent, and animal sacrifices and gifts of grain were offered there.@0}(The curtain was hung at the entrance to the sacred tent.u/e(and sweet-smelling incense was burned on it. These things were done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.C.(The gold incense altar was set up in front of the curtain,N-(then the lamps were attached to it there in the presence of the LORD.3,c(The lampstand was put along the south wall,3+c(after which the bread was set on the table.W*)(The table for the sacred bread was put along the north wall of the holy place,)9(The chest was brought into the tent and set behind the curtain in the most holy place. These things were done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.-(U(The stones with the Ten Commandments written on them were stored in the sacred chest, the place of mercy was put on top of it, and the carrying poles were attached.='w(then the two layers of coverings were hung over them.;&s(The posts, stands, and framework were put in place,`%;(And on the first day of the first month of the second year, the sacred tent was set up./$[(Moses followed the LORD's instructions.b#?(and ordain them in the same way, so they and their descendants will always be my priests.."Y(Put the priestly robes on Aaron's sons~!w( Dress Aaron in the priestly clothes, then use the sacred olive oil to ordain him and dedicate him to me as my priest.\ 3( Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent and have them wash themselves.(M( and with the bowl and its stand.S!( Do the same thing with the altar for offering sacrifices and its equipmentR( Use the sacred olive oil to dedicate the tent and everything in it to me.wi(Surround the tent and the altar with the wall of curtains and hang the curtain that was made for the entrance._9(Put the large bronze bowl between the tent and the altar and fill the bowl with water.R(Set the altar for burning sacrifices in front of the entrance to my tent.zo(Then place the gold altar of incense in front of the sacred chest and hang a curtain at the entrance to the tent.(Bring in the table and set on it those things that are made for it. Also bring in the lampstand and attach the lamps to it.[1(and put the chest with the Ten Commandments behind the inside curtain of the tent.3c(Set up my tent on the first day of the year ;(The LORD said to Moses:1'+(SEE 39:42)ym'*When Moses saw that the people had done everything exactly as the LORD had commanded, he gave them his blessing.F')and the finely woven priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons. '(the curtain with its posts and cords, and its pegs and stands that go around the courtyard; everything needed for the sacred tent;''the bronze altar for sacrifices with its bronze grating, its carrying poles, and its equipment; the large bronze bowl with its stand;'&the gold-covered incense altar; the ordination oil and the sweet-smelling incense; the curtain for the entrance to the tent;I '%the lampstand of pure gold, together with its equipment and oil;H  '$the table with all that goes on it, including the sacred bread;I  '#the sacred chest with its carrying poles and the place of mercy;O '"the covering of tanned ram skins and fine leather; the inside curtain; /'!Then they brought it all to Moses: the sacred tent and its equipment, including the hooks, the framework and crossbars, and its posts and stands;\ 3' So the people of Israel finished making everything the LORD had told Moses to make.nW'which was fastened to Aaron's turban. These things were done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.M'"Dedicated to the LORD" was engraved on a narrow strip of pure gold,1'(SEE 39:27)1'(SEE 39:27)nW'Everything that Aaron and his sons wore was made of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, including their robes and turbans, their fancy caps and underwear, and even their sashes that were embroidered with needlework.1'(SEE 39:24)1'(SEE 39:24)G 'Along the hem of the robe were woven pomegranates of blue, purple, and red wool with a bell of pure gold between each of them. This robe was to be worn by Aaron when he performed his duties.}u'with an opening in the center for the head. The material around the collar was bound so as to keep it from raveling./['The priestly robe was made of blue woolC~'To keep the breastpiece in place, a blue cord was used to tie the two lower rings on the breastpiece to those on the vest. These things were done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.R}'and two more near the bottom of the shoulder straps right above the sash.Y|-'Two other gold rings were attached to the lower inside corners next to the vest,{1'(SEE 39:15)z1'(SEE 39:15)y1'(SEE 39:15)&xG'Two gold rings were attached to the upper front corners of the breastpiece and fastened with two braided gold chains to gold settings on the shoulder straps.Yw-'and on each of them was engraved the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.qv]' and a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper were in the fourth row. They were mounted in a delicate gold setting,Du' a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst were in the third row;Gt ' a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond were in the second row;rs_' with four rows of three precious stones: A carnelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald were in the first row;3rc' It was nine inches square and folded double[q1'The breastpiece was made with the same materials and designs as the priestly vest.-pU'Then these were attached to the shoulder straps of the vest, so the LORD would never forget his people. Everything was done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.soa'Onyx stones were placed in gold settings, and each one was engraved with the name of one of Israel's sons.n/'(SEE 39:4)\m3'It had two shoulder straps to support it and a sash that fastened around the waist.l/'(SEE 39:2)Ek'The entire priestly vest was made of fine linen, woven with blue, purple, and red wool. Thin sheets of gold were hammered out and cut into threads that were skillfully woven into the vest.Cj 'Beautiful priestly clothes were made of blue, purple, and red wool for Aaron to wear when he performed his duties in the holy place. This was done exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.i9&the stands for the posts that surrounded the courtyard, including those at the entrance to the courtyard, and the pegs for the tent and the courtyard.h}&And it was used to make the stands for the entrance to the tent, the altar and its grating, the equipment for the altar,@g}&Five thousand three hundred pounds of bronze were given.vfg&The remaining fifty pounds of silver were used for the hooks and rods and for covering the tops of the posts. )d~}}!|q{{zznyy_xx;ww veutt-t ss-rrPqq:p:oynnmmm6llkkjj\iiihHggffkeedd8c}bbqa``g__Q^]]\T\7[ZZ:YRY XXXWYW=W!WVVVUUUTTTTT}T`SSSSiRvRYR>>p>S===<8;;[; :#9S88776^55B44/43334222E2(11G00////e/..\--a,,,#++`+D**,))"(X'&&P%$$=##v"!!! |_ bEx.~amrkjfI-V V: )  4YIySF)1!(SEE 15:32)U% These are the things you men must do if you become unclean because of an infected penis or if you have a flow of semen. And these are the things you women must do when you become unclean either because of your monthly period or an unusual flow of blood. This is also what you men must do if you have sex with a woman who is unclean.0[When any of you are unclean, you must stay away from the rest of the community of Israel. Otherwise, my sacred tent will become unclean, and the whole nation will die./He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me; then I will consider the woman completely clean.~On the eighth day, she must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest.L}Seven days after the woman gets well, she will be considered clean.~|wIf you touch either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.w{iAnything that she rests on or sits on during this time is also unclean, just as it would be during her period.zAny woman who has a flow of blood outside her regular monthly period is unclean until it stops, just as she is during her monthly period.y{Any man who has sex with her during this time becomes unclean for seven days, and anything he rests on is also unclean.x1(SEE 15:20)w1(SEE 15:20)v1(SEE 15:20)9umAnything that she rests on or sits on is also unclean, and if you touch either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.#tAWhen a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean for seven days, and if you touch her, you must take a bath, but you remain unclean until evening.tscAfter having sex, both the man and the woman must take a bath, but they still remain unclean until evening.rIf the semen touches anything made of cloth or leather, these must be washed, but they still remain unclean until evening.fqGAny man who has a flow of semen must take a bath, but he still remains unclean until evening. p;The priest will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me, then I will consider the man completely clean.oOn the eighth day he must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest.n Seven days after the man gets well, he will be considered clean, if he washes his clothes and takes a bath in spring water.lmS Any clay pot that he touches must be destroyed, and any wooden bowl that he touches must be washed.l+ If the man touches you without first washing his hands, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.k/ (SEE 15:9)@j{ Any saddle or seat on which the man sits is unclean. And if you touch or carry either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.iyIf you are spit on by the man, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.h/(SEE 15:5)g/(SEE 15:5)fand if you touch either these or him, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.=ewAnything that he rests on or sits on is also unclean,3dcwhether it is stopped up or keeps dripping.Vc'to say to the community of Israel: Any man with an infected penis is unclean,$b GThe LORD told Moses and Aarona19(SEE 14:54)`18(SEE 14:54)_17(SEE 14:54))^M6These are the things you must do if you discover that you are unclean because of an itch or a sore, or that your clothing or house is unclean because of mildew.l]S5Finally, he will release the bird and let it fly away, ending the ceremony for purifying the house.\14(SEE 14:51)[{3and let its blood drain into the pot. Then he will dip the cedar, the hyssop, the yarn, and the other bird into the mixture of blood and water. Next, he will sprinkle the house seven times with the mixture, then the house will be completely clean.FZ2He will kill one of the birds over a clay pot of spring water4Yc1Then, to show that the house is now clean, he will get two birds, a stick of cedar wood, a piece of red yarn, and a branch from a hyssop plant and bring them to the house./XY0On the other hand, if the priest discovers that mildew hasn't reappeared after the house was newly plastered, he will say, "This house is clean--the mildew has gone."QW/And if you either slept or ate in the house, you must wash your clothes.kVQ.Meanwhile, if any of you entered the house while it was closed, you will be unclean until evening. U -Then he will have the house torn down and every bit of wood, stone, and plaster hauled off to an unclean place outside the town.oTY,the priest will come and say, "This house is unclean. It's covered with mildew that can't be removed.",SU+If the mildew appears a second time,PR*Afterwards the wall must be repaired with new stones and fresh plaster.Q1)(SEE 14:40),PS(If so, he will have someone scrape the plaster from the walls, remove the filthy stones, then haul everything off and dump it in an unclean place outside the town.GO 'Then he will return and check to see if the mildew has spread.5Ng&he will have the house closed for seven days.hMK%If the priest discovers greenish or reddish spots that go deeper than the surface of the walls,pL[$The priest will reply, "Empty the house before I inspect it, or else everything in it will be unclean."VK'#First, you must say to a priest, "I think mildew is on the wall of my house.""J?"After I have given you the land of Canaan as your permanent possession, here is what you must do, if I ever put mildew on the walls of any of your homes.;Is!The LORD told Moses and Aaron to say to the people:wHi These are the things you must do if you have leprosy and cannot afford the usual sacrifices to make you clean.G1(SEE 14:29)F1(SEE 14:29)CEAnd he will pour the rest of the oil from his palm on your head. Then, depending on what you can afford, he will offer either the doves or the pigeons together with the grain sacrifice. One of the birds is the sacrifice for sin, and the other is the sacrifice to please me. After this you will be completely clean.ID He will smear some of the oil on your right ear lobe, some on your right thumb, and some on the big toe of your right foot, just as he did with the blood of the sacrifice to make things right.sCathen dip a finger of his right hand in the oil and sprinkle some of it seven times toward the sacred tent.SB!The priest will pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his left hand,A1(SEE 14:24)@The priest will kill this ram for the sacrifice to make things right, and he will lift it up with the olive oil in dedication to me. Then he will smear some of the blood on your right ear lobe, some on your right thumb, and some on the big toe of your right foot.Y?-The priest will offer these to me in front of the sacred tent on the eighth day.%>EDepending on what you can afford, you must also offer either two doves or two pigeons, one as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me.='If you are poor and cannot afford to offer this much, you may offer a ram as a sacrifice to make things right, together with a half pint of olive oil and two pounds of flour mixed with oil as a grain sacrifice. The priest will then lift these up to dedicate them to me.<1(SEE 14:18);1(SEE 14:18){:qand pour the rest of the oil from his palm on your head. Then he will offer the other two animals--one as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me, together with a grain sacrifice. After this you will be completely clean. 9Next, he will smear some of the oil on your right ear lobe, some on your right thumb, and some on the big toe of your right foot,q8]dip a finger of his right hand into the oil, and sprinkle some of it seven times toward the sacred tent.P7He will then pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his left hand,"6?The priest will smear some of the blood from this sacrifice on your right ear lobe, some on your right thumb, and some on the big toe of your right foot.35a This sacrifice is very holy. It belongs to the priest and must be killed in the same place where animals are killed as sacrifices for sins and as sacrifices to please me.24_ There he will offer one of the rams, together with the pint of oil, as a sacrifice to make things right. He will also lift them up to show that they are dedicated to me.e3E Then the priest will present you and your offerings to me at the entrance to my sacred tent.V2' On the eighth day you must bring to the priest two rams and a year-old female lamb that have nothing wrong with them; also bring a half pint of olive oil and six pounds of your finest flour mixed with oil.B1 Then you must once again shave your head, face, and eyebrows, as well as the hair on the rest of your body. Finally, wash your clothes and take a bath, and you will be completely clean.F0After this you must wash your clothes, shave your entire body, and take a bath before you are completely clean. You may move back into camp, but you must not enter your tent for seven days./!Next, he will sprinkle you seven times with the blood and say, "You are now clean." Finally, he will release the bird and let it fly away.p.[Then he will dip the other bird, the cedar, the red yarn, and the hyssop in the blood of the dead bird.\-3The priest will have someone kill one of the birds over a clay pot of spring water.5,ehe will have someone bring out two live birds that are acceptable for sacrifice, together with a stick of cedar wood, a piece of red yarn, and a branch from a hyssop plant.+/(SEE 14:2) *After you think you are healed of leprosy, you must ask for a priest to come outside the camp and examine you. And if you are well,0) _The LORD told Moses to say to the people:e(E ;These are the rules for deciding if clothing is clean or unclean after a spot appears on it.o'Y :Even if the spot completely disappears after being washed, it must be washed again before it is clean.a&= 9Later, if the spot reappears elsewhere on the clothing or the leather, you must burn it.R% 8But if the spot has faded after being washed, he will tear away the spot."$? 7after which he will examine it again. If the spot hasn't spread, but is still greenish or reddish, the clothing or leather is unclean and must be burned.b#? 6he will tell you to wash the clothing or leather and put it aside for another seven days,>"y 5If the priest discovers that the mildew hasn't spread,`!; 4because the mildew has spread." Then he will burn the clothing or the piece of leather.Q  3and if the mildew has spread in that time, he will say, "This is unclean1 2(SEE 13:47)1 1(SEE 13:47)1 0(SEE 13:47)Q /If a greenish or reddish spot appears anywhere on any of your clothing or on anything made of leather, you must let the priest examine the clothing or the leather. He will put it aside for seven days,_9 .As long as you have the disease, you are unclean and must live alone outside the camp./Y -If you ever have leprosy, you must tear your clothes, leave your hair uncombed, cover the lower part of your face, and go around shouting, "I'm unclean! I'm unclean!"+S ,"This is leprosy--you are unclean."1 +(SEE 13:42)} *But if a priest discovers that a reddish-white sore has broken out on the bald spot and looks like leprosy, he will say,1 )(SEE 13:40)J (If you become bald on any part of your head, you are still clean.W) 'but the priest discovers that it is only a rash, he will say, "You are clean.".Y &If white spots break out on your skin,P %But if he thinks you are completely well, he will say, "You are clean."1 $(SEE 13:35)|s #Later, if the itch starts spreading, even though the hair is still healthy, the priest will say, "You are unclean." "By that time, if the itch hasn't spread and seems no more than skin deep, he will say, "You are clean; now you must wash your clothes."&G !you must shave off the hairs around the infection, but not those on it. Then the priest will tell you to stay away from everyone else for another seven days.o Y By that time, if the itch hasn't spread, if the hairs seem healthy, and if the itch is only skin deep,; q On the other hand, if he discovers that the itchy spot is only skin deep, but that the hair still isn't healthy, he will order you to stay away from everyone else for seven days.= u it must be examined by a priest. If the infection seems more than skin deep, and the hair in it has thinned out and lost its color, he will say, "This is leprosy--you are unclean."0 ] If you have a sore on your head or chin,( K However, if the infection hasn't spread and has begun to heal, and if only a scar remains, he will say, "Only a scar remains from the burn, and you are clean." On the seventh day the priest will examine you again, and if the infection is spreading, he will say, "This is leprosy--you are unclean."L But if the priest finds that the hair in the infected area hasn't turned white and that the sore is only skin deep and it is healing, he will have you stay away from everyone else for seven days.cA a priest must examine it. Then if he discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, "The burn has turned into leprosy, and you are unclean."N If you have a burn that gets infected and turns red or reddish-white,]5 But if it doesn't spread, and only a scar remains, he will say, "You are now clean."zo If the sore begins spreading during this time, the priest will say, "You are unclean because you have a disease."G  But if the white area is only on the surface of the skin and hasn't gotten any worse, and if the hair in it hasn't turned white, he will have you stay away from everyone else for seven days./Y If he discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, "This is leprosy--you are unclean."1 (SEE 13:18)}u If you have a sore that either swells or turns reddish-white after it has healed, then you must show it to a priest.~1 (SEE 13:16)j}O However, if the sores heal and only white spots remain, the priest will say, "You are now clean."|1 (SEE 13:14)i{M If the sores come back and turn white with pus, he will say, "This is leprosy--you are unclean."z1 (SEE 13:12)gyI But if the disease has run its course and only the scars remain, he will say, "You are clean."_x9 he will say, "This is leprosy. You are unclean and must stay away from everyone else."pw[ If he discovers that the sore spot is white with pus and that the hair around it has also turned white,Dv Any of you with a skin disease must be brought to a priest.uue If it is discovered that the disease has started spreading, he will say, "This is leprosy--you are unclean."Kt However, if the disease comes back, you must return to the priest.'sI Then if the disease hasn't gotten any worse or spread, the priest will say, "You are clean. It was only a sore. After you wash your clothes, you may go home."}ru If the disease hasn't spread by that time, he will order you to stay away from everyone else for another seven days.3qa But if the infected area is white and only skin deep, and if the hair in it hasn't turned white, the priest will order you to stay away from everyone else for seven days.8pk If the priest discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, "This is leprosy --you are unclean."o- If sores or boils or a skin rash should break out and start spreading on your body, you must be brought to Aaron or to one of the other priests.:n s The LORD told Moses and Aaron to say to the people:m! If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer two doves or two pigeons, one as a sacrifice to please me and the other as a sacrifice for sin.l3 After the priest offers the sacrifices to me, the mother will become completely clean from her loss of blood, whether her child is a boy or a girl.^k7 When the mother has completed her time of cleansing, she must come to the front of the sacred tent and bring to the priest a year-old lamb as a sacrifice to please me and a dove or a pigeon as a sacrifice for sin.*jO Any woman who gives birth to a daughter is unclean for two weeks, just as she is during her period. And she won't be completely clean for another sixty-six days.4ic but her loss of blood keeps her from being completely clean for another thirty-three days. During this time she must not touch anything holy or go to the place of worship.6hi Her son must be circumcised on the eighth day,g% to say to the community of Israel: If a woman gives birth to a son, she is unclean for seven days, just as she is during her monthly period.f 3 The LORD told Mosese1 /(SEE 11:46)!d= .I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten.mcU -I brought you out of Egypt so that I could be your God. Now you must become holy, because I am holy!)bM ,I am the LORD your God, and you must dedicate yourselves to me and be holy, just as I am holy. Don't become disgusting by eating any of these unclean creatures.\a3 +If you eat any of them, you will become just as disgusting and unclean as they are.`1 *(SEE 11:41)c_A )Don't eat any of those disgusting little creatures that crawl or walk close to the ground.^{ (If you eat any of its meat or carry its body away, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.k]Q 'If an animal that may be eaten happens to die, and you touch it, you become unclean until evening.f\G &But seeds that are soaking in water become unclean, if the dead animal is found in the water.[  %If the dead body of one of these animals is found lying on seeds that have been set aside for planting, the seeds remain clean. Z $A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean.Y' #If the dead body of one of these animals touches anything else, including ovens and stoves, that thing becomes unclean and must be destroyed.X "If you pour water from this pot on any food, that food becomes unclean, and anything drinkable in the pot becomes unclean.W !If any of these animals is found dead in a clay pot, the pot must be broken to pieces, and everything in it becomes unclean.V If something made of wood, cloth, or leather touches one of their dead bodies, it must be washed, but it is still unclean until evening.uUe Anyone who touches their dead bodies or anything touched by their dead bodies becomes unclean until evening.T1 (SEE 11:29)@S} Moles, rats, mice, and all kinds of lizards are unclean.R1 (SEE 11:24)Q1 (SEE 11:24)P1 (SEE 11:24)O1 (SEE 11:24)oNY Don't even touch the dead bodies of animals that have divided hoofs but don't chew the cud. And don't touch the dead bodies of animals that have paws. If you do, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.M1 (SEE 11:20)L1 (SEE 11:20)K1 (SEE 11:20)J3 The only winged insects you may eat are locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. All other winged insects that crawl are too disgusting for you to eat.I1 (SEE 11:13)H1 (SEE 11:13)G1 (SEE 11:13)F1 (SEE 11:13)E1 (SEE 11:13)D1 (SEE 11:13)9Cm Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, sea gulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.B/ (SEE 11:9)A/ (SEE 11:9)@/ (SEE 11:9)F? You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.>/ (SEE 11:4)=/ (SEE 11:4)</ (SEE 11:4);/ (SEE 11:4)$:C But you must not eat animals such as camels, rock badgers, and rabbits that chew the cud but don't have divided hoofs. And you must not eat pigs--they have divided hoofs, but don't chew the cud. All of these animals are unclean, and you are forbidden even to touch their dead bodies.<9u any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud.68i to say to the community of Israel: You may eat$7 G The LORD told Moses and Aaron/6[ Moses was satisfied with Aaron's reply.d5C Their father Aaron replied, "Today two of my sons offered the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice to please the LORD, and look what has happened to me! Would the LORD have approved if I had eaten the sacrifice for sin?"41 Whenever an animal's blood isn't brought into the sacred tent, I commanded you to eat its meat in an acceptable place, but you burned it instead.".3W "Why didn't you eat the meat from this sacrifice in an acceptable place? It is very holy, and the LORD has given you this sacrifice to remove Israel's sin and guilt.(2K When Moses asked around and learned that the ram for the sin sacrifice had already been burned on the altar, he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and said,11 (SEE 10:14)-0U But the choice ribs and the hind leg that were lifted up may be eaten by your entire family, as long as you do so in an acceptable place. These parts are yours from the sacrifices that the people offer to ask the LORD's blessing. This is what the LORD has commanded, and it will never change.m/U The LORD has said that this belongs to you and your sons, and that it must be eaten in a holy place.r._ Moses told Aaron and his two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: The grain sacrifice that was offered to give thanks to the LORD is very holy. So make bread without yeast from the part that wasn't sent up in smoke and eat it beside the altar.c-A You must also teach the people of Israel everything that I commanded Moses to say to them.v,g You must learn the difference between what is holy and what isn't holy and between the clean and the unclean.+- When you or your sons enter the sacred tent, you must never drink beer or wine. If you do, you will die right there! This law will never change.*; The LORD said to Aaron: ) But you are the LORD's chosen priests, and you must not leave the sacred tent, or you will die. Aaron and his two sons obeyed Moses.S(! Then Moses told Aaron and his other two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: Don't show your sorrow by messing up your hair and tearing your priestly clothes, or the LORD will get angry. He will kill the three of you and punish everyone else. It's all right for your relatives, the people of Israel, to mourn for those he destroyed by fire.;'s So they dragged the dead men away by their clothes.J& Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan, the two sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel. Then he told them, "Take these two dead relatives of yours outside the camp far from the entrance to the sacred tent."7%i Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the LORD had meant when he said: "I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!" Aaron was speechless.F$ Suddenly the LORD sent fiery flames and burned them to death.# ) Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron's sons, but they disobeyed the LORD by burning incense to him on a fire pan, when they were not supposed to.!"= The LORD sent fiery flames that burned up everything on the altar, and when everyone saw this, they shouted and fell to their knees to worship the LORD.'!I He and Moses went into the sacred tent, and when they came out, they gave the people their blessing. Then the LORD appeared to the people in all of his glory.  Aaron held out his hand and gave the people his blessing, before coming down from the bronze altar where he had offered the sacrifices.A} Then Aaron burned the fat on the altar and lifted up the ribs and the right hind leg to show that these were dedicated to the LORD. This was done just as the LORD had instructed Moses."A on top of the choice ribs.\3 His sons placed all the fat, as well as the kidneys and the lower part of the liverG  At last, he killed the bull and the ram as a sacrifice to ask the LORD's blessing on the people. Aaron's sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against the four sides of the altar.y He also presented the grain sacrifice and burned a handful of the flour on the altar as part of the morning sacrifice.I  And so, he burned this sacrifice on the altar in the proper way.xk Next, Aaron sacrificed the goat for the sins of the people, as he had done with the sacrifice for his own sins.P He washed the insides and the hind legs and also sent them up in smoke.lS They brought him each piece of the animal, including the head, and he burned them all on the altar.-U After Aaron had killed the ram that was sacrificed to please the LORD, Aaron's sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all four sides of the altar.C Then Aaron burned the skin and the flesh outside the camp.}u But he sent up in smoke the fat, the kidneys, and the lower part of the liver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.5 His sons brought him the blood. He dipped a finger in it, smeared some on the four corners of the bronze altar, and poured out the rest at its foot.eE Aaron stepped up to the altar and killed the bull that was to be the sacrifice for his sins.K Aaron, step up to the altar and offer the sacrifice to please the LORD, then offer the sacrifices for the forgiveness of your sins and for the sins of the people, just as the LORD has commanded.kQ Moses said: The LORD has ordered you to do this, so that he may appear to you in all of his glory./ After the animals and the grain had been brought to the front of the sacred tent, and the people were standing there in the presence of the LORD,=u Then the people must offer a bull and a ram as a sacrifice to ask the LORD's blessing and also a grain sacrifice mixed with oil. Do this, because the LORD will appear to you today.| s Tell the people of Israel that they must offer sacrifices as well. They must offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin, and a bull and a ram as a sacrifice to please the LORD. The bull and the ram must be a year old and have nothing wrong with them.: o Then he said to Aaron: Find a young bull and a ram that have nothing wrong with them. Offer the bull to the LORD as a sacrifice for sin and the ram as a sacrifice to please him.U  ' Eight days later Moses called together Aaron, his sons, and Israel's leaders.X +$Aaron and his sons obeyed everything that the LORD had told Moses they must do. y#The LORD has told me that you must stay near the entrance to the tent for seven days and nights, or else you will die.kQ"We have obeyed the LORD in everything that has been done today, so that your sins may be forgiven.nW!and stay near the entrance to the sacred tent until the ordination ceremony ends seven days from now.9 Burn what is left over3Moses said to Aaron and his sons: The LORD told me that you must boil this meat at the entrance to the sacred tent and eat it there with the bread.tcFinally, Moses sprinkled the priestly clothes of Aaron and his sons with some of the oil for ordination and with some of the blood from the altar. So Aaron and his sons, together with their priestly clothes, were dedicated to the LORD.3Moses lifted up the choice ribs of the ram to show that they were dedicated to the LORD. This was the part that the LORD had said Moses could have.$CAfter this, Moses placed it on the fires of the altar and sent it up in smoke with a smell that pleased the LORD. This was part of the ordination ceremony.%Moses placed the bread on top of the meat and gave it all to Aaron and his sons, who lifted it up to show that it was dedicated to the LORD.Then he took from a basket some of each of the three kinds of bread that had been made without yeast and had been dedicated to the LORD.1He took the animal's fat tail, the fat on its insides, and the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and the right hind leg.~}Moses did the same thing for Aaron's sons, before splattering the rest of the blood against the four sides of the altar.}-and it was killed. Moses smeared some of its blood on Aaron's right earlobe, some on his right thumb, and some on the big toe of his right foot.o|YMoses led out the ram for the ceremony of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head,{/(SEE 8:20)zMoses had the animal cut up, and he washed its insides and hind legs. Then he laid the head, the fat, and the rest of the ram on the altar and sent them up in smoke with a smell that pleased the LORD. All this was done just as the LORD had commanded.[y1Moses killed the ram and splattered its blood against the four sides of the altar.xyMoses led out the ram for the sacrifice to please the LORD. After Aaron and his sons had laid their hands on its head,,wSFinally, he took the skin and the flesh of the bull, together with the food still in its stomach, and burned them outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded./vYMoses then took the fat on the bull's insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and sent them up in smoke on the altar fire.uAfter it was killed, Moses dipped a finger in the blood and smeared some of it on each of the four corners of the bronze altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the altar. This purified the altar and made it a fit place for offering the sacrifice for sin.wtiMoses led out the bull that was to be sacrificed for sin, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.s+ At last, Moses dressed Aaron's sons in their shirts, then tied sashes around them and put special caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded. ~~~}||@{{\{zz#yxxw^vv9uutxss5qqqppZoo5nn9mm/llel%k*kjjii8hh\ggg;f|eeeeAdddVdccc'bbbbxb7baa-``V`__?_^g]]]j]\L\/\[[,[ZZ&YY+XWWWBVV]VUUTSSRhRKQQnPPPOOO,NN`N!MfLLLL{KK,JJRII{I.HHZGGQFFREEE*DD CC`BBpAA*@@J??m?">>L==J<<<;;S::999c888k777n666y55K448333"2211K004//K/-.---,,++**B)))$((#(''v&%%%$###1""I!T C*tenH{#dF-C{ . u w Z c 3mTH9m This fiftieth year is sacred--it is a time of freedom and of celebration when everyone will receive back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families.  on the tenth day of the seventh month, which is also the Great Day of Forgiveness, trumpets are to be blown everywhere in the land.#COnce every forty-nine years/(SEE 25:6)  However, you and your slaves and your hired workers, as well as any domestic or wild animals, may eat whatever grows on its own.ueThis is to be a time of complete rest for your fields and vineyards, so don't harvest anything they produce.dCbut the seventh year you must let your fields and vineyards rest in honor of me, your LORD.5gYou may raise grain and grapes for six years,to say to the community of Israel: After you enter the land that I am giving you, it must be allowed to rest one year out of every seven.7 mWhen Moses was on Mount Sinai, the LORD told him When Moses finished speaking, the people did what the LORD had told Moses, and they stoned to death the man who had cursed the LORD. {I am the LORD your God, and I demand equal justice both for you Israelites and for those foreigners who live among you.p [It's possible to pay the owner for an animal that has been killed, but death is the penalty for murder.T #a broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth.S !Personal injuries to others must be dealt with in keeping with the crime--m Ubut the killing of an animal that belongs to someone else requires only that the animal be replaced.-WDeath is also the penalty for murder,1(SEE 24:15)3And warn the others that everyone else who curses me will die in the same way, whether they are Israelites by birth or foreigners living among you.0[This man has cursed me! Take him outside the camp and have the witnesses lay their hands on his head. Then command the whole community of Israel to stone him to death.(M Finally, the LORD said to Moses:X+ who had him guarded while everyone waited for the LORD to tell them what to do.1 (SEE 24:10)zo Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri from the tribe of Dan, had married an Egyptian, and they had a son. One day their son got into a fight with an Israelite man in camp and cursed the name of the LORD. So the young man was dragged off to Moses,! This bread will always belong to Aaron and his family; it is very holy because it was offered to me, and it must be eaten in a holy place.!=Aaron must lay fresh loaves on the table each Sabbath, and priests in all generations must continue this practice as part of Israel's agreement with me.z~oAlongside each row put some pure incense that will be sent up by fire in place of the bread as an offering to me.f}Gthen take them into the sacred tent and lay them on the gold table in two rows of six loaves.U|%Use your finest flour to bake twelve loaves of bread about four pounds each,{/(SEE 24:3)[z1Aaron will set up the gold lampstand in the holy place of the sacred tent. Then he will light the seven lamps that must be kept burning there in my presence, every night from now on. This law will never change. yto say to the community of Israel: You must supply the purest olive oil for the lamps in the sacred tent, so they will keep burning.x 3The LORD told Moses]w5,This is how Moses instructed the people of Israel to celebrate the LORD's festivals.v+so future generations will know that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.>uy*For seven days every Israelite must live in a shelter,ttc)I command you and all of your descendants to celebrate this festival during the seventh month of each year.s(Pick the best fruit from your trees and cut leafy branches to use during the time of this joyous celebration in my honor.r'Remember to begin the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the seventh month after you have harvested your crops. Celebrate this festival for seven days in honor of me and don't do any work on the first day or on the day following the festival..qW&These festivals must be celebrated in addition to the Sabbaths and the times when you offer special gifts or sacrifices to keep a promise or as a voluntary offering.%pE%I have chosen these festivals as times when my people must come together for worship and when animals, grain, and wine are to be offered on the proper days.Po$For seven days, sacrifices must be offered on the altar. The eighth day is also to be a day of complete rest, as well as a time of offering sacrifices on the altar and of coming together for worship.~nw#No one is to do any work on the first day of the festival--it is a time when everyone must come together for worship.@m{"to say to the community of Israel: Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and continuing for seven days, everyone must celebrate the Festival of Shelters in honor of me.l3!The LORD told Mosesk7 This is a time of complete rest just like the Sabbath, and everyone must go without eating from the evening of the ninth to the evening of the tenth.j1(SEE 23:30){iqNone of my people are ever to do any work on that day--not now or in the future. And I will wipe out those who do!?h{I will destroy anyone who refuses to go without eating.g#No one is to work on that day--it is the Great Day of Forgiveness, when sacrifices will be offered to me, so that I will forgive your sins.If The tenth day of the seventh month is the Great Day of Forgiveness. It is a solemn day of worship; everyone must go without eating to show sorrow for their sins, and sacrifices must be burned.#eCThe LORD God said to Moses:d1(SEE 23:24)Vc'to say to the people of Israel: The first day of the seventh month must be a day of complete rest. Then at the sound of the trumpets, you will come together to worship and to offer sacrifices on the altar.b3The LORD told MosesmaUWhen you harvest your grain, always leave some of it standing around the edges of your fields and don't pick up what falls on the ground. Leave it for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you. I am the LORD your God!~`wThis is a day of celebration and worship, a time of rest from your work. You and your descendants must obey this law._The priest will lift up the rams together with the bread in dedication to me. These offerings are holy and are my gift to the priest.h^KOffer a goat as a sacrifice for sin, and two rams a year old as a sacrifice to ask my blessing.4]cAt this same time, the entire community of Israel must bring seven lambs that are a year old, a young bull, and two rams. These animals must have nothing wrong with them, and they must be offered as a sacrifice to please me. You must also offer the proper grain and wine sacrifices with each animal.8\kBring two loaves of bread to be lifted up in dedication to me. Each loaf is to be made with yeast and with four pounds of the finest flour from the first part of your harvest.Z[/Do this exactly fifty days later, which is the day following the seventh Sabbath.pZ[Seven weeks after you offer this bundle of grain, each family must bring another offering of new grain.Y/I am your God, and I forbid you to eat any new grain or anything made from it until you have brought these offerings. This law will never change.qX] and four pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil. Then he will place these on the bronze altar and send them up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. Together with these, you must bring a quart of wine as a drink offering.}Wu You must also offer a sacrifice to please me. So bring the priest a one-year-old lamb that has nothing wrong with iteVE on the day after the Sabbath. He will lift it up in dedication to me, and I will accept you.+UQ to say to the community of Israel: After you enter the land I am giving you, the first bundle of wheat from each crop must be given to me. So bring it to a priestT3 The LORD told MosesS/Each day of this festival you must offer sacrifices. Then on the final day you must once again rest from your work and come together for worship.fRGOn the first day of this festival you must rest from your work and come together for worship.3QaThe Festival of Thin Bread begins on the fifteenth day of that same month; it lasts seven days, and during this time you must honor me by eating bread made without yeast.P/(SEE 23:4),OSPassover is another time when you must come together to worship me, and it must be celebrated on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month of each year.jNOYou have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship. This law will never change.pM[to say to the community of Israel: I have chosen certain times for you to come together and worship me.L 3The LORD told MosesK1!(SEE 22:32)HJ  I demand respect from the people of Israel, so don't disgrace my holy name. Remember--I am the one who chose you to be priests and rescued all of you from Egypt, so that I would be your LORD.2IaObey my laws and teachings--I am the LORD.gHIEat all of the meat that same day and don't save any for the next day. I am the LORD your God!eGEWhen you offer a sacrifice to give thanks to me, you must do it in a way that is acceptable.IF Don't sacrifice a newborn animal and its mother on the same day.3EaNewborn cattle, sheep, or goats must remain with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day, you may send them up in smoke to me, and I will accept the offering.#DCThe LORD told Moses to say:C1And don't bring me animals you bought from a foreigner. I won't accept them, because they are no better than one that has something wrong with it.XB+As long as you live in this land, don't offer an animal with injured testicles.A+If one of your cattle or lambs has a leg that is longer or shorter than the others, you may offer it voluntarily, but not as part of a promise.c@ADon't offer an animal that is blind or injured or that has an infection or a skin disease.>?wWhen you offer a sacrifice to ask my blessing, there must be nothing wrong with the animal. This is true, whether the sacrifice is part of a promise or something you do voluntarily.>1(SEE 22:19)=must have nothing wrong with them, or else I won't accept them. Bulls or rams or goats are the animals to be used for these sacrifices.<1to tell Aaron and his sons and everyone else the rules for offering sacrifices. He said: The animals that are to be completely burned on the altar;3The LORD told Moses:Don't let them become guilty of eating this sacred food. Remember--I am the LORD, the one who makes these offerings holy.`9;I warn you not to treat lightly the offerings that are brought by the people of Israel.g8Iand anyone else who accidentally does so, must pay for the food plus a fine of twenty percent.)7M But if she returns to your home, either widowed or divorced, and has no children, she may join in the meal. Only members of a priestly family can eat this food,f6G If your daughter marries someone who isn't a priest, she can no longer have any of this food.f5G However, any slave that you own, including those born into your household, may eat this food.v4g Only you priests and your families may eat the food offerings; these are too sacred for any of your servants.3  Obey me, or you will die on duty for disgracing the place of worship. Remember--I am the LORD, the one who makes a priest holy.2{I command you not to eat anything that is killed by a wild animal or dies a natural death. This would make you unclean.1/(SEE 22:6)s0aOnce you are unclean, you must take a bath, but you still cannot eat any of the sacred food until evening.]/5or if you have touched an unclean creature of any sort, including an unclean person./.YNone of you may take part in the sacred meals while you have a skin disease or an infected penis, or after you have been near a dead body or have had a flow of semen,r-_If any of you are unclean when you accept an offering for me, I will no longer let you serve as a priest.5,eto say to Aaron and his sons: I am the LORD God, and I demand that you honor my holy name by showing proper respect for the offerings brought to me by the people of Israel.+ 3The LORD told MosesM*Moses told all of this to Aaron, his sons, and the people of Israel.)but they may not enter the sacred place or serve me at the altar. Remember--I am the LORD, the one who makes a priest holy.8(mThey may eat the food offerings presented to me,I' These men may not serve as my priests and burn sacrifices to me.s&aif he is a hunchback or a dwarf, if an eye or his skin is diseased, or if his testicles have been damaged./%[if either a foot or a hand is crippled,$1(SEE 21:17)%#Eto say to Aaron: No descendant of yours can ever serve as my priest if he is blind or lame, if his face is disfigured, if one leg is shorter than the other,"3The LORD told Mosesu!eIn this way, your descendants will be qualified to serve me. Remember--I am the LORD, and I have chosen you. from your own tribe. Don't marry a divorced woman or any other woman who has already had sex, including a temple prostitute.@} If you are the high priest, you must marry only a virgin  If you leave the sacred place to attend a funeral, both you and the sacred place become unclean, because you are the high priest.kQ Don't make yourself unclean by going near a dead body, not even that of your own father or mother.xk If you are the high priest, you must not mess up your hair or tear your clothes in order to mourn for the dead.y If any of you priests has a daughter who disgraces you by serving as a temple prostitute, she must be burned to death. because I am holy. And so, you must be treated with proper respect, since you offer food sacrifices to me, the God of holiness.eEDon't marry a divorced woman or a woman who has served as a temple prostitute. You are holy,'I am the LORD your God, and I have chosen you alone to offer sacrifices of food to me on the altar. That's why you must keep yourselves holy.lSDon't shave any part of your head or trim your beard or cut yourself to show that you are mourning.dCDon't make yourself unclean by attending the funeral of someone related to you by marriage.H or an unmarried sister, who has no husband to take care of her.;sexcept your mother, father, son, daughter, brother, 3The LORD gave Moses these instructions for Aaron's sons, the priests: Touching a dead body will make you unclean. So don't go near a dead relative,r_If you claim to receive messages from the dead, you will be put to death by stoning, just as you deserve.hKI am the LORD, the holy God. You have been chosen to be my people, and so you must be holy too.$CThat's why you must make a difference between animals and birds that I have said are clean and unclean --this will keep you from becoming disgusting to me./I am the LORD your God, and I have promised you their land that is rich with milk and honey. I have chosen you to be different from other people.zoThe nations I am chasing out did these disgusting things, and I hated them for it, so don't follow their example.p [Obey my laws and teachings. Or else the land I am giving you will become sick of you and throw you out.Y -And if you marry your sister-in-law, neither of you will ever have any children.a =If you have sex with your uncle's wife, neither you nor she will ever have any children. {The sisters of your father and mother are your own relatives, and you will be punished for having sex with any of them. If you have sex with a woman during her monthly period, both you and the woman will be cut off from the people of Israel.If you marry one of your sisters, you will be punished, and the two of you will be disgraced by being openly forced out of the community.1(SEE 20:15)r_If any of you have sex with an animal, both you and the animal will be put to death, just as you deserve.~wIt isn't natural for a man to marry both a mother and her daughter, and so all three of them will be burned to death.{q It's disgusting for men to have sex with one another, and those who do will be put to death, just as they deserve.{q It isn't natural to have sex with your daughter-in-law, and both of you will be put to death, just as you deserve.  Having sex with one of your father's wives disgraces him. So both you and the woman will be put to death, just as you deserve.iM If any of you men have sex with another man's wife, both you and the woman will be put to death.eE If you curse your father or mother, you will be put to death, and it will be your own fault.JI have chosen you as my people, and I expect you to obey my laws.N~Dedicate yourselves to me and be holy because I am the LORD your God.}I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people.|#but not me. If any of you worship Molech, I will turn against you and your entire family, and I will no longer let you belong to my people.?{{Some of you may let them get away with human sacrifice,z7They have disgraced both the place where I am worshiped and my holy name, and so I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people.)yMto say to the community of Israel: Death by stoning is the penalty for any citizens or foreigners in the country who sacrifice their children to the god Molech.x 3The LORD told Moses*wQ%and I command you to obey my laws.v1$(SEE 19:35)u{#Use honest scales and don't cheat when you weigh or measure anything. I am the LORD your God. I rescued you from Egypt,7ti"Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself. Remember, you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.(SEE 19:27)|msI forbid you to shave any part of your head or beard or to cut and tattoo yourself as a way of worshiping the dead.RlDon't eat the blood of any animal. Don't practice any kind of witchcraft.kto me, the LORD God. Do this, and in the fifth year, those trees will produce an abundant harvest of fruit for you to eat.Sj!In the fourth year the fruit must be set apart, as an expression of thanksiAfter you enter the land, you will plant fruit trees, but you are not to eat any of their fruit for the first three years.h1(SEE 19:21).gWThe man must bring a ram to the entrance of the sacred tent and give it to a priest, who will then offer it as a sacrifice to me, so the man's sins will be forgiven.@f{If a man has sex with a slave woman who is promised in marriage to someone else, he must pay a fine, but they are not to be put to death. After all, she was still a slave at the time.2e_Breed your livestock animals only with animals of the same kind, and don't plant two kinds of seed in the same field or wear clothes made of different kinds of material.dStop being angry and don't try to take revenge. I am the LORD, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.gcIDon't hold grudges. On the other hand, it's wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting.zboDon't be a gossip, but never hesitate to speak up in court, especially if your testimony can save someone's life.Ua%Be fair, no matter who is on trial--don't favor either the poor or the rich.u`eI am the LORD your God, and I command you not to make fun of the deaf or to cause a blind person to stumble.j_O Do not steal anything or cheat anyone, and don't fail to pay your workers at the end of each day.c^A Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the LORD your God.2]a Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others.5\e Don't strip your grapevines clean or gather the grapes that fall off the vines. Leave them for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you. I am the LORD your God.[ When you harvest your grain, always leave some of it standing along the edges of your fields and don't pick up what falls on the ground.Z In fact, you will be punished for not respecting what I say is holy, and you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.mYUIf you eat any of it on the third day, the sacrifice will be disgusting to me, and I will reject it. X You may eat the meat either on the day of the sacrifice or on the next day, but you must burn anything left until the third day.ZW/When you offer a sacrifice to ask my blessing, be sure to follow my instructions.V/(SEE 19:3)xUkRespect your father and your mother, honor the Sabbath, and don't make idols or images. I am the LORD your God.hTKto say to the community of Israel: I am the LORD your God. I am holy, and you must be holy too!S 3The LORD told MosesR1(SEE 18:29)AQ}If any of you do these vulgar, disgusting things, you will be unclean and no longer belong to my people. I am the LORD your God, and I forbid you to follow their sickening way of life.VP'Then the land won't become sick of you and vomit you up, just as it did them.O1(SEE 18:26)lNSNow don't do these sickening things that make the land filthy. Instead, obey my laws and teachings.nMWand the land so unclean, that I punished the land because of their sins, and I made it vomit them up.L3Don't make yourselves unclean by any of these disgusting practices of those nations that I am forcing out of the land for you. They made themselves5KgAnyone who has sex with an animal is unclean.@J}It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man.I{Don't sacrifice your children on the altar fires to the god Molech. I am the LORD your God, and that would disgrace me.MHDon't have sex with another man's wife--that would make you unclean._G9When a woman is having her monthly period, she is unclean, so don't have sex with her.rF_As long as your wife is alive, don't cause trouble for her by taking one of her sisters as a second wife.7EiAnd don't have sex with the daughter or granddaughter of any woman that you have earlier had sex with. You may be having sex with a relative, and that would make you unclean.D/or sister-in-law.0C]Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law>ByDon't disgrace your uncle by having sex with his wife.A1 (SEE 18:12)-@W or a sister of your father or mother.?) or half sisterF> Don't disgrace yourself by having sex with your granddaughter\=3 Don't have sex with your sister or stepsister, whether you grew up together or not.J<And don't disgrace him by having sex with any of his other wives.E;especially your own mother. This would disgrace your father.8:mDon't have sex with any of your close relatives,39cObey them and you will live. I am the LORD.?8{I am the LORD your God, and you must obey my teachings.p7[So don't follow the customs of Egypt where you used to live or those of Canaan where I am bringing you.=6wto tell the people of Israel: I am the LORD your God!5 3The LORD told MosesJ4If you don't take a bath, you will suffer for what you did wrong. 3If you happen to find a dead animal and eat it, you must take a bath and wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.;2qThe life of every living creature is in its blood. That's why I have forbidden you to eat blood and why I have warned you that anyone who does will no longer belong to my people.s1a Even if you should hunt and kill a bird or an animal, you must drain out the blood and cover it with soil.:0q That's also why I have forbidden you to eat blood.k/Q Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own.p.[ I will turn against any of my people who eat blood. This also includes any foreigners living among you.f-G except at the entrance to the sacred tent. If you do, you will no longer belong to my people.[,1Remember! No one in Israel, including foreigners, is to offer a sacrifice anywhereg+IDon't ever turn from me again and offer sacrifices to goat-demons. This law will never change."*?but in front of the sacred tent. Then a priest can splatter its blood against the bronze altar and send its fat up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.e)EAnd so, when you sacrifice an animal to ask my blessing, it must not be done out in a field,(/(SEE 17:3)w'iWhenever you kill any of your cattle, sheep, or goats as sacrifices to me, you must do it at the entrance to the sacred tent. If you don't, you will be guilty of pouring out blood, and you will no longer belong to the community of Israel.=&wto tell Aaron, his sons, and everyone else in Israel:% 3The LORD told Moses)$M"You must celebrate this day each year--it is the Great Day of Forgiveness for all the sins of the people of Israel. Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded.#!He will offer these sacrifices for the most holy place, the sacred tent, the bronze altar, all the priests, and for the whole community.r"_ The high priest must offer the sacrifices for cleansing from sin, while wearing the sacred linen clothes.! and from now on, it must be celebrated each year. Go without eating and make this a day of complete rest just like the Sabbath.m UThis is the day on which the sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins will be made in my presence,>wOn the tenth day of the seventh month of each year, you must go without eating to show sorrow for your sins, and no one, including foreigners who live among you, is allowed to work.`;And whoever does this must take a bath and change clothes before coming back into camp. The remains of the bull and the goat whose blood was taken into the most holy place must be taken outside the camp and burned.-The one who led the goat into the desert and sent it off to the demon Azazel must take a bath and wash his clothes before coming back into camp.\3The fat from these sacrifices for sin must be sent up in smoke on the bronze altar.1(SEE 16:23)3aAaron, after this you must go inside the sacred tent, take a bath, put on your regular priestly clothes, and leave there the clothes you put on before entering the most holy place. Then you will come out and offer sacrifices to please me and sacrifices for your sins and for the sins of the people.oYFinally, this goat that carries the heavy burden of Israel's sins must be released deep in the desert.MThere you will lay your hands on its head, while confessing every sin the people have committed, and you will appoint someone to lead the goat into the desert, so that it can take away their sins.!After you have purified the most holy place, the sacred tent, and the bronze altar, you must bring the live goat to the front of the tent.Use a finger to sprinkle the altar seven times with the blood, and it will be completely clean from the sins of the people.7After leaving the tent, you will purify the bronze altar by smearing each of its four corners with some of the blood from the bull and from the goat.eEOnly you are allowed in the sacred tent from the time you enter until the time you come out.9mBy doing this, you will take away the sins that make both the most holy place and the people of Israel unclean. Do the same for the sacred tent, which is here among the people.4cAaron, you must next sacrifice the goat for the sins of the people, and you must sprinkle its blood inside the most holy place, just as you did with the blood of the bull.0[Next, use a finger to sprinkle some of the blood on the place of mercy, which is on the lid of the sacred chest; then sprinkle blood seven times in front of the chest.7i There you will present them to me by placing the incense on the coals, so that the place of mercy will be covered with a cloud of smoke. Do this, or you will die right there!/ Then you will take a fire pan of live coals from the bronze altar, together with two handfuls of finely ground incense, into the most holy place.u e You must offer the bull as a sacrifice to ask forgiveness for your own sins and for the sins of your family.} u the other one must be presented to me alive, before you send it into the desert to take away the sins of the people.> y After you offer the first goat as a sacrifice for sin, where I will show you which goat will be sacrificed to me and which one will be sent into the desert to the demon Azazel.[ 1Then you will lead the two goats into my presence at the front of the sacred tent,xkAaron, you must offer the bull as a sacrifice of forgiveness for your own sins and for the sins of your family.DThen the community of Israel will bring you a ram and two goats, both of them males. The goats are to be used as sacrifices for sin, and the ram is to be used as a sacrifice to please me.yYou will take a bath and put on the sacred linen clothes, including the underwear, the robe, the sash, and the turban. Before entering this most holy place, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for your sins and a ram as a sacrifice to please me./(SEE 16:1)O Two of Aaron's sons had already lost their lives for disobeying the LORD, so the LORD told Moses to say to Aaron: I, the LORD, appear in a cloud over the place of mercy on the sacred chest, which is behind the inside curtain of the sacred tent. And I warn you not to go there except at the proper time. Otherwise, you will die! 5|-~~4~}l}&|||${{zz+yyUxwwvv8uutt scsFrrQqq{q'pppZooLnnxnmmmllkk]k:jj:iikhhxh?gggffeeMdd:ccibbbXa```q`_v^^^]k]N\s\V\%[ZZZ8YXX]WWWfUUUpUTU8TsTSiRRR|RQPPOOOKNNMMMBLKK!JJ>II@HHOGFFDDDwD]DCD)DCCCCCCGC,BpBG@X@=@"@??????e?J?/?>>>>>>r>W><>!>=====a=4<;;;6::d:=9Y8l8Q777B7'6555\5@444p3222D2(111T0h0L///B/&..M--,,,g+m+K***C* )('''' &&&`&!%%L$$$n#"""?!! stSY4nm-A3( p T 8  Q 5  k1x\@$|M/(-(SEE 4:34)L/(,(SEE 4:34)K/(+(SEE 4:34)J/(*(SEE 4:34)I/()(SEE 4:34)H/(((SEE 4:34)G/('(SEE 4:34)F/(&(SEE 4:34)E/(%(SEE 4:34)D/($(SEE 4:34)C/(#(SEE 4:34)SB!("Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelite leaders obeyed the LORD and counted the Levi tribe by families and clans, to find out how many men there were between the ages of thirty and fifty who could work at the sacred tent. There were two thousand seven hundred fifty Kohathites, two thousand six hundred thirty Gershonites, and three thousand two hundred Merarites, making a total of eight thousand five hundred eighty. Then they were all assigned their duties.DA(!and Ithamar son of Aaron will make sure they do their work.0@[( as well as the posts that support the courtyard, together with their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merarites are to be told exactly what objects they are to carry,?(The Merarites will be responsible for carrying the frames of the tent and its other pieces, including the bars, the posts, the stands,>/((SEE 4:29)2=_(The LORD said: Moses, find out how many men between thirty and fifty are in the two Levite clans of Merari, but count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.<{(These are the duties of the Gershonites at the sacred tent, and Ithamar son of Aaron will make sure they do their work.K;(and they will carry them wherever Aaron and his sons tell them to.N:(the curtains hanging around the courtyard of the tent, and the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard. The Gershonites are to do whatever needs to be done to take care of these things,y9m(for carrying the curtains of the sacred tent, its two outer coverings, the curtain for the entrance to the tent,+8S(The Gershonites will be responsible7/((SEE 4:22)%6E(Find out how many men between the ages of thirty and fifty are in the two Levite clans of Gershon. Count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.5;(The LORD said to Moses:4/((SEE 4:17)3/((SEE 4:17)2/((SEE 4:17)1(The Kohathites must not go near or even look at the sacred objects until Aaron and his sons have covered those objects. If they do, their entire clan will be wiped out. So make sure that Aaron and his sons go into the tent with them and tell them what to carry.90m(Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the grain for the sacrifices, and the olive oil used for dedications and ordinations. Eleazar is responsible for seeing that the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the sacred objects are taken care of./}(When the camp is ready to be moved, the Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects and the furnishings of the sacred tent. But Aaron and his sons must have already covered those things so the Kohathites won't touch them and die..{(On that cloth will be placed the utensils used at the altar, including the fire pans, the meat forks, the shovels, and the sprinkling bowls. All of this will then be covered with a piece of fine leather, before the carrying poles are put in place.]-5( They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and cover it with a purple cloth.P,( Next, Aaron and his sons will take blue cloth and wrap all the objects used in worship at the sacred tent. These will need to be covered with a piece of fine leather, then placed on a carrying frame.+'( The gold incense altar is to be covered with a blue cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before its carrying poles are put in place.f*G( All of this will then be covered with a piece of fine leather and placed on a carrying frame.)/( With another blue cloth they will cover the lampstand, along with the lamps, the lamp snuffers, the fire pans, and the jars of oil for the lamps.((They are to cover all of this with a bright red cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before putting the carrying poles in place.`';(Next, Aaron and his sons will use another blue cloth to cover the table for the sacred bread. On the cloth they will place the dishes, the bowls for incense, the cups, the jugs for wine, as well as the bread itself.&(and then with a piece of fine leather, and cover it all with a solid blue cloth. After this they will put the carrying poles in place.c%A(When the Israelites are ready to move their camp, Aaron and his sons will enter the tent and take down the curtain that separates the sacred chest from the rest of the tent. They will cover the chest with this curtain,o$Y(The Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects used in worship at the sacred tent.#-((SEE 4:2)%"E(Find out how many men between the ages of thirty and fifty are in the four Levite clans of Kohath. Count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.%! I(The LORD told Moses and Aaron:O (3Then he gave it to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded.{(2and it amounted to one thousand three hundred sixty-five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards.eE(1Moses collected the silver from the extra two hundred seventy-three first-born men and boys,=w(0This money must then be given to Aaron and his sons."mU(/For each one, you are to collect five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. (.But since there are more first-born sons than Levites, the extra two hundred seventy-three men and boys must be bought back from me.$C(-"The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the first-born sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' first-born livestock.3(,Then the LORD said,"A(+there were 22,273 of them.>y(*Moses obeyed the LORD and counted the first-born sons;5e()They belong to me, but I will accept the Levites as substitutes for them, and I will accept the Levites' livestock as substitutes for the Israelites' first-born livestock."((The LORD said to Moses, "Make a list and count the first-born sons at least one month old in each of the Israelite families.9('So Moses and Aaron obeyed the LORD and counted the Levites by their clans. The total number of Levites at least one month old was twenty-two thousand.q](&Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the sacred tent, on the east side, and to make sure that the Israelites worshiped in the proper way. Anyone else who tried to do the work of Moses and Aaron was to be put to death./(%(SEE 3:36)dC($Their duties included taking care of the tent frames and the pieces that held the tent up: the bars, the posts, the stands, and its other equipment. They were also in charge of the posts that supported the courtyard, as well as their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merari clans were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.xk(#The Merarites were to camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under the leadership of Zuriel son of Abihail.S!("and they had six thousand two hundred men and boys at least one month old.@}(!The two Merari clans were the Mahlites and the Mushites,} u( Eleazar son of Aaron was the head of the Levite leaders, and he made sure that the work at the sacred tent was done.' I(Their duties at the tent included taking care of the sacred chest, the table for the sacred bread, the lampstand, the altars, the objects used for worship, and the curtain in front of the most holy place. The Kohathites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.8 m(under the leadership of Elizaphan son of Uzziel.J (The Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the sacred tent,U %(and they had eight thousand six hundred men and boys at least one month old.]5(The four Kohath clans were the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and the Uzzielites,hK(the curtains hanging inside the courtyard around the tent, as well as the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard and its altar. The Gershonites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down. (Their duties at the tent included taking care of the tent itself, along with its outer covering, the curtain for the entrance,5g(under the leadership of Eliasaph son of Lael.J(The Gershonites were to camp on the west side of the sacred tent,V'(and they had seven thousand five hundred men and boys at least one month old.>y(The two Gershon clans were the Libnites and Shimeites,(And Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. These were the sons and grandsons of Levi, and they had become the leaders of the Levite clans.<u(Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.-W(Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei.a~=(Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, had become the heads of their own clans.)}O(So Moses obeyed and counted them.| ("Now I want you to count the men and boys in the Levi tribe by families and by clans. Include every one at least a month old."3{c(In the Sinai Desert the LORD said to Moses,z/( (SEE 3:11)y/( (SEE 3:11)nxW( Moses, I have chosen these Levites from all Israel, and they will belong to me in a special way. When I killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in every Israelite family and the first-born males of their flocks and herds would be mine. But now I accept these Levites in place of the first-born sons of the Israelites.}wu( who have been appointed to be priests. Anyone else who tries to perform the duties of a priest must be put to death.5vg( They are assigned to help Aaron and his sons,cuA(The Levites will serve the community by being responsible for the furnishings of the tent.Mt(and will work at the sacred tent for him and for all the Israelites.Os(Assign the Levi tribe to Aaron the priest. They will be his assistantsr;(The LORD said to Moses:vqg(But the LORD killed Nadab and Abihu in the Sinai Desert when they used fire that was unacceptable in their offering to the LORD. And because Nadab and Abihu had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with their father Aaron.0p](were the ones to be ordained as priests.>oy(Aaron's four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar,6n k(When the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai,Qm("Israel did everything the LORD had told Moses. They arranged their camp according to clans and families, with each tribe under its own banner. And that was the order by which they marched into battle.al=(!The only Israelites not included were the Levites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.k-( So all the Israelites in the camp were counted according to their ancestral families. The troops were arranged by divisions and totaled 603,550.9jo(These 157,600 troops will march into battle last.i/((SEE 2:29)sha(On the other side will be the tribe of Naphtali with Ahira son of Enan as the leader of its 53,400 troops.g/((SEE 2:27)ufe(On one side of Dan will be the tribe of Asher, with Pagiel son of Ochran as the leader of its 41,500 troops.e/((SEE 2:25)hdK(Dan and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 62,700 troops of the tribe of Dan will be arranged by divisions and led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.:cq(These 108,100 troops will march into battle third.b/((SEE 2:22)xak(On the other side will be the tribe of Benjamin, with Abidan son of Gideoni as the leader of its 35,400 troops.`/((SEE 2:20)_{(On one side of Ephraim will be the tribe of Manasseh, with Gamaliel son of Pedahzur as the leader of its 32,200 troops.^/((SEE 2:18)l]S(Ephraim and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the west side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 40,500 troops of the tribe of Ephraim will be arranged by divisions and led by Elishama son of Ammihud.\+(Marching behind Reuben will be the Levites, arranged in groups, just as they are camped. They will carry the sacred tent and their own banners.;[s(These 151,450 troops will march into battle second.Z/((SEE 2:14)sYa(On the other side will be the tribe of Gad, with Eliasaph son of Deuel as the leader of its 45,650 troops.X/( (SEE 2:12)W}( On one side of Reuben will be the tribe of Simeon, with Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai as the leader of its 59,300 troops.V/( (SEE 2:10)iUM( Reuben and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the south side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 46,500 troops of the tribe of Reuben will be arranged by divisions and led by Elizur son of Shedeur.:Tq( These 186,400 troops will march into battle first.S-((SEE 2:7)tRc(On the other side will be the tribe of Zebulun, with Eliab son of Helon as the leader of its 57,400 troops.Q-((SEE 2:5)zPo(On one side of Judah will be the tribe of Issachar, with Nethanel son of Zuar as the leader of its 54,400 troops.O-((SEE 2:3)iNM(Judah and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the east side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 74,600 troops of the tribe of Judah will be arranged by divisions and led by Nahshon son of Amminadab.`M;(how the Israelites should arrange their camp: Each tribe must set up camp under its own banner and under the flags of its ancestral families. These camps will be arranged around the sacred tent, but not close to it.$L G(The LORD told Moses and AaronCK (6The people of Israel did everything the LORD had commanded.J  (5But the Levites will camp around the sacred tent to make sure that no one goes near it and makes me furious with the Israelites.]I 7(4The rest of the Israelites will camp in their own groups and under their own banners.H /(3(SEE 1:50),G U(2Instead, give them the job of caring for the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the objects used for worship. They will camp around the tent, and whenever you move, they will take it down, carry it to the new camp, and set it up again. Anyone else who tries to go near it must be put to death.PF (1When you count the Israelites, do not include those from the Levi tribe.*E S(0because the LORD had said to Moses:6D k(/But those from the Levi tribe were not includedC /(.(SEE 1:20)B /(-(SEE 1:20)A /(,(SEE 1:20)@ /(+(SEE 1:20)? /(*(SEE 1:20)> /()(SEE 1:20)= /(((SEE 1:20)< /('(SEE 1:20); /(&(SEE 1:20): /(%(SEE 1:20)9 /($(SEE 1:20)8 /(#(SEE 1:20)7 /("(SEE 1:20)6 /(!(SEE 1:20)5 /( (SEE 1:20)4 /((SEE 1:20)3 /((SEE 1:20)2 /((SEE 1:20)1 /((SEE 1:20)0 /((SEE 1:20)/ /((SEE 1:20). /((SEE 1:20)- /((SEE 1:20), /((SEE 1:20)+ /((SEE 1:20)* /((SEE 1:20)k) S(The number of men from each tribe who were at least twenty years old and strong enough to fight in Israel's army was as follows: 46,500 from Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob, 59,300 from Simeon, 45,650 from Gad, 74,600 from Judah, 54,400 from Issachar, 57,400 from Zebulun, 40,500 from Ephraim, 32,200 from Manasseh, 35,400 from Benjamin, 62,700 from Dan, 41,500 from Asher, 53,400 from Naphtali. The total number of men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders was 603,550.&( K(just as the LORD had commanded.8' m(called together the people that same day. They were counted according to their clans and families. Then Moses and the others listed the names of the men twenty years and older,& /((SEE 1:16)C% (Moses and Aaron, together with these twelve tribal leaders,$ -((SEE 1:4)# -((SEE 1:4)" -( (SEE 1:4)! -( (SEE 1:4)  -( (SEE 1:4) -( (SEE 1:4) -( (SEE 1:4) -((SEE 1:4) -((SEE 1:4) -((SEE 1:4) -((SEE 1:4) (The following twelve family leaders, one from each tribe, will help you: Elizur son of Shedeur from Reuben, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai from Simeon, Nahshon son of Amminadab from Judah, Nethanel son of Zuar from Issachar, Eliab son of Helon from Zebulun, Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh, Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan, Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher, Eliasaph son of Deuel from Gad, and Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali. -((SEE 1:2); s(I want you and Aaron to find out how many people are in each of Israel's clans and families. And make a list of all the men twenty years and older who are able to fight in battle.> {(The people of Israel had left Egypt and were living in the Sinai Desert. Then on the first day of the second month of the second year, Moses was in the sacred tent when the LORD said:]5"Moses was on Mount Sinai when the LORD gave him these laws for the people of Israel. !no matter how good or bad it is. If you substitute one animal for another, both of them become holy, and neither can be bought back.p[ When you count your flocks and herds, one out of ten of every newborn animal is holy and belongs to me, If you want to buy back this part of your harvest, you may do so by paying what it is worth plus an additional twenty percent.}Ten percent of everything you harvest is holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your fields or on your fruit trees.[1In fact, any humans who have been promised to me in this way must be put to death.MAnything that you completely dedicate to me must be completely destroyed. It cannot be bought back or sold. Every person, animal, and piece of property that you dedicate completely is only for me.RIf you promise me a donkey, you may buy it back by adding an additional twenty percent to its value. If you don't buy it back, it can be sold to someone else for whatever a priest has said it is worth.w iAll first-born animals of your flocks and herds are already mine, and so you cannot promise any of them to me.: qEvery price will be set by the official standards.m UHowever, on the next Year of Celebration, the land will go back to the family of its original owner. -its value will be decided by a priest, according to the number of years before the next Year of Celebration, and the money you pay will be mine.7 kIf you promise me a field that you have bought,}When the Year of Celebration comes, the land becomes holy because it belongs to me, and it will be given to the priests.Dbut you cannot buy it back once someone else has bought it.fGIf you decide to buy back the land, you must pay the price plus an additional twenty percent,}But any time after that, the price will be figured according to the number of years before the next Year of Celebration.gIIf this promise is made in the Year of Celebration, the land will be valued at the full price.KIf you promise part of your family's land to me, its value must be determined by the bushels of seed needed to plant the land, and the rate will be ten pieces of silver for every bushel of seed.U%But if you decide to buy it back, you must pay an additional twenty percent.hKIf you promise a house to me, a priest will set the price, whatever the condition of the house.S! But if you want to buy it back, you must pay an additional twenty percent.(M and let him determine its value.i~M Donkeys are unfit for sacrifice, so if you promise me a donkey, you must bring it to the priest,}# If you try to substitute any other animal, no matter how good, for the one you promised, they will both become holy and must be sacrificed.o|Y If you promise to sacrifice an animal to me, it becomes holy, and there is no way you can set it free.A{}If you have promised to give someone to me and can't afford to pay the full amount for that person's release, you will be taken to a priest, and he will decide how much you can afford.z/(SEE 27:3)y/(SEE 27:3)x/(SEE 27:3)w/(SEE 27:3):voyou may do so by paying the following amounts, weighed according to the official standards: fifty pieces of silver for men ages twenty to sixty, and thirty pieces for women; twenty pieces of silver for young men ages five to twenty, and ten pieces for young women; fifteen pieces of silver for men ages sixty and above and ten pieces for women; five pieces of silver for boys ages one month to five years, and three pieces for girls.iuMto say to the community of Israel: If you ever want to free someone who has been promised to me,t 3The LORD told MosesksQ.Moses was on Mount Sinai when the LORD gave him these laws and teachings for the people of Israel.r5-While nations watched, I rescued your ancestors from Egypt so that I would be their God. Yes, I am your LORD, and I will never forget our agreement.6qg,No matter what you have done, I am still the LORD your God, and I will never completely reject you or become absolutely disgusted with you there in the land of your enemies.}pu+and let it rest during the time that you are in a foreign country, paying for your rebellion against me and my laws.ioM*I'll keep the promise I made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bless your landn1)(SEE 26:40)nmW(Then suppose you realize that I turned against you and brought you to the land of your enemies because both you and your ancestors had stubbornly sinned against me. If you humbly confess what you have done and start living right,olY'and others of you will waste away in sorrow as the result of your sins and the sins of your ancestors..kY&Many of you will die in foreign lands,j1%(SEE 26:36)Wi)$In the land of your enemies, you will tremble at the rustle of a leaf, as though it were a sword. And you will become so weak that you will stumble and fall over each other, even when no one is chasing you.h1#(SEE 26:34))gM"While you are prisoners in foreign lands, your own land will enjoy years of rest and refreshment, as it should have done each seventh year when you lived there.dfC!After I destroy your towns and ruin your land with war, I'll scatter you among the nations.tec Your land will become so desolate that even your enemies who settle there will be shocked when they see it.}duI'll wipe out your towns and your places of worship and will no longer be pleased with the smell of your sacrifices.c3I'll destroy your shrines and tear down your incense altars, leaving your dead bodies piled on top of your idols. And you will be disgusting to me.Xb+In fact, you will be so desperate for food that you will eat your own children.Ga I'll really get furious and punish you terribly for your sins!)`OThen if you don't stop rebelling,2__You will have such a shortage of bread, that ten women will be able to bake their bread in the same oven. Each of you will get only a few crumbs, and you will go hungry.7^iWar will break out because you broke our agreement, and if you escape to your walled cities, I'll punish you with horrible diseases, and you will be captured by your enemies.9]oI'll remain your enemy and punish you even worse.,\UIf you remain my enemies after this,"[?I'll send wild animals to attack you, and they will gobble down your children and livestock. So few of you will be left that your roads will be deserted.hZKIf you keep rebelling against me, I'll punish you seven times worse, just as your sins deserve!cYAAll of your hard work will be for nothing--and there will be no harvest of grain or fruit.)XMuntil your pride is completely crushed. I will hold back the rain, so the sky above you will be like iron, and the ground beneath your feet will be like copper.cWAThen, if you still refuse to obey me, I will punish you seven times for each of your sins,|Vsand I will turn from you and let you be destroyed by your attackers. You will even run at the very rumor of attack.IU I will punish you terribly, and you will be ruined. You will be struck with incurable diseases and with fever that leads to blindness and depression. Your enemies will eat the crops you plant,T1(SEE 26:14)GS If you disobey me and my laws, and if you break our agreement, R; I am the LORD your God, and I rescued you from Egypt, so that you would never again be slaves. I have set you free; now walk with your heads held high.MQ I will walk with you--I will be your God, and you will be my people.HP  I will live among you and never again look on you with disgust.6Oi Your barns will overflow with grain each year.xNk I will treat you with such kindness that your nation will grow strong, and I will also keep my promises to you.uMeeven if there are only five of you and a hundred of them, or only a hundred of you and ten thousand of them.0L]You will chase and destroy your enemies,K+I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks.&JGYour harvest of grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety.SI!and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your trees produce fruit. H=Faithfully obey my laws,]G5Respect the Sabbath and honor the place where I am worshiped, because I am the LORD.UF 'I am the LORD your God! So don't make or worship any sort of idols or images.hEK7People of Israel, I am the LORD your God, and I brought you out of Egypt to be my own servants. D6If you cannot gain your freedom in any of these ways, both you and your children will still be set free in the Year of Celebration.C5And even while you are the slaves of foreigners in your own country, your people must make sure that you are not mistreated.B14(SEE 25:51)GA 3The longer the time until then, the more you will have to pay.u@e2by paying your owner for the number of years you would still be a slave before the next Year of Celebration.}?u1or uncle or cousin, or some other family member. In fact, if you ever get enough money, you may buy your own freedomQ>0you still have the right to be set free by a relative, such as a brother{=q/Even if some of you Israelites become so much in debt that you must sell yourselves to foreigners in your country, <.You can own them, and even leave them to your children when you die, but do not make slaves of your own people or be cruel to them.Z;/-or from the foreigners who live in your own country, and make them your property.7:k,If you want slaves, buy them from other nations39c+So obey me, and don't be cruel to the poor.Q8*I brought them out of Egypt to be my servants, not to be sold as slaves.S7!)so they and their children may return home to their families and property.}6u(Then you must treat them as servants, rather than as slaves. And in the Year of Celebration they are to be set free,m5U'Suppose some of your people become so poor that they have to sell themselves and become your slaves.4}&Remember--I am the LORD your God! I rescued you from Egypt and gave you the land of Canaan, so that I would be your God.31%(SEE 25:36)#2A$Don't take advantage of them by charging any kind of interest or selling them food for profit. Instead, honor me by letting them stay where they now live. 1;#If any of your people become poor and unable to support themselves, you must help them, just as you are supposed to help foreigners who live among you.c0A"No pastureland owned by the Levi tribe can ever be sold; it is their permanent possession.3/a!And any houses that they do not buy back will be returned to them in the Year of Celebration, because these homes are their permanent property among the people of Israel.j.O If any Levites own houses inside a walled city, they will always have the right to buy them back.!-=But a house out in a village may be bought back at any time just like a field. And it must be returned to its original owner in the Year of Celebration.4,cIf you don't buy it back before that year is up, it becomes the permanent property of the one who bought it, and it will not be returned to you in the Year of Celebration.^+7If you sell a house in a walled city, you have only one year in which to buy it back.4*cBut if you don't have the money to pay the present owner a fair price, you will have to wait until the Year of Celebration, when the property will once again become yours.#)Ayou must pay enough to make up for what the present owner will lose on it before the next Year of Celebration, when the property would become yours again.L(if that relative has the money. Later, if you can afford to buy it,'If any of you Israelites become so poor that you are forced to sell your property, your closest relative must buy it back,b&?When property is being sold, the original owner must be given the first chance to buy it. % No land may be permanently bought or sold. It all belongs to me--it isn't your land, and you only live there for a little while.$$CIn the eighth year you will live on what you harvested in the sixth year, but in the ninth year you will eat what you plant and harvest in the eighth year.\#3I will see to it that you harvest enough in the sixth year to last for three years.u"eDon't ever worry about what you will eat during the seventh year when you are forbidden to plant or harvest.!1(SEE 25:18)j OIf you obey my laws and teachings, you will live safely in the land and enjoy its abundant crops.CI am the LORD your God, so obey me and don't cheat anyone.'IIf it is a long time before the next Year of Celebration, the price will be higher, because what is really being sold are the crops that the land can produce.1(SEE 25:14)'ISo when you buy or sell farmland, the price is to be determined by the number of crops it can produce before the next Year of Celebration. Don't try to cheat.K During this year, all property must go back to its original owner.S! In this time of sacred celebration you may eat only what grows on its own.zo This is a year of complete celebration, so don't plant any seed or harvest what your fields or vineyards produce. Hs~~~N~0}}3|R{{{zzzzyyRwwwwxw\vvvuu"tsssQs4rr6rqq:ppxooznmmxlkk5jj-i~hRgggug:gffRee7dddccbbSaa]G]+]\\\\\\g\K\/\[[[[[[k[O[3[ZZZZZZoZSZ7ZYYYYYYsYWY;YYXXXXXwX[X?X#XWWWWW{W_WCW'W VVVVVVcVGV+VUUUUUSRRRRQQQaQ%PPeOOJNN:MMLLLKKTKJb>F='= <<;;;;t::m:9A9%88T76665444n33L322.11F00///-.+--Z,,0++**I))((|(*''&&z%%Q%$$H##"A!c!F @Ic(6xCxC|`D( &  2 3  Fk8[\a MX+(If we obey the LORD, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey.@}(and said: We saw the land ourselves, and it's very good.5g(Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrowA(Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd.R(Then they said to one another, "Let's choose our own leader and go back."(Is the LORD leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt."nW(and complained to Moses and Aaron, "We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert!u g(After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night ( !In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers."  ( Then they started spreading rumors and saying, "We won't be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants.N ( But the other men replied, "Those people are much too strong for us."a =( Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, "Let's go and take the land. I know we can do it!"K ( Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites live along the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.}u( But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim clans.X+( and said: Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey.!( the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit6i( After exploring the land of Canaan forty days,1( (SEE 13:23){q( When they got to Bunch Valley, they cut off a branch with such a huge bunch of grapes, that it took two men to carry it on a pole. That's why the place was called Bunch Valley. Along with the grapes, they also took back pomegranates and figs.Z/( As they went through the Southern Desert, they came to the town of Hebron, which was seven years older than the Egyptian town of Zoan. In Hebron, they saw the three Anakim clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai.( The twelve men left to explore Canaan from the Zin Desert in the south all the way to the town of Rehob near Lebo-Hamath in the north.1( (SEE 13:19)hK( and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It's time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.w~i( and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are,}( Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said: After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country|/( (SEE 13:4){/( (SEE 13:4)z/( (SEE 13:4)y/( (SEE 13:4)x/( (SEE 13:4)w/( (SEE 13:4)v/( (SEE 13:4)u/( (SEE 13:4)t/( (SEE 13:4)s/( (SEE 13:4)r/( (SEE 13:4)q/( (SEE 13:4)ap=( with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names: Shammua son of Zaccur from Reuben, Shaphat son of Hori from Simeon, Caleb son of Jephunneh from Judah, Igal son of Joseph from Issachar, Joshua son of Nun from Ephraim, Palti son of Raphu from Benjamin, Gaddiel son of Sodi from Zebulun, Gaddi son of Susi from Manasseh, Ammiel son of Gemalli from Dan, Sethur son of Michael from Asher, Nahbi son of Vophsi from Naphtali, and Geuel son of Machi from Gad.So!( So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran DesertinM( "Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you."m ;( The LORD said to Moses,El( Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the Paran Desert.]k5( The people of Israel did not move their camp until Miriam returned seven days later.Gj ( But the LORD replied, "Miriam would be disgraced for seven days if her father had punished her by spitting in her face. So make her stay outside the camp for seven days, before coming back."2ia( Moses prayed, "LORD God, please heal her."Ch( Don't let Miriam's flesh rot away like a child born dead!"Wg)( he said to Moses, "Sir, please don't punish us for doing such a foolish thing.f( and the cloud disappeared from over the sacred tent, Miriam's skin turned white with leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her,Ke( The LORD became angry at Aaron and Miriam. And after the LORD leftd( He sees me face to face, and everything I say to him is perfectly clear. You have no right to criticize my servant Moses."8cm( But my servant Moses is the leader of my people.xbk( Then after commanding them to listen carefully, he said: "I, the LORD, speak to prophets in visions and dreams.Ua%( There the LORD appeared in a cloud and told Aaron and Miriam to come closer.V`'( and told Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to come to the entrance of the sacred tent._/( (SEE 12:1)^/( (SEE 12:1)] ( Although Moses was the most humble person in all the world, Miriam and Aaron started complaining, "Moses had no right to marry that woman from Ethiopia! Who does he think he is? The LORD has spoken to us, not just to him." The LORD heard their complaint8\m( #Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.y[m( "After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place "Graves for the Greedy."gZI( !But before the meat could be eaten, the LORD became angry and sent a disease through the camp.Yy( The people picked up quails for two days--each person filled at least fifty bushels. Then they spread them out to dry.LX( Some time later the LORD sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about three feet high for miles in every direction.=Ww( Then Moses and the seventy leaders went back to camp.!V=( But Moses replied, "Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the LORD would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet."|Us( Joshua was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, "Sir, you must stop them!">Ty( A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.(SK( Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp.pR[( and the LORD spoke with him. Then the LORD took some authority from Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. And when the LORD's Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.MQ( Moses told the people what the LORD had said. Then he chose seventy respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside,YP-( The LORD answered, "I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true."O( Even if we butchered all of our sheep and cattle, or caught every fish in the sea, we wouldn't have enough to feed them."/NY( Moses replied, "At least six hundred thousand grown men are here with me. How can you say there will be enough meat to feed them and their families for a whole month?M1( (SEE 11:19)ZL/( In fact, they will have meat day after day for a whole month--not just a few days, or even ten or twenty. They turned against me and wanted to return to Egypt. Now they will eat meat until they get sick of it.PK( As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat.:Jo( While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.rI_( The LORD said to Moses: Choose seventy of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent.aH=( If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!XG+( This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself?GF ( They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them?E}( but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors. D;( He prayed: I am your servant, LORD, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people,Cy( The Israelites stood around their tents complaining. Moses heard them and was upset that they had made the LORD angry.B/( (SEE 11:8)]A5( and tasted like something baked with sweet olive oil. It appeared at night with the dew. In the morning the people would collect the manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers..@Y( The manna was like small whitish seedsO?( But we're starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna."l>S( In Egypt we could eat all the fish we wanted, and there were cucumbers, melons, onions, and garlic."=?( One day some worthless foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, "We don't have any meat!b<?( They named the place "Burning," because in his anger the LORD had set their camp on fire.P;( When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out.+: S( One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The LORD heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.9( $And when they stopped to set up camp, he would pray, "Our LORD, stay close to Israel's thousands and thousands of people."}8u( #Each day as the Israelites began their journey, Moses would pray, "Our LORD, defeat your enemies and make them run!".7Y( "And the cloud always stayed with them.B6( !The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai. They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the LORD could show them where to camp.a5=( Besides that, if you go, we will give you a share of the good things the LORD gives us."r4_( "Please go with us!" Moses said. "You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert.Y3-( "No, I won't go," Hobab answered. "I'm returning home to be with my own people."~2w( Hobab the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, was there. And Moses said to him, "We're leaving for the place the LORD has promised us. He has said that all will go well for us. So come along, and we will make sure that all goes well for you."\13( This was the order in which the Israelites marched each time they moved their camp.D0( and Ahira son of Enan was the leader of the Naphtali tribe.?/{( Pagiel son of Ochran was the leader of the Asher tribe,b.?( Dan and the tribes that camped alongside it were to protect the Israelites against an attack from behind, and so they marched last, carrying their banner. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the leader of the tribe of Dan,H- ( and Abidan son of Gideoni was the leader of the Benjamin tribe.G, ( Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the leader of the Manasseh tribe,+/( Ephraim and the tribes that camped alongside it marched next, carrying their banner. Elishama son of Ammihud was the leader of the Ephraim tribe,* ( Next were the Kohathites, carrying the objects for the sacred tent, which was to be set up before they arrived at the new camp.C)( and Eliasaph son of Deuel was the leader of the Gad tribe.I( ( Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the leader of the Simeon tribe,'3( Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner. Elizur son of Shedeur was the leader of the Reuben tribe,&y( The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp.D%( and Eliab son of Helon was the leader of the Zebulun tribe.C$( Nethanel son of Zuar was the leader of the Issachar tribe,#3( Judah and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out first, carrying their banner. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the leader of the Judah tribe,d"C( This was the first time the LORD had told Moses to command the people of Israel to move on.|!s( So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.m U( On the twentieth day of the second month of that same year, the cloud over the sacred tent moved on.;q( During the celebration of the New Moon Festival and other religious festivals, sound the trumpets while you offer sacrifices. This will be a reminder that I am the LORD your God. ;( Whenever you go into battle against an enemy attacking your land, give a warning signal on the trumpets. Then I, the LORD, will hear it and rescue you.mU( The priests of Aaron's family will be the ones to blow the trumpets, and this law will never change.^7( But when you want everyone to come together, sound a different signal on the trumpet./( (SEE 10:5)M( Give a signal on a trumpet when it is time to break camp. The first blast will be the signal for the tribes camped on the east side, and the second blast will be the signal for those on the south.X+( But if just one is blown, only the twelve tribal leaders need to come together.eE( If both trumpets are blown, everyone is to meet with you at the entrance to the sacred tent.1( Have someone make two trumpets out of hammered silver. These will be used to call the people together and to give the signal for moving your camp. 5( The LORD told Moses:M( They obeyed the LORD's commands and went wherever he directed Moses./( (SEE 9:20)/( (SEE 9:20)Q( whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites./( (SEE 9:17)/( (SEE 9:17)1( The LORD used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there,/( (SEE 9:15)& G( As soon as the sacred tent was set up, a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it.u e( Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.W )( But if any of you refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.y m( and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations. ( But it must be done in the second month, in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs,G ( to say to the community of Israel: If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. =( The LORD then told MoseslS( Moses said, "Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the LORD says about this.")( "Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the LORD at the same time as everyone else?".W( Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the LORD, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron,-( (SEE 9:4) ;( Moses told the people what the LORD had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.hK( in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month and do it by following all the regulations."1_( to say to the people, "Celebrate Passoverc C( During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert, the LORD had told Moses&~G(They may help the other Levites in their duties, but they must no longer be responsible for any work themselves. Remember this when you assign their duties."}/((SEE 8:24) |("Levites who are between the ages of twenty-five and fifty can work at my sacred tent. But once they turn fifty, they must retire.!{?(The LORD also told Moses,zy(After this, the Levites worked at the sacred tent as assistants to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded.Yy-(The Levites sprinkled themselves with the water of forgiveness and washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to the altar and offered sacrifices to forgive their sins and make them acceptable to the LORD.qx](Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites made sure that the Levites did everything the LORD had commanded.9wm(and I have given them as gifts to Aaron and his sons to serve at the sacred tent. I will hold them responsible for what happens to anyone who gets too close to the sacred tent.Tv#(But now I have chosen these Levites as substitutes for the first-born sons,Au}(When I killed the oldest sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in each Israelite family would be mine, as well as every first-born male from their flocks and herds.Pt(They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons.vsg(After they have been made acceptable and have been dedicated, they will be allowed to work at my sacred tent.|rs(This ceremony will show that the Levites are different from the other Israelites and belong to me in a special way.uqe( The Levites will stand at my altar in front of Aaron and his sons, who will then dedicate the Levites to me.Gp ( After this, the Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. Then one of the bulls will be sacrificed for the forgiveness of sin, and the other to make sure that I am pleased.moU( Aaron will present the Levites to me as a gift from the people, so that the Levites will do my work.8nm( where the people will place their hands on them.pm[( Then you, Moses, will call together all the people of Israel and have the Levites go to my sacred tent,l-(They are to bring a bull and its proper grain sacrifice of flour mixed with olive oil. And they must bring a second bull as a sacrifice for sin.k (and sprinkle them with the water that washes away their sins. Then have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes. j(The Levites must be acceptable to me before they begin working at the sacred tent. So separate them from the rest of the Israelitesi;(The LORD said to Moses:h/(The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the decorative flowers on top, exactly like the pattern the LORD had described to Moses.9go(Aaron obeyed and placed the lamps as he was told.]f5("Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand so they shine toward the front."e ;(The LORD said to Moses,Cd(YWhenever Moses needed to talk with the LORD, he went into the sacred tent, where he heard the LORD's voice coming from between the two winged creatures above the lid of the sacred chest.c/(X(SEE 7:84)b/(W(SEE 7:84)a/(V(SEE 7:84)`/(U(SEE 7:84)f_G(TAnd so when the altar was dedicated to the LORD, these twelve leaders brought the following gifts: twelve silver bowls and twelve silver sprinkling bowls, weighing a total of about sixty pounds, according to the official standards; twelve gold dishes filled with incense and weighing about three pounds; twelve bulls, twelve full-grown rams, and twelve rams a year old as sacrifices to please the LORD, along with the proper grain sacrifices; twelve goats as sacrifices for sin; and twenty-four bulls, sixty full-grown rams, sixty goats, and sixty rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing.^/(S(SEE 7:12)]/(R(SEE 7:12)\/(Q(SEE 7:12)[/(P(SEE 7:12)Z/(O(SEE 7:12)Y/(N(SEE 7:12)X/(M(SEE 7:12)W/(L(SEE 7:12)V/(K(SEE 7:12)U/(J(SEE 7:12)T/(I(SEE 7:12)S/(H(SEE 7:12)R/(G(SEE 7:12)Q/(F(SEE 7:12)P/(E(SEE 7:12)O/(D(SEE 7:12)N/(C(SEE 7:12)M/(B(SEE 7:12)L/(A(SEE 7:12)K/(@(SEE 7:12)J/(?(SEE 7:12)I/(>(SEE 7:12)H/(=(SEE 7:12)G/(<(SEE 7:12)F/(;(SEE 7:12)E/(:(SEE 7:12)D/(9(SEE 7:12)C/(8(SEE 7:12)B/(7(SEE 7:12)A/(6(SEE 7:12)@/(5(SEE 7:12)?/(4(SEE 7:12)>/(3(SEE 7:12)=/(2(SEE 7:12)</(1(SEE 7:12);/(0(SEE 7:12):/(/(SEE 7:12)9/(.(SEE 7:12)8/(-(SEE 7:12)7/(,(SEE 7:12)6/(+(SEE 7:12)5/(*(SEE 7:12)4/()(SEE 7:12)3/(((SEE 7:12)2/('(SEE 7:12)1/(&(SEE 7:12)0/(%(SEE 7:12)//($(SEE 7:12)./(#(SEE 7:12)-/("(SEE 7:12),/(!(SEE 7:12)+/( (SEE 7:12)*/((SEE 7:12))/((SEE 7:12)(/((SEE 7:12)'/((SEE 7:12)&/((SEE 7:12)%/((SEE 7:12)$/((SEE 7:12)#/((SEE 7:12)"/((SEE 7:12)!/((SEE 7:12) /((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/((SEE 7:12)/( (SEE 7:12);q( So each leader brought the following gifts: a silver bowl that weighed over three pounds and a silver sprinkling bowl weighing almost two pounds, both of them filled with flour and olive oil as grain sacrifices and weighed according to the official standards; a small gold dish filled with incense; a young bull, a full-grown ram, and a year-old ram as sacrifices to please the LORD; a goat as a sacrifice for sin; and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five goats, and five rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing. The tribal leaders brought their gifts and offerings in the following order: On the first day Nahshon from Judah, on the second day Nethanel from Issachar, on the third day Eliab from Zebulun, on the fourth day Elizur from Reuben, on the fifth day Shelumiel from Simeon, on the sixth day Eliasaph from Gad, on the seventh day Elishama from Ephraim, on the eighth day Gamaliel from Manasseh, on the ninth day Abidan from Benjamin, on the tenth day Ahiezer from Dan, on the eleventh day Pagiel from Asher, on the twelfth day Ahira from Naphtali.b?( The LORD said to Moses, "Each day one leader is to give his offering for the dedication."eE( On the day the altar was dedicated, the twelve leaders brought offerings for its dedication.!( But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were in charge of the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.-((SEE 7:7)D(who were under the leadership of Ithamar son of Aaron. Moses gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work, and four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work.I (Then Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites,r_("Accept these gifts, so the Levites can use them here at the sacred tent for carrying the sacred things.";(The LORD said to Moses,(with gifts for the LORD. They brought six strong carts and twelve oxen--one ox from each leader and a cart from every two. y(Then the twelve tribal leaders of Israel, the same men who had been in charge of counting the people, came to the tent  '(When Moses had finished setting up the sacred tent, he dedicated it to the LORD, together with its furnishings, the altar, and its equipment.r _(Then the LORD said, "If Aaron and his sons ask me to bless the Israelites, I will give them my blessing."8 m(May the LORD be good to you and give you peace."5 g(and that he will show you mercy and kindness.8m(I pray that the LORD will bless and protect you,L("When Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel, they must say:5(The LORD told Moses,lS(These are the requirements for Nazirites. However, if you can afford to offer more, you must do so.(K(You will hand them back to the priest, who will lift them up in dedication to me. Then he can eat the meat from the ram's shoulder, its choice ribs, and its hind leg, because this is his share of the sacrifice. After this, you will no longer be a Nazirite and will be free to drink wine.+Q(Once the meat from the ram's shoulder has been boiled, the priest will take it, along with one loaf of bread and one wafer brushed with oil, and give them to you.4c(After that, you will stand at the entrance to the sacred tent, shave your head, and put the hair in the fire where the priest has offered the sacrifice to ask my blessing.M(Then he will sacrifice the ram and offer the wine, grain, and bread.ue(The priest will take these gifts to my altar and offer them, so that I will be pleased and will forgive you.mU(Wine offerings and grain sacrifices must also be brought with these animals. Finally, you are to bring a basket of bread made with your finest flour and olive oil, but without yeast. Also bring some thin wafers brushed with oil.V~'(and offer three animals that have nothing wrong with them: a year-old ram as a sacrifice to please me, a year-old female lamb as a sacrifice for sin, and a full-grown ram as a sacrifice to ask my blessing.^}7( When you have completed your promised time of being a Nazirite, go to the sacred tentN|( But the dead body made you unacceptable, so you must make another vow to become a Nazirite and be dedicated once more. Finally, a year-old ram must be offered as the sacrifice to make things right.K{( He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me. You will then be forgiven for being too near a dead body, and your hair will again become sacred._z9( Then on the next day, bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the sacred tent.y+( If someone suddenly dies near you, your hair is no longer sacred, and you must shave it seven days later during the ceremony to make you clean.x-((SEE 6:7)#wA(not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister. That would make you unclean. Your hair is the sign that you are dedicated to me, so remain holy.Yv-(During the time that you are a Nazirite, you must never go close to a dead body,vug(Even the hair of a Nazirite is sacred to me, and as long as you are a Nazirite, you must never cut your hair.$tE(not even the seeds or skins.s}(you must no longer drink any wine or beer or use any kind of vinegar. Don't drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins--vrg(to say to the people of Israel: If any of you want to dedicate yourself to me by vowing to become a Nazirite,q 3(The LORD told MoseskpQ(If the husband is wrong, he will not be punished; but if his wife is guilty, she will be punished.o/((SEE 5:29)Vn'(This is the ceremony that must take place at my altar when a husband suspects that his wife has been unfaithful. The priest must have the woman stand in my presence and carefully follow these instructions.jmO(But if she is innocent, her body will not be harmed, and she will still be able to have children.l(If the woman has been unfaithful, the water will immediately make her unable to have children, and she will be a curse among her people._k9(and burn part of it as a sacrifice. After that, the woman must drink the bitter water.j(He will take the barley offering from her and lift it up in dedication to me, the LORD. Then he will place it on my altarRi(so that when the woman drinks this water, the curses will enter her body.ehE(The priest will write these curses on special paper and wash them off into the bitter water,g/((SEE 5:18)f/((SEE 5:18)e/((SEE 5:18)d/((SEE 5:18)c(Next, he will remove her veil, then hand her the barley offering, and say, "If you have been faithful to your husband, this water won't harm you. But if you have been unfaithful, it will bring down the LORD's curse--you will never be able to give birth to a child, and everyone will curse your name." Then the woman will answer, "If I am guilty, let it happen just as you say."qb](where he will pour sacred water into a clay jar and stir in some dust from the floor of the sacred tent.:aq(The priest is to have the woman stand at my altar,;`q(He must take his wife to the priest, together with two pounds of ground barley as an offering to find out if she is guilty. No olive oil or incense is to be put on that offering._/((SEE 5:12)^/( (SEE 5:12) ]( to say to the people of Israel: Suppose a man becomes jealous and suspects that his wife has been unfaithful, but he has no proof.\3( The LORD told Moses[-( (SEE 5:9) Z( When you make a donation to the sacred tent, that money belongs only to the priest, and each priest will keep what is given to him.]Y5(If the victim has no relative who can accept this money, it belongs to me and will be paid to the priest. In addition to that payment, you must take a ram for the priest to sacrifice so your sin will be forgiven.X}(You must confess your guilt and pay the victim in full for whatever damage has been done, plus a fine of twenty percent.uWe(to say to the community of Israel: If any of you commit a crime against someone, you have sinned against me.V3(The LORD told Moses6Ui(The Israelites obeyed the LORD's instructions.T-((SEE 5:2)MS(to say to the people of Israel, "Put out of the camp everyone who has leprosy or a bodily discharge or who has touched a dead body. Now that I live among my people, their camp must be kept clean."R 3(The LORD told MosesQ/(1(SEE 4:34)P/(0(SEE 4:34)O/(/(SEE 4:34)N/(.(SEE 4:34) Ud~~S}{{{{l{5zbyyey(x-xwkvvuutttssRrrrqqqCpup$odoGnn"nmlkkjjj5iixhhhhngggDg'g flfeedd.ccTbbuaaa ``r____^u^X^\\\[[ZYY%Y XX?WWHVUUU&TSSSzRRReRQmQPyP(NNNNMMLLfKhJJ I~HHHxGFEEzDDDCCoC BmAA|A @??v?9>>)==?< (^mE H L  g!DUk Q(Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.2 _(But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz.X +(Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we won't get off the main road.H  (The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites: (Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgah in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.-W(then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth.)(With their royal scepters, our leaders pointed out where to dig the well. The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah,xk(That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song: Let's celebrate! The well has given us water.2_(From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the LORD had said to Moses, "Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink."]5(with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar./(A song in The Book of the LORD's Battles mentions the town of Waheb with its creeks in the territory of Suphah. It also mentions the Arnon River,5e( After that, they crossed the Arnon River gorge and camped in the Moabite desert bordering Amorite territory. The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.$E( and then in the Zered Gorge.6i( then at Iye-Abarim in the desert east of Moab,S!( As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they camped at Oboth,~( Moses obeyed the LORD. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.})(and the LORD answered, "Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and won't die."'|I(Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, "It was wrong of us to insult you and the LORD. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away." Moses prayed,N{(Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.>zw(that they complained against God and said to Moses, "Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!"4yc(The Israelites had to go around the territory of Edom, so when they left Mount Hor, they headed south toward the Red Sea. But along the way, the people became so impatientCx(The LORD answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means "Destroyed Place."8wk(The Israelites prayed, "Our LORD, if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you."Hv (The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.Yu-(the people knew that Aaron had died, and they mourned his death for thirty days.t(Moses then took the priestly robe from Aaron and placed it on Eleazar. Aaron died there. When Moses and Eleazar came down,gsI(Moses obeyed, and everyone watched as he and Aaron and Eleazar walked to the top of Mount Hor.ar=(Then take Aaron's priestly robe from him and place it on Eleazar. Aaron will die there."Mq(Moses, go with Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of the mountain.p("Aaron, this is where you will die. You and Moses disobeyed me at Meribah, and so you will not enter the land I promised the Israelites.-oW(on the Edomite border, the LORD said,Nn(After the Israelites had left Kadesh and had gone as far as Mount HormmU(to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.pl[(But the Edomite king insisted, "You can't go through our land!" Then Edom sent out its strongest troops3ka(Moses sent back this message: "We promise to stay on the main road, and if any of us or our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. We just want to pass through."yjm(But the Edomite king answered, "No, I won't let you go through our country! And if you try, we will attack you."Fi(Please let us go through your country. We won't go near your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. We will stay on the main road until we leave your territory.2h_(and when we begged our LORD for help, he answered our prayer and brought us out of that land. Now we are camped at the border of your territory, near the town of Kadesh.ngW(Our ancestors settled in Egypt and lived there a long time. But later the Egyptians were cruel to us,Xf+(Moses sent messengers from Israel's camp near Kadesh with this message for the king of Edom: We are Israelites, your own relatives, and we're sure you have heard the terrible things that have happened to us.8ek( The Israelites had complained against the LORD, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means "Complaining."Jd( But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.""c?( He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.b+( After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, "Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!"=aw( Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent.`/((SEE 20:7)X_+(and said, "Moses, get your walking stick. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That's how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock."^(Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The LORD appeared to them in all of his glory ];(Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we don't even have any water."X\+(You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die!|[s(and complained, "Moses, we'd be better off if we had died along with the others in front of the LORD's sacred tent.EZ(The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron$Y E(The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.~Xw(When you are unclean, everything you touch becomes unclean, and anyone who touches you will be unclean until evening.FW(These laws will never change. The man who sprinkled the water and the ashes on you when you were unclean must also wash his clothes. And whoever touches this water is unclean until evening.OV(If you are unclean and refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes, you will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean, and you will no longer belong to the people of Israel.$UC(If this is done on the third day and on the seventh day, you will be clean. Then after you take a bath and wash your clothes, you can worship that evening.T1((SEE 19:17)S(Before you can be made clean, someone who is clean must take some of the ashes from the burnt cow and stir them into a pot of spring water. That same person must dip a hyssop branch in the water and ashes, then sprinkle it on the tent and everything in it, including everyone who was inside. If you have touched a human bone, a grave, or a dead body, you must be sprinkled with that water.R5(If you touch the body of someone who was killed or who died of old age, or if you touch a human bone or a grave, you will be unclean for seven days.,QU(Any open jar in the tent is unclean.P'(If someone dies in a tent while you are there, you will be unclean for seven days. And anyone who later enters the tent will also be unclean.VO'( Suppose you touch a dead body, but refuse to be made clean by washing with the water mixed with ashes. You will be guilty of making my sacred tent unclean and will no longer belong to the people of Israel.lNS( But if you wash with the water mixed with the cow's ashes on the third day and again on the seventh day, you will be clean and acceptable for worship. You must wash yourself on those days; if you don't, you will remain unclean.FM( If you touch a dead body, you will be unclean for seven days.BL( The man who collects the ashes must wash his clothes, but will remain unclean until evening. This law must always be obeyed by the people of Israel and the foreigners living among them.YK-( A man who isn't unclean must collect the ashes of the burnt cow and store them outside the camp in a clean place. The people of Israel can mix these ashes with the water used in the ceremony to wash away sin.uJe(The man who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and take a bath, but he is also unclean until evening.3Ia(After the ceremony, the priest is to take a bath and wash his clothes. Only then can he go back into the camp, but he remains unclean and unfit for worship until evening.lHS(A priest is to throw a stick of cedar wood, a hyssop branch, and a piece of red yarn into the fire.YG-(Then the whole cow, including its skin, meat, blood, and insides must be burned.oFY(He will dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times in the direction of the sacred tent.yEm(Moses will give it to Eleazar the priest, then it will be led outside the camp and killed while Eleazar watches.D/((SEE 19:1);C s(The LORD gave Moses and Aaron the following law: The people of Israel must bring Moses a reddish-brown cow that has nothing wrong with it and that has never been used for plowing.B( You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me. The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.zAo(Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. @;(After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me.5?g(so the best of what you receive will be mine.G> (as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron,q=](Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive <;(to say to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me.;3(The LORD told MosesZ:/(they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.91((SEE 18:22)8#(They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change. Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own,K7(Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent.s6a(You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the LORD, and I will give you whatever you need.F5(From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.4(You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.E3(However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased.2(The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards.M1(The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But a first-born son and every first-born donkey must be bought back from me.^07(Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me will now belong to you.(SEE 18:8)|*s(The LORD said to Aaron: I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar.I) (But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.{(q(I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers.a'=(Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again.d&C(No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it.%(You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die.]$5(The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent.Q# (The LORD said to Aaron: You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do.8"m( and doomed if we even get near the sacred tent!":!q( The Israelites cried out to Moses, "We're done for# C( Moses did what he was told.`;( But the LORD told Moses, "Put Aaron's stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think about rebelling. If these people don't stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out."( Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.oY(The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick.C(Moses took them and placed them in the LORD's sacred tent.'I(Moses told the people what the LORD had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron's from the Levi tribe./(I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won't have to listen to any more complaints about you.a=(Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you./((SEE 17:2)(Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron's name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks. 5(The LORD told Moses:C(2Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.{(1But fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.1(0(SEE 16:47)M(/Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the LORD and asked him to forgive the people's sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it.(.Then Moses told Aaron, "Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the LORD, so they can be forgiven. The LORD is very angry, and people have already started dying!"xk(-"Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all." They immediately bowed down and prayed.$E(,where the LORD said to them,;s(+So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent, 5(*As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the LORD appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent.  ()The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, "The two of you killed some of the LORD's people!"f G((just as the LORD had told Moses. The pans were a warning to the Israelites that only Aaron's descendants would be allowed to offer incense to the LORD. Anyone else who tried would be punished like Korah and his followers.r _('Eleazar collected the pans and had them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar,z o(&because they were used for offering incense to me. Have them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar. Those men died because of their sin, and now their fire pans will become a warning for the rest of the community."}(%"Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the fire pans from the smoldering fire and scatter the coals. The pans are now sacred,$E($Then the LORD said to Moses,oY(#Suddenly the LORD sent a fire that burned up the two hundred fifty men who had offered incense to him.ym("The rest of the Israelites heard their screams, so they ran off, shouting, "We don't want that to happen to us!"1(!(SEE 16:32)( and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone.G (As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up+Q(But suppose the LORD does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the LORD!"N(If these men die a natural death, it means the LORD hasn't chosen me. (Moses said to the crowd, "The LORD has chosen me and told me to do these things--it wasn't my idea. And here's how you will know:c~A(So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families.})(Then Moses warned the people, "Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out."Z|/(Moses walked over to Dathan and Abiram, and the other leaders of Israel followed.T{#("Tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." z=(The LORD answered Moses,y)(But the two men bowed down and prayed, "Our God, you gave these people life. Why would you punish everyone here when only one man has sinned?"Qx("Get away from the rest of the Israelites so I can kill them right now!"$wE(and said to Moses and Aaron,v5(Meanwhile, Korah had convinced the rest of the Israelites to rebel against their two leaders. When that happened, the LORD appeared in all his glory u(The next day the men placed incense and coals in their fire pans and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the sacred tent.dtC(Each of you take along your fire pan with incense in it and offer the incense to the LORD."nsW(Then he said to Korah, "Tomorrow you and your followers must go with Aaron to the LORD's sacred tent.r3(Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, "Don't listen to these men! I haven't done anything wrong to them. I haven't taken as much as a donkey."&qG(You keep promising us rich farmlands with fertile fields and vineyards--but where are they? Stop trying to trick these people. No, we won't come to see you."p( It's bad enough that you took us from our rich farmland in Egypt to let us die here in the desert. Now you also want to boss us around!`o;( Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they sent back this message: "We won't come!Rn( You and your followers have rebelled against the LORD, not against Aaron.rm_( The LORD has given you a special responsibility, and now, Korah, you think you should also be his priest.l/( (SEE 16:8)Tk#(You know that the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from all Israel to serve him by being in charge of the sacred tent and by helping the community to worship in the proper way. What more do you want?j/((SEE 16:6)|is(Korah, now here is what you and your followers must do: Get some fire pans, fill them with coals and incense, and place them near the sacred tent. And the man the LORD chooses will be his priest. Korah, this time you Levites have gone too far!+hQ(Then he said to Korah and his followers: Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us the person he has chosen to be his priest, and that man will faithfully serve him.5gg(When Moses heard this, he knelt down to pray.Kf(and Aaron and said, "Why do you think you're so much better than anyone else? We're part of the LORD's holy people, and he's with all of us. What makes you think you're the only ones in charge?"e/((SEE 16:1)-d W(Korah son of Izhar was a Levite from the Kohathite clan. One day he called together Dathan, Abiram, and On from the Reuben tribe, and the four of them decided to rebel against Moses. So they asked two hundred fifty respected Israelite leaders for their support, and together they went to Moses9co()I am the LORD your God who led you out of Egypt."b1(((SEE 15:39)a9('These will remind you that you must obey my laws and teachings. And when you do, you will be dedicated to me and won't follow your own sinful desires.`(&to say to the people of Israel, "Sew tassels onto the bottom edge of your clothes and tie a purple string to each tassel._3(%The LORD told Moses?^{($So he was killed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.q]](#Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the people to take that man outside the camp and stone him to death!"M\("But no one knew what to do with him, so he was not allowed to leave.E[(!He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community.zZo( Once, while the Israelites were traveling through the desert, a man was caught gathering firewood on the Sabbath.Y1((SEE 15:30)MX(But if one of you does wrong on purpose, whether Israelite or foreigner, you have sinned against me by disobeying my laws. You will be sent away and will no longer live among the people of Israel.W(The law will be the same for anyone who does wrong without meaning to, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you.SV!(The priest will then ask me to forgive you, and your sin will be forgiven.{Uq(But if one of you does wrong without meaning to, you must sacrifice a year-old female goat as a sacrifice for sin.YT-(the sin of everyone--both Israelites and foreigners among you--will be forgiven.S}(Then the priest will pray and ask me to forgive you. And since you did not mean to do wrong, and you offered sacrifices,IR (If all of you disobey one of my laws without meaning to, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice to please me, together with a grain sacrifice, a wine offering, and a goat as a sacrifice for sin.Q1((SEE 15:22)ePE(The LORD also told Moses to tell the people what must be done if they ever disobey his laws:dOC(All your descendants must follow this law and offer part of the first batch of bread dough.N/(From the first batch of bread dough that you make after each new grain harvest, make a loaf of bread and offer it to me, just as you offer grain.M1((SEE 15:17)L1((SEE 15:17)sKa(When you eat food in the land that I am giving you, remember to set aside some of it as an offering to me.J1((SEE 15:15)I!(This law will never change. I am the LORD, and I consider all people the same, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living among you.LH(And the foreigners who live among you must also follow these rules.G1( (SEE 15:11)F1( (SEE 15:11)~Ew( If you are a native Israelite, you must obey these rules each time you offer a bull, a ram, or a goat as a sacrifice.hDK( Two quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.OC( you must offer six pounds of flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil.PB(If a bull is offered as a sacrifice to please me or to ask my blessing,A/((SEE 15:6)m@U(And if the animal is a full-grown ram, you must offer four pounds of flour mixed with one and a half quarts of olive oil. One and a half quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.?/((SEE 15:4)J>(If you sacrifice a young ram or goat, you must also offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of olive oil as a grain sacrifice. A quart of wine must also be poured on the altar.2=_(Bulls or rams or goats are the animals that you may burn on the altar as sacrifices to please me. You may also offer sacrifices voluntarily or because you made a promise, or because they are part of your regular religious ceremonies. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices is pleasing to me.M<(to give the Israelites the following laws about offering sacrifices:; 3(The LORD told Moses:(-The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah. 9(,But the Israelites ignored Moses and marched toward the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them.81(+(SEE 14:42)<7s(*so don't even try it. The LORD refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you."N6()But Moses replied, "You're disobeying the LORD! Your plan won't work,J5((So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, "We were wrong to complain about the LORD. Let's go into the land that he promised us."U4%('The people of Israel were very sad after Moses gave them the LORD's message.)3O(&but he let Joshua and Caleb live.:2q(%So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men,}1u($Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the LORD.P0(#You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.x/k("I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years--one year for each day that the land was explored..{(!Your children will wander around in this desert forty years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead.(-M( You will die here in the desert!,(You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the LORD, will let them enter the land you have rejected.p+[(will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own--only Caleb and Joshua will go in.#*A(You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old)1((SEE 14:27)<(s(to give this message to the people of Israel: You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted.%'G(The LORD told Moses and Aaron?&y(Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan. And tomorrow morning, you'll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea.!%=(But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.$1((SEE 14:22)w#i(I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.:"q(But as surely as I live and my power has no limit,R!(Then the LORD said to Moses: In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them.$ C(You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.O(that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong--not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.4e(Show us your great power, LORD. You promised1((SEE 14:13)1((SEE 14:13)1((SEE 14:13)}u( Moses replied: With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised. ( So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs."  ( The LORD said to Moses, "I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power.{( The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the LORD appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.+( So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The LORD is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us! %j~~}}v}||{zzAyyxxWwnvvututtssrrdrqqpp onn1mm,llNkkSjj@ii&hggvfffdeehedccmc bbIaa``i`%_^^}^]]T\\w\[[s[ZZDYYvYXWWvWVVxUU4TSS0RRrQQTPP|OOmONN5MMM(LL~KKuJJ,II,HrH2HGFFFaEEDDDACCBAAAA@@??V?9?>>x>[>>==t=W=:<<<<;:::n:Q:4:99Z9=9 8f8I8,8776666m5555w5U444333#22M11600J//<.}--,,,B+++B**))((}''o&&&)%%{%^$$P$#u#,"! 5Y<0b<b[]+t\  $  v Y <   q T 7+*{! Z>jQ2( Widows and divorced women must keep every promise they make to the LORD.}1u(But if her husband hears about the promise and objects, she no longer has to keep it, and the LORD will forgive her.0/((SEE 30:6)B/(Suppose a woman makes a promise to the LORD and then gets married. If her husband later hears about the promise but says nothing, she must do what she said, whether she meant it or not.(.K(But if he hears about it and objects, then she no longer has to keep her promise. The LORD will forgive her, because her father did not agree with the promise.R-(If her father hears about it and says nothing, she must keep her promise.`,;(Suppose a young woman who is still living with her parents makes a promise to the LORD.R+(When one of you men makes a promise to the LORD, you must keep your word.=* y(The LORD told Moses to say to Israel's tribal leaders:_)9((Moses told the people of Israel everything the LORD had told him about the sacrifices.+(Q('You must offer all these sacrifices to me at the appointed times of worship, together with any offerings that are voluntarily given or given because of a promise.'#(&And offer a goat as the sacrifice to ask forgiveness for the people. These sacrifices are made in addition to the regular daily sacrifices.f&G(%You must also offer the proper grain sacrifices and drink offerings of wine with each animal.#%A($Bring to the altar one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.b$?(#On the eighth day, you must once again rest from your work and come together for worship.#1("(SEE 29:17)"1(!(SEE 29:17)!1( (SEE 29:17) 1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)1((SEE 29:17)q](For the next six days of the festival, you will sacrifice one less bull than the day before, so that on the seventh day, seven bulls will be sacrificed. The other sacrifices and offerings must remain the same for each of these days.{(You must also offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin. These are to be offered in addition to the regular daily sacrifices.\3(and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.=u(Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the rams,{q( On the first day, you must rest from your work and come together for worship. Bring to the altar thirteen bulls, two full-grown rams, and fourteen rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me. 3( Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and continuing for seven days, everyone must celebrate the Festival of Shelters in honor of me.5 e( A goat must also be sacrificed for the sins of the people. You will offer these sacrifices in addition to the sacrifice to ask forgiveness and the regular daily sacrifices.\ 3( and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.3 a( Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with the bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,- U(and bring to the altar one young bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.D(The tenth day of the seventh month is the Great Day of Forgiveness. On that day you must rest from all work and come together for worship. Show sorrow for your sins by going without food,5e(These sacrifices will be made in addition to the regular daily sacrifices and the sacrifices for the first day of the month. The smoke from these sacrifices will please me.:q(You must also offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin.\3(and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.3a(Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with the bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,'I(Bring to the altar one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. And then offer these as sacrifices to please me. (On the first day of the seventh month, you must rest from your work and come together to celebrate at the sound of the trumpets.xk(The animals must have nothing wrong with them and are to be sacrificed along with the regular daily sacrifices.1_(Also offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin.\3(and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.4~c(Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,i}M(Offer two young bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old as sacrifices to please me.|(On the first day of the Harvest Festival, you must rest from your work, come together for worship, and bring a sacrifice of new grain.p{[(Then on the last day of the festival, you must once again rest from work and come together for worship.z1((SEE 28:23)|ys(All of these are to be offered in addition to the regular daily sacrifices, and the smoke from them will please me.Ex(Also offer a goat as a sacrifice for the sins of the people.\w3(and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams.4vc(Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,(uK(Bring to the altar two bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. And then offer these as sacrifices to please me.gtI(On the first day of this festival, you must rest from your work and come together for worship.$sC(The following day will begin the Festival of Thin Bread, which will last for a week. During this time you must honor me by eating bread made without yeast.ar=(Celebrate Passover in honor of me on the fourteenth day of the first month of each year.q1((SEE 28:14);pq(Offer two quarts of wine as a drink offering with each bull, one and a half quarts with the ram, and one quart with each of the young rams. Finally, you must offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin. These sacrifices are to be offered on the first day of each month, in addition to the regular daily sacrifices.o-( and two pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices will please me.4nc( Six pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Four pounds of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,Dm( On the first day of each month, bring to the altar two bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.l/( (SEE 28:9)k%( On the Sabbath, in addition to the regular daily sacrifices, you must sacrifice two rams a year old to please me. These rams must have nothing wrong with them, and they will be sacrificed with a drink offering and four pounds of your finest flour mixed with olive oil.@j{(The second ram will be sacrificed that evening, along with the other offerings, just like the one sacrificed that morning. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices will please me.{iq(Finally, along with each of these two sacrifices, a quart of wine must be poured on the altar as a drink offering.Fh(This sacrifice to please me was first offered on Mount Sinai.g (Along with each of them, two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of olive oil must be offered as a grain sacrifice.Mf(one will be sacrificed in the morning, and the other in the evening.veg(Each day offer two rams a year old as sacrifices to please me. The animals must have nothing wrong with them;d(to say to the people of Israel: Offer sacrifices to me at the appointed times of worship, so that I will smell the smoke and be pleased.c 3(The LORD told MosesNb(then he placed his hands on Joshua and appointed him Israel's leader.Za/(Moses followed the LORD's instructions and took Joshua to Eleazar and the people,u`e(But Joshua must depend on Eleazar to find out from me what I want him to do as he leads Israel into battle."E_(and tell them they must now obey him, just as they obey you.^(Then go with him and have him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the Israelites. Appoint Joshua as their new leader](The LORD answered, "Joshua son of Nun can do the job. Place your hands on him to show that he is the one to take your place.\}(Your people need someone to lead them into battle, or else they will be like sheep wandering around without a shepherd."v[g("You are the LORD God, and you know what is in everyone's heart. So I ask you to appoint a leader for Israel.Z)(Moses replied,,YS(because both of you disobeyed me at Meribah near the town of Kadesh in the Zin Desert. When the Israelites insulted me there, you didn't believe in my holy power."LX( After you have seen it, you will die, just like your brother Aaron,W#( The LORD said to Moses, "One day you will go up into the Abarim Mountains, and from there you will see the land I am giving the Israelites.V+( And if his father has no brothers, the land must be given to his nearest relative in the clan. This is my law, and the Israelites must obey it.PU( But if he has no brothers, his father's brothers will inherit the land.CT( If he has no daughter, his brothers will inherit the land.dSC(Tell the Israelites that when a man dies without a son, his daughter will inherit his land.wRi(Zelophehad's daughters are right. They should each be given part of the land their father would have received.Q9(and the LORD answered:1P_(Moses asked the LORD what should be done,6Og(to carry on his family name. But why should his name die out for that reason? Give us some land like the rest of his relatives in our clan, so our father's name can live on..NW(You know that our father died in the desert. But it was for something he did wrong, not for joining with Korah in rebelling against the LORD. Our father left no sons;Mq(One day his daughters went to the sacred tent, where they met with Moses, Eleazar, and some other leaders of Israel, as well as a large crowd of Israelites. The young women said:L (Zelophehad was from the Manasseh tribe, and he had five daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.K}(Aexcept Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. The LORD had said that everyone else would die there in the desert.bJ?(@None of the people that Moses and Aaron had counted in the Sinai Desert were still alive,I(?Moses and Eleazar counted the Israelites while they were camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.1H](>In the tribe of Levi there were 23,000 men and boys at least a month old. They were not listed with the other tribes, because they would not receive any land in Canaan._G9(=But Nadab and Abihu had died when they offered fire that was unacceptable to the LORD.DF((SEE 26:55)A(7I will show you what land to give each tribe, and they will receive as much land as they need, according to the number of people in it."C@(6so the larger tribes have more land than the smaller ones.f?G(5"Divide the land of Canaan among these tribes, according to the number of people in each one,>;(4The LORD said to Moses,==w(3The total number of Israelite men listed was 601,730.<1(2(SEE 26:48);1(1(SEE 26:48)y:m(0There were 45,400 men from the tribe of Naphtali; they were from the clans of Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.91(/(SEE 26:44)81(.(SEE 26:44)71(-(SEE 26:44)K6(,There were 53,400 men from the tribe of Asher; they were from the clans of Imnah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and from the two clans of Heber and Malchiel, the sons of Beriah. Asher's daughter was Serah.51(+(SEE 26:42)\43(*There were 64,400 men from the tribe of Dan; they were all from the clan of Shuham.31()(SEE 26:38)21(((SEE 26:38)11('(SEE 26:38)60g(&There were 45,600 men from the tribe of Benjamin; they were from the clans of Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shephupham, Hupham, as well as from Ard and Naaman, the two sons of Bela./1(%(SEE 26:35).1($(SEE 26:35)-3(#There were 32,500 men from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; they were from the clans of Shuthelah, Becher, Tahan, and Eran the son of Shuthelah.,1("(SEE 26:28)+1(!(SEE 26:28)*1( (SEE 26:28))1((SEE 26:28)(1((SEE 26:28)'1((SEE 26:28)J&(There were 52,700 men from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; they were from the clan of Machir, the clan of Gilead his son, and the clans of his six grandsons: Iezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Shemida, and Hepher. Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but he had five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.%1((SEE 26:26)o$Y(There were 60,500 men from the tribe of Zebulun; they were from the clans of Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.#1((SEE 26:23)"1((SEE 26:23)x!k(There were 64,300 men from the tribe of Issachar; they were from the clans of Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron. 1((SEE 26:19)1((SEE 26:19)1((SEE 26:19))M(There were 76,500 men from the tribe of Judah; they were from the clans of Shelah, Perez, Zerah, Hezron, and Hamul. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan.1((SEE 26:15)1((SEE 26:15)1((SEE 26:15)(There were 40,500 men from the tribe of Gad; they were from the clans of Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arod, and Areli.1((SEE 26:12)1( (SEE 26:12)}u( There were 22,200 men from the tribe of Simeon; they were from the clans of Nemuel, Jamin, Jachin, Zerah, and Shaul./[( But the Korahite clan wasn't destroyed.8k( That's when the LORD made the earth open up and swallow Dathan, Abiram, and Korah. At the same time, fire destroyed two hundred fifty men as a warning to the other Israelites.K( and the grandfather of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram who had been chosen by the people, but who followed Korah and rebelled against Moses, Aaron, and the LORD.%G(Pallu was the father of Eliab/((SEE 26:5)/((SEE 26:5)#(There were 43,730 men from the tribe of Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob. These men were from the clans of Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.(what the LORD had said about counting the men twenty years and older, just as Moses and their ancestors had done when they left Egypt. }(Israel was now camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho. Moses and Eleazar told them /("I want you to find out how many Israelites are in each family. And list every man twenty years and older who is able to serve in Israel's army."}  w(After the LORD had stopped the deadly disease from killing the Israelites, he said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, 1((SEE 25:17)o Y("The Midianites are now enemies of Israel, so attack and defeat them! They tricked the people of Israel into worshiping their god at Peor, and they are responsible for the death of Cozbi, the daughter of one of their own leaders."5(The LORD told Moses,nW(And the Midianite woman killed with him was Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite clan leader named Zur.q](The Israelite man that was killed was Zimri son of Salu, who was one of the leaders of the Simeon tribe.1( (SEE 25:12)2_( But instead of punishing them, I forgave them. So because of the loyalty that Phinehas showed, I solemnly promise that he and his descendants will always be my priests."eE( "In my anger, I would have wiped out the Israelites if Phinehas had not been faithful to me.;( The LORD said to Moses,=w( but twenty-four thousand Israelites had already died.6g(and followed the man into his tent, where he ran the spear through the man and into the woman's stomach. The LORD immediately stopped punishing Israel with a deadly disease,hK(Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the priest, saw the couple and left the crowd. He found a spear~(Later, Moses and the people were at the sacred tent, crying, when one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to meet his family.k}Q(Moses told Israel's officials, "Each of you must put to death any of your men who worshiped Baal."W|)(So he said to Moses, "Take the Israelite leaders who are responsible for this and have them killed in front of my sacred tent where everyone can see. Maybe then I will stop being angry with the Israelites."U{%(The LORD was angry with Israel because they had worshiped the god Baal Peor.-zU(These women then invited the men to ceremonies where sacrifices were offered to their gods. The men ate the meat from the sacrifices and worshiped the Moabite gods._y ;(While the Israelites were camped at Acacia, some of the men had sex with Moabite women.Ex(After Balaam finished, he started home, and Balak also left.w(Ships will come from Cyprus, bringing people who will invade the lands of Assyria and Eber. But finally, Cyprus itself will be ruined."5vg("No one can survive if God plans destruction.>uy(but they will be wiped out when Assyria conquers them.dtC("And this is what I saw about the Kenites: They think they're safe, living among the rocks,wsi("And I saw this vision about the Amalekites: Their nation is now great, but it will someday disappear forever.Tr#(The king of Israel will rule and destroy the survivors of every town there.Lq(Israel will conquer Edom and capture the land of that enemy nation.-(&"I'm here now," Balaam answered. "But I will say only what God tells me to say."w=i(%Balak asked, "Why didn't you come when I invited you the first time? Did you think I wasn't going to pay you?"<}($When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at the town of Ir, which is on the northern border of Moab.;'(#"It's all right for you to go," the LORD's angel answered. "But you must say only what I tell you." So Balaam went on with Balak's officials. :("Balaam replied, "I was wrong. I didn't know you were trying to stop me. If you don't think I should go, I'll return home right now."x9k(!If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live."81( The angel said, "You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab.s7a(Just then, the LORD let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.6-("But you're my owner," replied the donkey, "and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted.c5A("You made me look stupid!" Balaam answered. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!"4(When that happened, the LORD told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that made you beat me three times?"d3C(So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and smacked the donkey.t2c(The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around.1-(When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again.e0E(Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side.1/](When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.8.k(Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the LORD's angels stood in the road to stop him.h-K(So Balaam got up the next morning and saddled his donkey, then left with the Moabite officials.q,](That night, God said, "Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say." +(You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the LORD has something else to say about this."* (Balaam answered, "Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the LORD my God.f)G(I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people."\(3(They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, "Balaam, if you come to Moab,g'I(Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones.G& (The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.s%a( The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, "Go on back home. The LORD says I cannot go with you."$ ( But God replied, "Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them."(#K( to ask me to go to Moab and place a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off."V"'( "They are messengers from King Balak of Moab," Balaam answered. "He sent themR!( During the night, God asked Balaam, "Who are these people at your house?"  ("Spend the night here," Balaam replied, "and tomorrow I will tell you the LORD's answer." So the officials stayed at his house.+(The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam for his work. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.N(They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.eE(sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said: I need your help. A huge group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory.5(They said to the Midianite leaders, "That bunch of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field." So King Balak/((SEE 22:2)-U(When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked.y o(Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho. (#So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army--there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.1]("The LORD said to Moses, "Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours."(!The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle."?( Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.C(After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory,oY(We completely defeated Moab. The towns of Heshbon and Dibon, of Nophah and Medeba are ruined and gone.(You Moabites are done for! Your god Chemosh deserted your people; they were captured, taken away by King Sihon the Amorite.~w(His armies marched out like fiery flames, burning down the town of Ar and destroying the hills along the Arnon River.zo(That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon: Come and rebuild Heshbon, King Sihon's capital city!(King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge.zo(The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. )_b~~Z}}8|||.{{{z]yyxxxw\w?w vvuu`tYsrrrgqqppp=p ooPnnpnSn6l{l^lAl$lkkkkkvkYk=1=<<<<<4%U>zo8QO x x } / tz p{_[/2(SEE 2:15)PZ2The LORD kept getting rid of them until finally none of them were left.8Yk2This was thirty-eight years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the LORD had said they would.X2 When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the LORD told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did.^W72 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the LORD gave them.wVi2 The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim.U)2 Before the LORD gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. T;2 The LORD told me, "Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it."_S92We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned onto the desert road that leads to Moab.dRC2The LORD has helped us and taken care of us during the past forty years that we have been in this huge desert. We've had everything we needed, and the LORD has blessed us and made us successful in whatever we have done.ZQ/2And as you go through their land, you will have to buy food and water from them."P-2but don't start a war with them. I have given them the hill country of Seir, so I won't give any of it to you, not even enough to set a foot on.7Oi2And give the people these orders: "Be very careful, because you will soon go through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They are afraid of you,KN2Israel has wandered in these hills long enough. Turn and go north.#MC2until the LORD said: Moses,NL 2We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir,K }2.After we had been in Kadesh for a few months, we obeyed the LORD and headed back into the desert by way of Red Sea Road.|J u2-Then you came back to the place of worship at Kadesh-Barnea and wept, but the LORD would not listen to your prayers.\I 52,But when the Amorites in the hill country attacked from their towns, you ran from them as you would run from a swarm of bees. The Amorites chased your troops into Seir as far as Hormah, killing them as they went.H 72+I told you what the LORD had said, but you paid no attention. You disobeyed him and went into the hill country anyway. You thought you were so great! G 2*But the LORD said, "Moses, warn them not to go into the hill country. I won't help them fight, and their enemies will defeat them."uF g2)Then you told me, "We disobeyed the LORD our God, but now we want to obey him. We will go into the hill country and fight, just as he told us to do." So you picked up your weapons, thinking it would be easy to take over the hill country.LE 2(Now, turn around and go back into the desert by way of Red Sea Road.~D y2'Then the LORD spoke to you again: People of Israel, you said that your innocent young children would be taken prisoner in the battle for the land. But someday I will let them go into the land, and with my help they will conquer it and live there.eC G2&Instead, I will let Joshua your assistant lead Israel to conquer the land. So encourage him."|B u2%The LORD was even angry with me because of you people, and he said, "Moses, I won't let you go into the land either.3A c2$Caleb son of Jephunneh is the only one of your generation that I will allow to go in. He obeyed me completely, so I will give him and his descendants the land he explored.}@ w2#You people of this generation are evil, and I refuse to let you go into the good land that I promised your ancestors.0? _2"You had made the LORD angry, and he said:T> %2!even though he had always been with us in the desert. During the daytime, the LORD was in the cloud, leading us in the right direction and showing us where to camp. And at night, he was there in the fire..= [2 But you still would not trust the LORD,< 2And you know that the LORD has taken care of us the whole time we've been in the desert, just as you might carry one of your children." ; 2The LORD our God will lead the way. He will fight on our side, just as he did when we saw him do all those things to the Egyptians.!: A2Then I said, "Don't worry!u9 g2We are afraid, because the men who explored the land told us that the cities are large, with walls that reach to the sky. The people who live there are taller and stronger than we are, and some of them are Anakim. We have nowhere to go."#8 C2You stayed in your tents and grumbled, "The LORD must hate us--he brought us out of Egypt, just so he could hand us over to the Amorites and get rid of us.X7 -2You did not want to go into the land, and you refused to obey the LORD your God.f6 I2and even brought back some of the fruit. They said, "The LORD our God is giving us good land."<5 w2They explored the hill country as far as Bunch ValleyO4 2It seemed like a good idea, so I chose twelve men, one from each tribe.\3 52Then all of you came to me and said, "Before we go into the land, let's send some men to explore it. When they come back, they can tell us about the towns we will find and what roads we should take to get there."2 /2(SEE 1:20)1 2and I told you, "We have reached the hill country. It belongs to the Amorites now, but the LORD our God is giving it to us. He is the same God our ancestors worshiped, and he has told us to go in and take this land, so don't hesitate and be afraid."`0 =2The LORD had commanded us to leave Mount Sinai and go to the hill country that belonged to the Amorites, so we started out into the huge desert. You remember how frightening it was, but soon we were at Kadesh-Barnea,X/ -2After I gave these instructions to the judges, I taught you the LORD's commands. . 2And it doesn't matter if one is helpless and the other is powerful. Don't be afraid of anyone! No matter who shows up in your court, God will help you make a fair decision. If any case is too hard for you, bring the people to me, and I will make the decision.-  2and others became judges. I gave these judges the following instructions: When you settle legal cases, your decisions must be fair. It doesn't matter if the case is between two Israelites, or between an Israelite and a foreigner living in your community.c, C2Then I took these men, who were already wise and respected leaders, and I appointed them as your official leaders. Some of them became military officers in charge of groups of a thousand, or a hundred, or fifty, or ten,*+ S2You answered, "That's a good idea!"%* G2 Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes.X) -2 But I cannot take care of all your problems and settle all your arguments alone.Y( /2 God has even promised to bless us a thousand times more, and I pray that he will.j' Q2 The LORD our God has blessed us, and so now there are as many of us as there are stars in the sky.&  2 Right after the LORD commanded us to leave Mount Sinai, I told you: Israel, being your leader is too big a job for one person.}% w2I give you this land, just as I promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now you must go and take the land.@$ }2Leave this place and go into the land that belongs to the Amorites and their neighbors the Canaanites. This land includes the Jordan River valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Southern Desert, the Mediterranean seacoast, the Lebanon Mountains, and all the territory as far as the Euphrates River.~# y2People of Israel, when we were in our camp at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God told us: You have stayed here long enough." -2(SEE 1:1)! -2(SEE 1:1)  -2(SEE 1:1) -2(SEE 1:1)< w2This book contains the speeches that Moses made while Israel was in the land of Moab, camped near the town of Suph in the desert east of the Jordan River. The town of Paran was in one direction from their camp, and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab were in the opposite direction. Earlier, Moses had defeated the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon. Moses had also defeated King Og of Bashan, who used to live in Ashtaroth for part of the year and in Edrei for the rest of the year. Although it takes only eleven days to walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea by way of the Mount Seir Road, these speeches were not made until forty years after Israel left Egypt. The LORD had given Moses his laws for the people of Israel. And on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses began explaining those laws by saying:9($ These are the laws that the LORD gave to Moses and the Israelites while they were camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.^7($ and remained part of the Manasseh tribe. So their land stayed in their father's clan.1($ (SEE 36:10)|s($ Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah the daughters of Zelophehad obeyed the LORD and married their uncles' sons/($ (SEE 36:8)#A($In the future, any daughter who inherits land must marry someone from her own tribe. Israel's tribal land is never to be passed from one tribe to another.sa($Tribal land must not be given to another tribe--it will remain the property of the tribe that received it.($I will allow Zelophehad's daughters to marry anyone, as long as those men belong to one of the clans of the Manasseh tribe.fG($So Moses told the people that the LORD had said: These men from the Manasseh tribe are right.<s($Even when land is returned to its original owner in the Year of Celebration, we will not get back Zelophehad's land--it will belong to the tribe into which his daughters married."9($But if they marry men from other tribes of Israel, the land they receive will become part of that tribe's inheritance and will no longer belong to us.b?($and said, "Sir, the LORD has said that he will show what land each tribe will receive as their own. And the LORD has commanded you to give the daughters of our relative Zelophehad the land that he would have received. ($One day the family leaders from the Gilead clan of the Manasseh tribe went to Moses and the other family leaders of Israel1(#"(SEE 35:33)'(#!I, the LORD, live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!&G(# And if you have been proven innocent of murder and are living in a Safe Town, you cannot pay to go back home; you must stay there until the high priest dies.d C(#You cannot give someone money to escape the death penalty; you must pay with your own life! (#Death is the penalty for murder. But no one accused of murder can be put to death unless there are at least two witnesses to the crime.< u(#The community of Israel must always obey these laws.b ?(#You must stay inside the town until the high priest dies; only then can you go back home.X +(#and are killed by the victim's relative, he cannot be punished for killing you.+S(#But if you ever leave the Safe Town%E(#If they decide that you are innocent, you will be protected from the victim's relative and sent to stay in one of the Safe Towns until the high priest dies.1(#(SEE 35:22)1(#(SEE 35:22)%(#But if you are not angry and accidentally kill someone in any of these ways, the townspeople must hold a trial and decide if you are guilty.1(#(SEE 35:20)0[(#Or suppose you get angry and kill someone by pushing or hitting or by throwing something. You are a murderer and must be put to death by one of the victim's relatives.q](#by one of the victim's relatives. He will take revenge for his relative's death as soon as he finds you.1(#(SEE 35:16)1(#(SEE 35:16)(~K(#Suppose you hit someone with a piece of iron or a large stone or a dangerous wooden tool. If that person dies, then you are a murderer and must be put to deathi}M(#They will be places of protection for anyone who lives in Israel and accidentally kills someone./|[(#three on each side of the Jordan River.0{](# There are to be six of these Safe Towns,Lz(# If the victim's relatives think it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of these Safe Towns for protection and not be killed before a trial is held.fyG(# choose Safe Towns, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection.ixM(# to tell the people of Israel: After you have crossed the Jordan River and are settled in Canaan, w=(# The LORD then told Mosesv(#Since the towns for the Levites must come from Israel's own tribal lands, the larger tribes will give more towns than the smaller ones.Xu+(#so they will have a total of forty-eight towns with their surrounding pastures.?ty(#Six of the towns you give them will be Safe Towns where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. But you will also give the Levites forty-two other towns,s/(#(SEE 35:4)r/(#The pasture around each of these towns must be in the shape of a square, with the town itself in the center. The pasture is to measure three thousand feet on each side, with fifteen hundred feet of land outside each of the town walls. This will be the Levites' pastureland.Yq-(#That way, the Levites will have towns to live in and pastures for their animals.pp[(#to say to them: When you receive your tribal lands, you must give towns and pastures to the Levi tribe.o (#While the people of Israel were still camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the LORD told MoseslnS("These are the men the LORD commanded to help Eleazar and Joshua divide the land for the Israelites.m1("(SEE 34:19)l1("(SEE 34:19)k1("(SEE 34:19)j1("(SEE 34:19)i1("(SEE 34:19)h1("(SEE 34:19)g1("(SEE 34:19)f1("(SEE 34:19)e1("(SEE 34:19)d)("and here is the list of their names: Caleb son of Jephunneh from Judah, Shemuel son of Ammihud from Simeon, Elidad son of Chislon from Benjamin, Bukki son of Jogli from Dan, Hanniel son of Ephod from Manasseh, Kemuel son of Shiphtan from Ephraim, Elizaphan son of Parnach from Zebulun, Paltiel son of Azzan from Issachar, Ahihud son of Shelomi from Asher, and Pedahel son of Ammihud from Naphtali."2ca("One leader from each tribe will help them,[b1(""Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun will divide the land for the Israelites.a;("The LORD said to Moses,7`k("across from Jericho, east of the Jordan River."X_+("The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have already been given their land5^e(" Then Moses told the people, "You will receive the land inside these borders. It will be yours, but the LORD has commanded you to divide it among the nine and a half tribes.](" then follow the Jordan River down to the north end of the Dead Sea. The land within those four borders will belong to you.z\o(" and on down to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there, it will go south to the eastern hills of Lake Galilee,][5(" The eastern border will begin at Hazar-Enan in the north, then run south to Shepham,TZ#(" From Zedad, the border will continue east to Ziphron and end at Hazar-Enan.mYU("After that, it will run to Lebo-Hamath and across to Zedad, which is the northern edge of your land.bX?("The northern border will begin at the Mediterranean, then continue eastward to Mount Hor.9Wo("The western border will be the Mediterranean Sea.OV("It will run along the Egyptian Gorge and end at the Mediterranean Sea.NU("It will go west from there, but will turn southward to include Scorpion Pass, the village of Zin, and the town of Kadesh-Barnea. From there, the border will continue to Hazar-Addar and on to Azmon. T("The southern border will be the Zin Desert and the northwest part of Edom. This border will begin at the south end of the Dead Sea.aS=("to tell the people of Israel that their land in Canaan would have the following borders:R 3("The LORD told MosesGQ (!8and I will treat you as cruelly as I planned on treating them.!P=(!7If you don't force out all the people there, they will be like pointed sticks in your eyes and thorns in your back. They will always be trouble for you,4Oc(!6I will show you how to divide the land among the tribes, according to the number of clans in each one, so that the larger tribes will have more land than the smaller ones.EN(!5Then settle in the land--I have given it to you as your own.dMC(!4you must force out the people living there. Destroy their idols and tear down their altars.eLE(!3to give the people of Israel this message: When you cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan,rK_(!2While Israel was camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the LORD told Moses;Js(!1Their camp stretched from Beth-Jeshimoth to Acacia.RI(!0and finally in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.H1(!/(SEE 33:41)G1(!.(SEE 33:41)F1(!-(SEE 33:41)E1(!,(SEE 33:41)D1(!+(SEE 33:41)C1(!*(SEE 33:41)jBO(!)The Israelites left Mount Hor and headed toward Moab. Along the way, they camped at Zalmonah, Punon, Oboth, Iye-Abarim in the territory of Moab, Dibon-Gad, Almon-Diblathaim, at a place near Mount Nebo in the Abarim Mountains,A (!(It was then that the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, heard that Israel was headed that way.>@y(!'He was one hundred twenty-three years old at the time.>?w(!&That's where the LORD commanded Aaron the priest to go to the top of the mountain. Aaron died there on the first day of the fifth month, forty years after the Israelites left Egypt.N>(!%When they left Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor, on the border of Edom.=1(!$(SEE 33:16)<1(!#(SEE 33:16);1(!"(SEE 33:16):1(!!(SEE 33:16)91(! (SEE 33:16)81(!(SEE 33:16)71(!(SEE 33:16)61(!(SEE 33:16)51(!(SEE 33:16)41(!(SEE 33:16)31(!(SEE 33:16)21(!(SEE 33:16)11(!(SEE 33:16)01(!(SEE 33:16)/1(!(SEE 33:16).1(!(SEE 33:16)-1(!(SEE 33:16),1(!(SEE 33:16)+1(!(SEE 33:16)*1(!(SEE 33:16)N)(!As Israel traveled from the Sinai Desert to Kadesh in the Zin Desert, they camped at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Hazeroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-Perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Mount Shepher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hashmonah, Moseroth, Bene-Jaakan, Hor-Haggidgad, Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-Geber, and finally Kadesh.@(}(!They left Rephidim and finally reached the Sinai Desert.'1(!(SEE 33:12)&1(! (SEE 33:12)W%)(! From there they went to Dophkah, Alush, and Rephidim, where they had no water.P$(! then turned east and camped along the western edge of the Sinai Desert.3#c(! They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea,d"C(! Next, they camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.v!g(!They left Pi-Hahiroth, crossed the Red Sea, then walked three days into the Etham Desert and camped at Marah._ 9(!Then they turned back toward Pi-Hahiroth, east of Baal-Zephon, and camped near Migdol.R(!and from there, they moved their camp to Etham on the edge of the desert.C(!After the Israelites left Rameses, they camped at Succoth,/(!(SEE 33:3)6g(!Israel left the Egyptian city of Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month. This was the day after the LORD had punished Egypt's gods by killing the first-born sons in every Egyptian family. So while the Egyptians were burying the bodies, they watched the Israelites proudly leave their country.{q(!Moses kept a list of the places they camped, just as the LORD had instructed. Here is the record of their journey:K (!As Israel traveled from Egypt under the command of Moses and Aaron,R( *Nobah captured the town of Kenath with its villages and renamed it Nobah.\3( )Jair from the Manasseh tribe captured villages and renamed them "Villages of Jair."S!( (So Moses gave the Machirites the region of Gilead, and they settled there. ( 'The clan of Machir from the tribe of East Manasseh went to the region of Gilead, captured its towns, and forced out the Amorites.q]( &Sibmah, as well as the towns that used to be known as Nebo and Baal-Meon. They renamed all those places.A( %The tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,wi( $Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran. They built walls around them and also built places to keep their sheep and goats.(M( #Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,E( "The tribe of Gad rebuilt the towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,J( !So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh the territory and towns that King Sihon the Amorite had ruled, as well as the territory and towns that King Og of Bashan had ruled.1( We will cross the Jordan River, ready to fight for the LORD in Canaan. But the land we will inherit as our own will be on this side of the river."q]( The tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "We are your servants and will do whatever the LORD has commanded. y( But if they break their promise, they will receive land on the other side of the Jordan, like the rest of the tribes."V '( "Make sure that the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you. If they do, then after the land is in your control, give them the region of Gilead as their tribal land.D ( Then Moses said to Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders,b ?( But those of us who are prepared for battle will cross the Jordan and fight for the LORD.[ 1( Our wives and children and sheep and cattle will stay here in the towns in Gilead.W)( The men from Reuben and Gad answered: Sir, we will do just what you have said.( Go ahead and build towns for your wives and children, and places for your sheep and goats. Just be sure to do what you have promised.[1( But if you don't keep your promise, you will sin against the LORD and be punished. ( then after the LORD helps Israel capture the land, you can return to your own land. You will no longer have to stay with the others.!=( You also agreed to cross the Jordan and stay with the rest of the Israelites, until the LORD forces our enemies out of the land. If you do these things,P( Moses said: You promised that you would be ready to fight for the LORD.ue( The land on this side of the Jordan River will be ours, so we won't expect to receive any on the other side.R( We will stay with them until they have settled in their own tribal lands.lS( where they can stay and be safe. Then we'll prepare to fight and lead the other tribes into battle.( The men from Reuben and Gad replied: Let us build places to keep our sheep and goats, and towns for our wives and children,~( If you reject the LORD, he will once again abandon his people and leave them here in the desert. And you will be to blame!d}C( Now you people of Reuben and Gad are doing the same thing and making the LORD even angrier.'|I( but he was so angry with the others that he forced them to wander around in the desert forty years. By that time everyone who had sinned against him had died.E{( except Caleb and Joshua. They remained faithful to the LORD,Lz( And he said that no one who was twenty years or older when they left Egypt would enter the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not one of those people believed in the LORD's power,#yC( The LORD became very angry.jxO( They went as far as Eshcol Valley, then returned and told the people that we should not enter it.iwM( This is exactly what happened when I sent your ancestors from Kadesh-Barnea to explore the land.qv]( If you did that, it would discourage the others from crossing over into the land the LORD promised them.bu?( Moses answered: You mean you'd stay here while the rest of the Israelites go into battle?\t3( would you let us stay here east of the Jordan River and have this land as our own?"s/( (SEE 32:3)Ir ( "The LORD has helped us capture the land around the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. That's good pastureland, and since we own cattle and sheep,Rq( So they went to Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel and said, p ( The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned a lot of cattle and sheep, and they saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead had good pastureland.noW(6So Moses and Eleazar placed the gold in the LORD's sacred tent to remind Israel of what had happened.Sn!(5This did not include the things that the soldiers had kept for themselves.:mq(4and its total weight was over four hundred pounds.Dl(3Moses and Eleazar accepted the jewelry from the commanders,k(2So we want to give the LORD all the gold jewelry we took from the Midianites. It's our gift to him for watching over us and our troops."Tj#(1and said, "Sir, we have counted our troops, and not one soldier is missing.)iO(0The army commanders went to Mosesh1(/(SEE 31:36)g1(.(SEE 31:36)f1(-(SEE 31:36)e1(,(SEE 31:36)d1(+(SEE 31:36)c1(*(SEE 31:36)b1()(SEE 31:36)a1(((SEE 31:36)`1('(SEE 31:36)_1(&(SEE 31:36)^1(%(SEE 31:36)7]i($Each half included 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 young women. From the half that belonged to the soldiers, Moses counted out 675 sheep and goats, 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, and 32 women and gave them to Eleazar to be dedicated to the LORD. Then from the half that belonged to the people, Moses set aside one out of every fifty animals and women, as the LORD had said, and gave them to the Levites.\1(#(SEE 31:32)[1("(SEE 31:32)Z1(!(SEE 31:32)?Yy( and listed everything that had been taken from the Midianites. The list included 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 young women who had never had sex.:Xq(Moses and Eleazar followed the LORD's instructionsW(From the half that belongs to the people, set aside one out of every fifty and give these to the Levites in charge of the sacred tent.V1((SEE 31:28)U'(From the half that belongs to the soldiers, set aside for the LORD one out of every five hundred people or animals and give these to Eleazar.T1((SEE 31:26)`S;(Make a list of everything taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals. Then divide them between the soldiers and the rest of the people. Eleazar the priest and the family leaders will help you.R5(The LORD told Moses:mQU(Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and after that, you will be clean and may return to the camp."P1((SEE 31:21)O1((SEE 31:21)WN)(Eleazar then explained, "If you need to purify something that won't burn, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead, you must first place it in a hot fire. After you take it out, sprinkle it with the water that purifies. Everything else should only be sprinkled with the water. Do all of this, just as the LORD commanded Moses.ZM/(Then wash your clothes and anything made from animal skin, goat's hair, or wood."L(Then Moses said to the soldiers, "If you killed anyone or touched a dead body, you are unclean and have to stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must go through a ceremony to make yourselves and your captives clean.cKA(But do not kill the young women who have never had sex. You may keep them for yourselves."QJ(You must put to death every boy and all the women who have ever had sex..IW(They are the ones who followed Balaam's advice and invited our people to worship the god Baal Peor. That's why the LORD punished us by killing so many of our people.:Hq(and said, "I can't believe you let the women live!3Gc(Moses became angry with the army commandersF1( (SEE 31:12);Eq( Then they returned to their own camp in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, where Moses, Eleazar, and the other Israelite leaders met the troops outside camp.D( Israel's soldiers gathered together everything they had taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals.?C{( They also burned down the Midianite towns and villages.B)( The Israelites captured every woman and child, then led away the Midianites' cattle and sheep, and took everything else that belonged to them.cAA(including Balaam son of Beor and the five Midianite kings, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba.u@e(The Israelites fought against the Midianites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. They killed all the men,0?[(Moses sent them off to war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar went with them and took along some things from the sacred tent and the trumpets for sounding the battle signal.l>S(Twelve thousand men were picked from the tribes of Israel, and after they were prepared for battle,6=i(Each tribe will send a thousand men to fight."r<_(Then Moses told the people, "The LORD wants to punish the Midianites. So have our men prepare for battle.b;?("Before you die, make sure that the Midianites are punished for what they did to Israel.": ;(The LORD said to Moses,9{(These are the laws that the LORD gave Moses about husbands and wives, and about young daughters who still live at home.u8e(But if he waits until the next day to stop her from keeping her promise, he is the one who must be punished.&7G(If her husband hears about a promise and says nothing about it for a whole day, she must do what she said--since he did not object, the promise must be kept.P6( Her husband has the final say about any promises she makes to the LORD.15]( But if he hears about the promise and does object, she no longer has to keep it. The LORD will forgive her, because her husband would not allow her to keep the promise.\43( If her husband hears about the promise and says nothing, she must do what she said.<3u( Suppose a married woman makes a promise to the LORD. ~h}||P{0zyyQx+xwYY(XX9WUUU/TSSSQPPOOOHNNDMKKKJJJlIIIHgHGGFFFhEE:DDdD&CBBsAAAAA@@?>>;==4<<&;;C;:|99U8{8:777 66V544,33]222E111+00nY%S8^X=" w  C , b F *T2* )EM2 He told me that he would write the same words on the new stones that he had written on the ones I broke, and that I could put these stones in this sacred chest.=D w2 The LORD told me to chisel out two flat stones, just like the ones he had given me earlier. He also commanded me to make a wooden chest, then come up the mountain and meet with him.~Cw2 But you, our LORD, chose the people of Israel to be your own, and with your mighty power you rescued them from Egypt.jBO2 If you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, "The LORD promised to give Israel land, but he wasn't powerful enough to keep his promise. In fact, he hated them so much that he took them into the desert and killed them."A2 Israel's ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob obeyed you faithfully. Think about them, and not about Israel's stubbornness, evil, and sin.@)2 and I prayed: Our LORD, please don't wipe out your people. You used your great power to rescue them from Egypt and to make them your very own..?W2 After you had made the idol in the shape of a calf, the LORD said he was going to destroy you. So I bowed down in front of the sacred tent for forty days and nights,S>!2 In fact, you've rebelled against the LORD for as long as he has known you./=Y2 Then at Kadesh-Barnea the LORD said, "I am giving you the land, so go ahead and take it!" But since you didn't trust the LORD, you rebelled and disobeyed his command.l<S2 You also made the LORD angry when you were staying at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-Hattaavah.R;2 It was a sin for you to make that idol, so I threw it into the fire to melt it down. Then I took the lump of gold, ground it into powder, and threw the powder into the stream flowing down the mountain.:/2 (SEE 9:18)9/2 (SEE 9:18)t8c2 I bowed down at the place of worship and prayed to the LORD, without eating or drinking for forty days and nights. You had committed a terrible sin by making that idol, and the LORD hated what you had done. He was angry enough to destroy all of you and Aaron as well. So I prayed for you and Aaron as I had done before, and this time the LORD answered my prayers.O72 So I threw down the two stones and smashed them before your very eyes.6-2 I saw how quickly you had sinned and disobeyed the LORD your God. There you were, worshiping the metal idol you had made in the shape of a calf.w5i2 Fire was raging on the mountaintop as I went back down, carrying the two stones with the commandments on them.N42 So don't try to stop me! I am going to wipe them out, and no one on earth will remember they ever lived. Then I will let your descendants become an even bigger and more powerful nation than Israel._392 I've been watching the Israelites, and I've seen how stubborn and rebellious they are.'2I2 he said: Moses, hurry down the mountain to those people you led out of Egypt. They have already disobeyed me and committed the terrible sin of making an idol.1-2 (SEE 9:9)0-2 (SEE 9:9)+/Q2 It happened during those forty days and nights that I was on the mountain, without anything to eat or drink. He had told me to come up there so he could give me the agreement he made with us. And this agreement was actually the same Ten Commandments he had announced to you when he spoke from the fire on the mountain. The LORD had written them on two flat stones with his own hand. But after giving me the two stones,T.#2 At Mount Sinai you made the LORD so angry that he was going to destroy you.;-q2 Don't ever forget how you kept rebelling and making the LORD angry the whole time you were in the desert. You rebelled from the day you left Egypt until the day you arrived here.,-2 (SEE 9:4)+-2 (SEE 9:4)Z*/2 After the LORD helps you wipe out these nations and conquer their land, don't think he did it because you are such good people. You aren't good--you are stubborn! No, the LORD is going to help you, because the nations that live there are evil, and because he wants to keep the promise he made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.P)2 But the LORD your God has promised to go ahead of you, like a raging fire burning everything in its path. So when you attack your enemies, it will be easy for you to destroy them and take their land.(32 Some of these nations are descendants of the Anakim. You know how tall and strong they are, and you've heard that no one can defeat them in battle.Z' 12 Israel, listen to me! You will soon cross the Jordan River and go into the land to force out the nations that live there. They are more powerful than you are, and the walls around their cities reach to the sky.&/2(SEE 8:19)%52But I'm warning you--if you forget the LORD your God and worship other gods, the LORD will destroy you, just as he destroyed the nations you fought.$%2Instead, remember that the LORD your God gives you the strength to make a living. That's how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors.Z#/2When you become successful, don't say, "I'm rich, and I've earned it all myself."4"c2He also gave you manna, a kind of food your ancestors had never even heard about. The LORD was testing you to make you trust him, so that later on he could be good to you.L!2Remember how he led you in that huge and frightening desert where poisonous snakes and scorpions live. There was no water, but the LORD split open a rock, and water poured out so you could drink. 2But when all this happens, don't be proud! Don't forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and that it was the LORD who set you free.W)2 You will get more and more cattle, sheep, silver, gold, and other possessions.P2 you will have plenty to eat, and you will build good houses to live in. 2 Make sure that you never forget the LORD or disobey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. If you always obey them,dC2 After you eat and are full, give praise to the LORD your God for the good land he gave you.-2 (SEE 8:8){2You can dig for copper in those hills, and the stones are made of iron ore. And you won't go hungry. Wheat and barley fields are everywhere, and so are vineyards and orchards full of fig, pomegranate, and olive trees, and there is plenty of honey.ym2The LORD your God is bringing you into a good land with streams that flow from springs in the valleys and hills.cA2Obey the commands the LORD your God has given you and worship him with fear and trembling.gI2So keep in mind that the LORD has been correcting you, just as parents correct their children.a=2Over the past forty years, your clothing hasn't worn out, and your feet haven't swollen.sa2so he made you go hungry. Then he gave you manna, a kind of food that you and your ancestors had never even heard about. The LORD was teaching you that people need more than food to live--they need every word that the LORD has spoken.3a2Don't forget how the LORD your God has led you through the desert for the past forty years. He wanted to find out if you were truly willing to obey him and depend on him,J 2Israel, do you want to go into the land the LORD promised your ancestors? Do you want to capture it, live there, and become a powerful nation? Then be sure to obey every command I am giving you. 2so destroy it. If you bring it home with you, both you and your house will be destroyed. Stay away from those disgusting idols!)M2After you conquer a nation, burn their idols. Don't get trapped into wanting the silver or gold on an idol. Even the metal on an idol is disgusting to the LORD,/2(SEE 7:23)Q2But when you attack your enemies, the LORD will make them panic, and you will easily destroy them. You will defeat them one after another until they are gone, and no one will remember they ever lived.iM2As you attack these nations, the LORD will force them out little by little. He won't let you get rid of them all at once--if he did, there wouldn't be enough people living in the land to keep down the number of wild animals. 2So don't be frightened when you meet them in battle. The LORD your God is great and fearsome, and he will fight at your side.{ q2Some of them may try to survive by hiding from you, but the LORD will make them panic, and soon they will be dead.@ {2You saw how the LORD used his tremendous power to work great miracles and bring you out of Egypt. And he will again work miracles for you when you face these enemies you fear so much.[ 12But stop worrying! Just remember what the LORD your God did to Egypt and its king.e E2You may be thinking, "How can we destroy these nations? They are more powerful than we are." 2When the LORD helps you defeat your enemies, you must destroy them without pity! And don't get trapped into worshiping their gods.8k2You will no longer suffer with the same horrible diseases that you sometimes had in Egypt. You will be healthy, but the LORD will make your enemies suffer from those diseases.lS2God will bless you more than any other nation--your families will grow and your livestock increase.M2 The LORD will love you and bless you by giving you many children and plenty of food, wine, and olive oil. Your herds of cattle will have many calves, and your flocks of sheep will have many lambs.)2 If you completely obey these laws, the LORD your God will be loyal and keep the agreement he made with you, just as he promised our ancestors.I 2 So be sure to obey his laws and teachings I am giving you today.G 2 But if you turn against the LORD, he will quickly destroy you.E2 You know that the LORD your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations.G 2but the LORD chose you because he loves you and because he had made a promise to your ancestors. Then with his mighty arm, he rescued you from the king of Egypt, who had made you his slaves.,U2You were the weakest of all nations,~!2Israel, you are the chosen people of the LORD your God. There are many nations on this earth, but he chose only Israel to be his very own.d}C2So when you conquer these nations, tear down the altars where they worship their gods. Break up their sacred stones, cut down the poles that they use in worshiping the goddess Asherah, and throw their idols in the fire.9|m2If you do, those people will lead your descendants to worship other gods and to turn their backs on the LORD. That will make him very angry, and he will quickly destroy Israel.@{}2and don't let your sons and daughters marry any of them.z2the LORD will force them out of the land. Then you must destroy them without mercy. Don't make any peace treaties with them,y %2People of Israel, the LORD your God will help you take the land of the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. These seven nations have more people and are stronger than Israel, but when you attack them,x/2(SEE 6:24)'wI2That's why the LORD our God demands that we obey his laws and worship him with fear and trembling. And if we do, he will protect us and help us be successful.ovY2The LORD rescued us from Egypt, so he could bring us into this land, as he had promised our ancestors.sua2We saw him perform miracles and make horrible things happen to the king, his officials, and everyone else.vtg2Then you will answer: We were slaves of the king of Egypt, but the LORD used his great power and set us free.]s52Someday your children will ask, "Why did the LORD give us these laws and teachings?"r/2(SEE 6:18)q/2and live in a way that pleases him. Then you will be able to go in and take this good land from your enemies, just as he promised your ancestors.8pm2Always obey the laws that the LORD has given youSo!2so don't try to make him prove that he can help you, as you did at Massah.n2If you worship other gods, the LORD will be furious and wipe you off the face of the earth. The LORD your God is with you,Zm/2Don't have anything to do with gods that are worshiped by the nations around you.olY2 Worship and obey the LORD your God with fear and trembling, and promise that you will be loyal to him.ak=2 don't forget it was the LORD who set you free from slavery and brought you out of Egypt.yjm2 and houses full of good things that you didn't put there. The LORD will give you wells that you didn't have to dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you didn't have to plant. But when you have eaten so much that you can't eat any more,Ei2 The LORD promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you this land. Now he will take you there and give you large towns, with good buildings that you didn't build,Rh2 Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.[g12Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them.Cf2and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.e/2Memorize his lawsKd2So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.>cy2Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God!Vb'2Pay attention, Israel! Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he promised to give us this land that is rich with milk and honey. Be careful to obey him, and you will become a successful and powerful nation.vag2And if you and your descendants want to live a long time, you must always worship the LORD and obey his laws.*` Q2The LORD told me to give you these laws and teachings, so you can obey them in the land he is giving you. Soon you will cross the Jordan River and take that land._2!Follow them, because they make a path that will lead to a long successful life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.<^u2 Israel, you must carefully obey the LORD's commands.,]S2but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.0\]2Now, tell them to return to their tents,'[I2I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.`Z;2The LORD heard you and said: Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve.rY_2Moses, go up close and listen to the LORD. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.X2Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it? W2But we don't want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the LORD's voice, we will die.:Vo2and said: Today the LORD our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them.}Uu2When fire blazed from the mountain, and you heard the voice coming from the darkness, your tribal leaders came to me[T12When we were gathered on the mountain, the LORD spoke to us in a loud voice from the dark fiery cloud. The LORD gave us these commands, and only these. Then he wrote them on two flat stones and gave them to me.S'2Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's wife or husband, house, land, slaves, oxen, donkeys, or anything else.&RI2Do not tell lies about others.Q'2Do not steal. P=2Be faithful in marriage.O)2Do not murder.rN_2Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you.yMm2This special day of rest will remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from slavery in Egypt.|Ls2but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day--not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work.4Ke2 You have six days when you can do your work,;Js2 Show respect for the Sabbath Day--it belongs to me.eIE2 Do not misuse my name. I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.kHQ2 But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.=Gu2 Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me and worship idols, I will punish your families for three or four generations.jFO2Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.)EO2Do not worship any god except me.\D32I am the LORD your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.C2but you were afraid of the fire and refused to go up the mountain. So I spoke with the LORD for you, then I told you that he had said:6Bi2The LORD himself spoke to you out of the fire,WA)2That agreement wasn't only with our ancestors but with us, who are here today.K@2The LORD our God made an agreement with our nation at Mount Sinai.? '2Moses called together the people of Israel and said: Today I am telling you the laws and teachings that you must follow, so listen carefully.> 21Their land included the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, as far south as the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.\=320from the town of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon River gorge, north to Mount Hermon.~<w2/and King Og of Bashan, and took their lands. These two Amorite kings had ruled the territory east of the Jordan River;/2.(SEE 4:44):/2-(SEE 4:44)9y2,The Israelites had come from Egypt and were camped east of the Jordan River near Beth-Peor, when Moses gave these laws and teachings. The land around their camp had once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites defeated him8/2+(SEE 4:41)7/2*(SEE 4:41),6S2)Moses said, "People of Israel, you must set aside the following three towns east of the Jordan River as Safe Towns: Bezer in the desert highlands belonging to the Reuben tribe; Ramoth in Gilead, belonging to the Gad tribe; and Golan in Bashan, belonging to the Manasseh tribe. If you kill a neighbor without meaning to, and if you had not been angry with that person, you can run to one of these towns and find safety."15]2(Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the LORD is giving you.h4K2'So remember that the LORD is the only true God, whether in the sky above or on the earth below.3%2&Now you face other nations more powerful than you are, but the LORD has already started forcing them out of their land and giving it to you. 22%The LORD loved your ancestors and decided that you would be his people. So the LORD used his great power to bring you out of Egypt.1/2$(SEE 4:35)c0A2#The LORD wants you to know he is the only true God, and he wants you to obey him. That's why he let you see his mighty miracles and his fierce fire on earth, and why you heard his voice from that fire and from the sky.//2"(SEE 4:32)./2!(SEE 4:32)-2 When the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt, you saw how he fought for you and showed his great power by performing terrifying miracles. You became his people, and at Mount Sinai you heard him talking to you out of fiery flames. And yet you are still alive! Has anything like this ever happened since the time God created humans? No matter where you go or who you ask, you will get the same answer. No one has ever heard of another god even trying to do such things as the LORD your God has done for you./,Y2The LORD your God will have mercy--he won't destroy you or desert you. The LORD will remember his promise, and he will keep the agreement he made with your ancestors.+/2(SEE 4:29)0*[2In all of your troubles, you may finally decide that you want to worship only the LORD. And if you turn back to him and obey him completely, he will again be your God. )2There you will have to worship gods made of wood and stone, and these are nothing but idols that can't see or hear or eat or smell.~(w2Only a few of you will survive, and the LORD will force you to leave the land and will scatter you among the nations.'/2(SEE 4:25)o&Y2Soon you will cross the Jordan River and settle down in the land. Then in the years to come, you will have children, and they will give you grandchildren. After many years, you might lose your sense of right and wrong and make idols, even though the LORD your God hates them. So I am giving you fair warning today, and I call the earth and the sky as witnesses. If you ever make idols, the LORD will be angry, and you won't have long to live, because the LORD will let you be wiped out.w%i2The LORD will be angry if you worship other gods, and he can be like a fire destroying everything in its path.y$m2Always remember the agreement that the LORD your God made with you, and don't make an idol in any shape or form.p#[2So I must stay here and die on this side of the Jordan, but you will cross the river and take the land.$"C2The LORD was angry at me because of what you said, and he told me that he would not let me cross the Jordan River into the good land that he is giving you.k!Q2But you are the LORD's people, because he led you through fiery trials and rescued you from Egypt. ;2And when you see the sun or moon or stars, don't be tempted to bow down and worship them. The LORD put them there for all the other nations to worship.12reptiles, or fish.+2animals, birds,~w2not to commit the sin of worshiping idols. Don't make idols to be worshiped, whether they are shaped like men, women,M2When God spoke to you from the fire, he was invisible. So be careful)2That's when the LORD commanded me to give you the laws and teachings you must obey in the land that you will conquer west of the Jordan River.G 2 The LORD said he was making an agreement with you, and he told you that your part of the agreement is to obey the Ten Commandments. Then the LORD wrote these Commandments on two flat stones.}2 and the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him.{q2 Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain,2 Do you remember the day you stood in the LORD's presence at Mount Sinai? The LORD said, "Moses, bring the people of Israel here. I want to speak to them so they will obey me as long as they live, and so they will teach their children to obey me too."%E2 You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well.-2(SEE 4:5)-2(SEE 4:5)-2(SEE 4:5) 2No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone that hears about your laws will say, "That great nation certainly is wise!" And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.V'2But all of you that were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today.H 2You saw how he killed everyone who worshiped the god Baal Peor.{q2and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away.> y2Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the LORD is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped,8 m2After this we stayed in the valley at Beth-Peor. 2Joshua will lead Israel across the Jordan to take the land, so help him be strong and brave and tell him what he must do." !2Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and look north, south, east, and west. Take a good look, but you are not going to cross the Jordan River. 2But the LORD was angry with me because of you people, and he refused to listen. "That's enough!" he said. "I don't want to hear any more. 2The land west of the Jordan is such good land. Please let me cross the Jordan and see the hills and the Lebanon Mountains."#A2"Our LORD, it seems that you have just begun to show me your great power. No other god in the sky or on earth is able to do the mighty things that you do.)O2At that time I prayed and begged,/2(SEE 3:21)N2Then I told Joshua, "You saw how the LORD our God helped us destroy King Sihon and King Og. So don't be afraid! Wherever you go, the LORD will fight on your side and help you destroy your enemies."'I2The LORD will let them defeat the enemy nations on the west side of the Jordan and take their land. Afterwards, you can come back here to the land I gave you./2(SEE 3:18)52At that time I told the men of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh: The LORD our God told me to give you this land with its towns, and that's what I have done. Now your wives and children can stay here with your large flocks of sheep and goats and your large herds of cattle. But all of you men that can serve in our army must cross the Jordan River and help the other tribes, because they are your relatives./2(SEE 3:12)/2(SEE 3:12)/2(SEE 3:12)~/2(SEE 3:12)}/2 (SEE 3:12)l|S2 I gave some of the land and towns we captured to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Their share started at the Arnon River gorge in the south, took in the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge, and went far enough north to include the southern half of the Gilead region. The northern part of their land went as far east as the upper Jabbok River gorge, which formed their border with the Ammonites. I also gave them the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, from Lake Galilee south to the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah. I gave the northern half of Gilead and all of the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh. Bashan had belonged to King Og, and the Argob region in Bashan used to be called the Land of the Rephaim. Jair from the Manasseh tribe conquered the Argob region as far west as the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. The Israelites even started calling Bashan by the name "Villages of Jair," and that is still its name. I gave the northern half of Gilead to the Machir clan.5{e2 King Og was the last of the Rephaim, and his coffin is in the town of Rabbah in Ammon. It is made of hard black rock and is thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide.z'2 We captured all the towns in the highlands, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, two of the towns that Og had ruled.ry_2 Mount Hermon is called Mount Sirion by the people of Sidon, and it is called Mount Senir by the Amorites.=xu2Sihon and Og had ruled Amorite kingdoms east of the Jordan River. Their land stretched from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, and we captured it all.?w{2but keeping the livestock and everything else of value.v-2(SEE 3:3)u-2(SEE 3:3)t-2(SEE 3:3)s)2The LORD our God helped us destroy Og and his army and conquer his entire kingdom of Bashan, including the Argob region. His kingdom had lots of villages and sixty towns with high walls and gates that locked with bars. We completely destroyed them all, killing everyone,^r72But the LORD told me, "Moses, don't be afraid of King Og. I am going to help you defeat him and his army and take over his land. Destroy him and his people, just as you did with the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon."yq o2When we turned onto the road that leads to Bashan, King Og of Bashan led out his whole army to fight us at Edrei.p2%However, we stayed away from all the Ammonite towns, both in the hill country and near the Jabbok River, just as the LORD had commanded.Ho 2$The LORD helped us capture every town from the Arnon River gorge north to the boundary of Gilead, including the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge and the town in the middle of the gorge.?n{2#but keeping the livestock and everything else of value.Xm+2"Then we captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom, killing everyone,nlW2!and the LORD our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army.5kg2 We met Sihon and his army in battle at Jahaz,j/2(SEE 2:30)Oi2But Sihon refused to let us go across his country, because the LORD made him stubborn and eager to fight us. The LORD told me, "I am going to help you defeat Sihon and take his land, so attack him!"h/2(SEE 2:28)"g?2You can even sell us food and water, and we will pay with silver. We need to reach the Jordan River and cross it, because the LORD our God is giving us the land on the west side. The Edomites and Moabites have already let us cross their land. Please let us cross your land as well.ofY2Please let Israel go across your country. We will walk straight through, without turning off the road.?ey2After we had crossed the Arnon and had set up camp in the Kedemoth Desert, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon, telling him that his nation and ours could be at peace. I said:&dG2Today I will start making all other nations afraid of you. They will tremble with fear when anyone mentions you, and they will be terrified when you show up.c32After we went through Ammon, the LORD told us: Israel, pack up your possessions, take down your tents, and cross the Arnon River gorge. The territory of the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon lies on the other side of the river, but I now give you his land. So attack and take it! b2A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land."a?2The LORD helped them as he had helped the Edomites, who killed many of the Horites in Seir and forced the rest to leave before settling there themselves._`92The Zamzummim were a large and powerful tribe and were as tall as the Anakim. But the LORD helped the Ammonites, and they killed many of the Zamzummim and forced the rest to leave. Then the Ammonites settled there.$_C2Before the Ammonites conquered the land that the LORD had given them, some of the Rephaim used to live there, although the Ammonites called them Zamzummim.}^u2into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel."L]2"Moses, now go past the town of Ar and cross Moab's northern border\92Then the LORD told me, m~u}}3|{{,zdyyDxxKwwEvv uuZtt>ssnsr[qqpp%oo nnammGm*llkwjjxii:hgggff?eddcc bUa%`[I[-[ZZZZZZiZMZ1ZYYYXnXQWWVVEUTTHSSRtRQ4QP{OOALLLfLJL.KK>JIIHGGfFF0FEEdDDfCC{CBBAAAAAAcA(@??~>|==|<<+;:R99|8777p6654|333d22e110x/..Z--:,,*4*))(((1'&&c&$:$$"" 8Y3Z),ZRk Q  v / * R69&o2That's why I said there must be three Safe Towns.N%2You don't deserve to die, since you did not mean to harm your friend. But he did get killed, and his relatives might be very angry. They might even choose one of the men from their family to track you down and kill you. If it is too far to one of the Safe Towns, the victim's relative might be able to catch you and kill you.x$k2For example, suppose you and a friend go into the forest to cut wood. You are chopping down a tree with an ax, when the ax head slips off the handle, hits your friend, and kills him. You can run to one of the Safe Towns and save your life.#/2(SEE 19:2)"/2(SEE 19:2)! 2you must choose three of your towns to be Safe Towns. Divide the land into three regions with one Safe Town near the middle of each, so that a Safe Town can be easily reached from anywhere in your land. Then, if one of you accidentally kills someone, you can run to a Safe Town and find protection from being put to death. But you must not have been angry with the person you killed.*  Q2Soon you will go into the land and attack the nations. The LORD your God will destroy them and give you their lands, towns, and homes. Then after you are settled,~w2You will know, because if the LORD says something will happen, it will happen. And if it doesn't, you will know that the prophet was falsely claiming to speak for the LORD. Don't be afraid of any prophet whose message doesn't come from the LORD.kQ2You may be asking yourselves, "How can we tell if a prophet's message really comes from the LORD?"?y2But if I haven't spoken, and a prophet claims to have a message from me, you must kill that prophet, and you must also kill any prophet who claims to have a message from another god.hK2Since the message comes from me, anyone who doesn't obey the message will have to answer to me.8k2So when I want to speak to them, I will choose one of them to be a prophet like you. I will give my message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said.F2Then the LORD told me: Moses, they have said the right thing.C2You were asking for a prophet the day you were gathered at Mount Sinai and said to the LORD, "Please don't let us hear your voice or see this terrible fire again--if we do, we will die!"}u2Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says.#2You will go in and take the land from nations that practice magic and witchcraft. But the LORD your God won't allow you to do those things.@}2 Never be guilty of doing any of these disgusting things! 2 The LORD is disgusted with anyone who does these things, and that's why he will help you destroy the nations that are in the land.12 (SEE 18:10)+Q2 Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead.;q2 Soon you will go into the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The nations that live there do things that are disgusting to the LORD, and you must not follow their example.cA2Some Levites may have money from selling family possessions, and others may not. But all Levites serving at the place of worship will receive the same amount of food from the sacrifices and gifts brought by the people.Z/2and then be a special servant of the LORD there, just like all the other Levites.gI2Any Levite can leave his hometown, and go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped,4c2Give these gifts to the priests, because the LORD has chosen them and their descendants out of all the tribes of Israel to be his special servants at the place of worship.P 2In addition, they will receive the first part of your grain harvest and part of your first batches of wine and olive oil. You must also give them the first wool that is cut from your sheep each year.o Y2When you sacrifice a bull or sheep, the priests will be given the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach.@ }2because he has promised to provide for them in this way.'  K2The people of the Levi tribe, including the priests, will not receive any land. Instead, they will receive part of the sacrifices that are offered to the LORD,% E2and not think that he's better than everyone else. If the king completely obeys the LORD's commands, he and his descendants will rule Israel for many years.{q2Each day the king must read and obey these laws, so that he will learn to worship the LORD with fear and tremblingJ2The official copy of God's laws will be kept by the priests of the Levi tribe. So, as soon as anyone becomes king, he must go to the priests and write out a copy of these laws while they watch.-U2And the king must not have a lot of wives--they might tempt him to be unfaithful to the LORD. Finally, the king must not try to get huge amounts of silver and gold.{q2The king should not have many horses, especially those from Egypt. The LORD has said never to go back there again.wi2Go ahead and appoint a king, but make sure that he is an Israelite and that he is the one the LORD has chosen.3a2People of Israel, after you capture the land the LORD your God is giving you, and after you settle on it, you will say, "We want a king, just like the nations around us."fG2 When other Israelites hear about it, they will be afraid and obey the decisions of the court./2 (SEE 17:8)/2 (SEE 17:8)/2 (SEE 17:8)~/2 (SEE 17:8)d}C2It may be difficult to find out the truth in some legal cases in your town. You may not be able to decide if someone was killed accidentally or murdered. Or you may not be able to tell whether an injury or some property damage was done by accident or on purpose. If the case is too difficult, take it to the court at the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped. This court will be made up of one judge and several priests who serve at the LORD's altar. They will explain the law to you and give you their decision about the case. Do exactly what they tell you, or you will be put to death.|/2(SEE 17:5){/2(SEE 17:5)z2But you will need two or three witnesses--one witness isn't enough to prove a person guilty. Get rid of those who are guilty of such evil. Take them outside your town gates and have everyone stone them to death. But the witnesses must be the first to throw stones.y!2So when you hear that someone in your town is committing this disgusting sin, you must carefully find out if that person really is guilty.x/2(SEE 17:2)4wc2The LORD your God is giving you towns to live in. But later, a man or a woman in your town may start worshiping other gods, or even the sun, moon, or stars. I have warned you not to worship other gods, because whoever worships them is disobeying the LORD and breaking the agreement he made with you.v 2If an ox or a sheep has something wrong with it, don't offer it as a sacrifice to the LORD your God--he will be disgusted!Fu2And don't set up a sacred stone! The LORD hates these things.t2When you build the altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God, don't set up a sacred pole for the worship of the goddess Asherah.s92People of Israel, if you want to enjoy a long and successful life, make sure that everyone is treated with justice in the land the LORD is giving you.r12(SEE 16:18)q32After you are settled in the towns that you will receive from the LORD your God, the people in each town must appoint judges and other officers. Those of you that become judges must be completely fair when you make legal decisions, even if someone important is involved. Don't take bribes to give unfair decisions. Bribes keep people who are wise from seeing the truth and turn honest people into liars.Sp!2The bigger the harvest the LORD gives you, the bigger your gift should be.o2Each year there are three festivals when all Israelite men must go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. These are the Festival of Thin Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. And don't forget to take along a gift for the LORD.n12(SEE 16:13)m12(SEE 16:13)Xl+2 After you have finished the grain harvest and the grape harvest, take your sons and daughters and all your servants to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. Celebrate the Festival of Shelters for seven days. Also invite the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. The LORD will give you big harvests and make you successful in everything you do. You will be completely happy, so celebrate this festival in honor of the LORD your God.Jk2 Remember that you used to be slaves in Egypt, so obey these laws.j12 (SEE 16:10)sia2 go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped and celebrate the Harvest Festival in honor of the LORD your God. Bring him an offering as large as you can afford, depending on how big a harvest he has given you. Be sure to take along your sons and daughters and all your servants. Also invite the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.7hk2 Seven weeks after you start your grain harvest,g 2Eat thin bread for the next six days. Then on the seventh day, don't do any work. Instead, come together and worship the LORD.ifM2Then cook it and eat it there at the place of worship, returning to your tents the next morning.e!2It must be offered at the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. Kill the sacrifice at sunset, the time of day when you left Egypt.Vd'2Don't offer the Passover sacrifice in just any town where you happen to live.c/2(SEE 16:3)Mb2Eat all of the meat of the Passover sacrifice that same night. But don't serve bread made with yeast at the Passover meal. Serve the same kind of thin bread that you ate when you were slaves suffering in Egypt and when you had to leave Egypt quickly. As long as you live, this thin bread will remind you of the day you left Egypt. For seven days following Passover, don't make any bread with yeast. In fact, there should be no yeast anywhere in Israel. a2The Passover sacrifice must be a cow, a sheep, or a goat, and you must offer it at the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. ` =2People of Israel, you must celebrate Passover in the month of Abib, because one night in that month years ago, the LORD your God rescued you from Egypt.W_)2But you must never eat the blood of an animal--let it drain out on the ground.B^2You can butcher it where you live, and eat it just like the meat of a deer or gazelle that you kill while hunting. Even those people who are unclean and unfit for worship can have some.]{2But if the animal is lame or blind or has something else wrong with it, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.g\I2Instead, each year you must take the first-born of these animals to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped. You and your family will sacrifice them to the LORD and then eat them as part of a sacred meal.+[Q2If the first-born animal of a cow or sheep or goat is a male, it must be given to the LORD. Don't put first-born cattle to work or cut wool from first-born sheep.Z%2Don't complain when you have to set a slave free. After all, you got six years of service at half the cost of hiring someone to do the work.;Yq2Take the slave to the door of your house and push a sharp metal rod through one earlobe and into the door. Such slaves will belong to you for life, whether they are men or women.X2But one of your slaves may say, "I love you and your family, and I would be better off staying with you, so please don't make me leave."qW]2I am commanding you to obey the LORD as a reminder that you were slaves in Egypt before he set you free.V 2give them sheep and goats and a good supply of grain and wine. The more the LORD has given you, the more you should give them.9Uo2 And don't just tell them they are free to leave--XT+2 If any of you buy Israelites as slaves, you must set them free after six years.~Sw2 There will always be some Israelites who are poor and needy. That's why I am commanding you to be generous with them.R2 You should be happy to give the poor what they need, because then the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.{Qq2 Be careful! Don't say to yourself, "Soon it will be the seventh year, and then I won't be able to get my money back." It would be horrible for you to think that way and to be so selfish that you refuse to help the poor. They are your relatives, and if you don't help them, they may ask the LORD to decide whether you have done wrong. And he will say that you are guilty.6Pi2Instead, be kind and lend them what they need.2O_2After the LORD your God gives land to each of you, there may be poor Israelites in the town where you live. If there are, then don't be mean and selfish with your money.N/2(SEE 15:4)M/2(SEE 15:4)@L{2No one in Israel should ever be poor. The LORD your God is giving you this land, and he has promised to make you very successful, if you obey his laws and teachings that I'm giving you today. You will lend money to many nations, but you won't have to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they won't rule you. K2This law applies only to loans you have made to other Israelites. Foreigners will still have to pay back what you have loaned them.J/2(SEE 15:1)6I i2Every seven years you must announce, "The LORD says loans do not need to be paid back." Then if you have loaned money to another Israelite, you can no longer ask for payment.6Hg2The Levites have no land of their own, so you must give them food from the storehouse. You must also give food to the poor who live in your town, including orphans, widows, and foreigners. If they have enough to eat, then the LORD your God will be pleased and make you successful in everything you do.G12Every third year, instead of using the ten percent of your harvest for a big celebration, bring it into town and put it in a community storehouse.F2And since people of the Levi tribe won't own any land for growing crops, remember to ask the Levites to celebrate with you.EE2When you and your family arrive, spend the money on food for a big celebration. Buy cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer, and if there are any other kinds of food that you want, buy those too.=Dw2then sell this part and take the money there instead.m2Swarming insects are unclean, so don't eat them.=12(SEE 14:12)<12(SEE 14:12);12(SEE 14:12):12(SEE 14:12)912(SEE 14:12)812 (SEE 14:12)^772 But don't eat the meat of any of the following birds: eagles, vultures, falcons, kites, ravens, ostriches, owls, sea gulls, hawks, pelicans, ospreys, cormorants, storks, herons, and hoopoes. You must not eat bats.#6C2 You can eat any clean bird._592 and if they do not have fins and scales, you must not eat them. Treat them as unclean.m4U2 You can eat any fish that has fins and scales. But there are other creatures that live in the water,x3k2And don't eat pork, since pigs have divided hoofs, but they do not chew their cud. Don't even touch a dead pig!2!2But don't eat camels, rabbits, and rock badgers. These animals chew the cud but do not have divided hoofs. You must treat them as unclean.d1C2It is all right to eat meat from any animals that have divided hoofs and also chew the cud.0/2(SEE 14:4)/{2You may eat the meat of cattle, sheep, and goats; wild sheep and goats; and gazelles, antelopes, and all kinds of deer.).O2Don't eat any disgusting animals.$-C2Out of all the nations on this earth, the LORD your God chose you to be his own. You belong to the LORD, so don't behave like those who worship other gods. , 2People of Israel, you are the LORD's children, so when you mourn for the dead, you must not cut yourselves or shave your forehead. +2 That's why you must do what the LORD your God says is right. I am giving you his laws and teachings today, and you must obey them.*12 (SEE 13:16) )2 Gather all the possessions of the people who lived there, and pile them up in the marketplace, without keeping anything for yourself. Set the pile and the whole town on fire, and don't ever rebuild the town. The whole town will be a sacrifice to the LORD your God. Then he won't be angry anymore, and he will have mercy on you and make you successful, just as he promised your ancestors.W()2 you must take your swords and kill every one of them, and their livestock too.'/2 You must carefully find out if the rumor is true. Then if the people of that town have actually done such a disgusting thing in your own country, &;2 You may hear that some worthless people have talked everyone there into worshiping other gods, even though these gods had never done anything for them.i%M2 After the LORD your God gives you towns to live in, you may hear a rumor about one of the towns.${2 And when the rest of Israel hears about it, they will be afraid, and no one else will ever do such an evil thing again.#/2 (SEE 13:6)"/2 (SEE 13:6)!/2 (SEE 13:6) /2 (SEE 13:6)92 Someone else may say to you, "Let's worship other gods." That person may be your best friend, your brother or sister, your son or daughter, or your own dear wife or husband. But you must not listen to people who say such things. Instead, you must stone them to death. You must be the first to throw the stones, then others from the community will finish the job. Don't show any pity. The gods worshiped by other nations have never done anything for you or your ancestors. People who ask you to worship other gods are trying to get you to stop worshiping the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. So put to death anyone who asks you to worship another god.:o2 because he rescued you from slavery in Egypt. If a prophet tells you to disobey the LORD your God and to stop worshiping him, then that prophet is evil and must be put to death.ym2 You must be completely faithful to the LORD. Worship and obey only the LORD and do this with fear and trembling,-2 If the prophet says this, don't listen! The LORD your God will be watching to find out whether or not you love him with all your heart and soul./2 (SEE 13:1)X -2 Someday a prophet may come along who is able to perform miracles or tell what will happen in the future. Then the prophet may say, "Let's start worshiping some new gods--some gods that we know nothing about."a=2 Obey all the laws and teachings I am giving you. Don't add any, and don't take any away.92 No, you should not! The LORD hates the disgusting way those nations worship their gods, because they even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices.72 But that's when you must be especially careful not to ask, "How did those nations worship their gods? Shouldn't we worship the LORD in the same way?" 2 Israel, as you go into the land and attack the nations that are there, the LORD will get rid of them, and you can have their land.12 If you obey these laws, you will be doing what the LORD your God says is right and good. Then he will help you and your descendants be successful.12 (SEE 12:26)=u2 All sacrifices and offerings to the LORD must be taken to the place where he chooses to be worshiped. If you offer a sacrifice to please the LORD, all of its meat must be burned on the altar. You can eat the meat from certain kinds of sacrifices, but you must always pour out the animal's blood on the altar.,S2 Do you want the LORD to make you successful? Do you want your children to be successful even after you are gone? Then do what pleases the LORD and don't eat blood.12 (SEE 12:23)zo2 But don't eat the blood. It is the life of the animal, so let it drain out on the ground before you eat the meat.>w2 It is the same as eating the meat from a deer or a gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And in this way, anyone who is unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat.12 (SEE 12:20)O 2 The LORD has promised that later on he will give Israel more land, and some of you may not be able to travel all the way from your homes to the place of worship each time you are hungry for meat. But the LORD will give you cattle, sheep, and goats, and you can butcher any of those animals at home and eat as much as you want. /2 (SEE 12:5) /2 (SEE 12:5) /2 (SEE 12:5) /2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)/2 (SEE 12:5)~{2 Soon you will cross the Jordan, and the LORD will help you conquer your enemies and let you live in peace, there in the land he has given you. But after you are settled, life will be different. You must not offer sacrifices just anywhere you want to. Instead, the LORD will choose a place somewhere in Israel where you must go to worship him. All of your sacrifices and offerings must be taken there, including sacrifices to please the LORD and any gift you promise or voluntarily give him. That's where you must also take one tenth of your grain, wine, and olive oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle, sheep, and goats. You and your family and servants will eat your gifts and sacrifices and celebrate there at the place of worship, because the LORD your God has made you successful in everything you have done. And since Levites will not have any land of their own, you must ask some of them to come along and celebrate with you. Sometimes you may want to kill an animal for food and not as a sacrifice. If the LORD has blessed you and given you enough cows or sheep or goats, then you can butcher one of them where you live. You can eat it just like the meat from a deer or gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And even those people who are unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat. But you must not eat the blood of any animal--let the blood drain out on the ground.U}%2 Don't worship the LORD your God in the way those nations worship their gods.,|S2 Wherever these nations worship their gods, you must tear down their altars, break their sacred stones, burn the sacred poles used in worshiping the goddess Asherah, and smash their idols to pieces. Destroy these places of worship so completely that no one will remember they were ever there.G{ 2 But the nations that live there worship other gods. So after you capture the land, you must completely destroy their places of worship--on mountains and hills or in the shade of large trees.z 92 Now I'll tell you the laws and teachings that you have to obey as long as you live. Your ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he is giving you this land.Ny2 be careful to obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today.x 2 Soon you will cross the Jordan River to conquer the land that the LORD your God is giving you. And when you have settled there,rw_2 You know that these two mountains are west of the Jordan River in land now controlled by the Canaanites living in the Jordan River valley. The mountains are west of the road near the sacred trees of Moreh on the other side of Gilgal.&vG2 After the LORD your God helps you take the land, you must have a ceremony where you announce his blessings from Mount Gerizim and his curses from Mount Ebal.uy2 But if you disobey him and worship those gods that have never done anything for you, the LORD will put a curse on you.Pt2 Today I am giving you his laws, and if you obey him, he will bless you.hsK2 You have a choice--do you want the LORD to bless you, or do you want him to put a curse on you?sra2 No one will be able to stand up to you. The LORD will make everyone terrified of you, just as he promised.$qC2 You will capture the land everywhere you go, from the Southern Desert to the Lebanon Mountains, and from the Euphrates River west to the Mediterranean Sea.p-2 he will help you take the land. And even though the nations there are more powerful than you, the LORD will force them to leave when you attack.o2 Love the LORD your God and obey all the laws and teachings that I'm giving you today. If you live the way the LORD wants,4nc2 Then you and your descendants will live a long time in the land that the LORD promised your ancestors. Your families will live there as long as the sky is above the earth.Lm2 Write them on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.,lS2 Teach them to your children. Talk about them all the time--whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. k2 Memorize these laws and think about them. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and your foreheads to help you obey them.4jc2 the LORD will become angry and keep the rain from falling. Nothing will grow in your fields, and you will die and disappear from the good land that the LORD is giving you.jiO2 But watch out! You will be tempted to turn your backs on the LORD. And if you worship other gods,h12 (SEE 11:14) g;2 he will send rain at the right seasons, so you will have more than enough food, wine, and olive oil, and there will be plenty of grass for your cattle.sfa2 The LORD your God commands you to love him and to serve him with all your heart and soul. If you obey him,ae=2 because the LORD your God keeps his eye on this land and takes care of it all year long.Xd+2 But the hills and valleys in the promised land are watered by rain from heaven,dcC2 It's better land than you had in Egypt, where you had to struggle just to water your crops.b/2 that the LORD promised your ancestors and their descendants. It's rich with milk and honey, and you will live there and enjoy it for a long time.a-2 Soon you will cross the Jordan River, and if you obey the laws and teachings I'm giving you today, you will be strong enough to conquer the landQ`2 With your own eyes, you saw the LORD's mighty power do all these things.O_2 And you saw how the LORD made the ground open up in the middle of our camp underneath the tents of Dathan and Abiram, who were swallowed up along with their families, their animals, and their tents.o^Y2 You saw what the LORD did for you while you were in the desert, right up to the time you arrived here.$]C2 And when the Egyptian army chased you in their chariots, you saw the LORD drown them and their horses in the Red Sea. Egypt still suffers from that defeat!h\K2 when he worked miracles in Egypt, making terrible things happen to the king and all his people.p[[2 Remember, he corrected you and not your children. You are the ones who saw the LORD use his great powerZZ 12 The LORD is your God, so you must always love him and obey his laws and teachings.1Y]2 When your ancestors went to live in Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But the LORD has blessed you, and now there are more of you than there are stars in the sky.dXC2 Offer your praises to him, because you have seen him work such terrifying miracles for you.XW+2 Respect the LORD your God, serve only him, and make promises in his name alone.QV2 And you should also care for them, because you were foreigners in Egypt.uUe2 The LORD defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing.@T{2 The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind.JS2 Remember your agreement with the LORD and stop being so stubborn.5Re2 Yet the LORD loved your ancestors and wanted them to belong to him. So he chose them and their descendants rather than any other nation, and today you are still his people.Q2 Everything belongs to the LORD your God, not only the earth and everything on it, but also the sky and the highest heavens.nPW2 and to obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. Do this, and all will go well for you.'OI2 People of Israel, what does the LORD your God want from you? The LORD wants you to respect and follow him, to love and serve him with all your heart and soul,rN_2 Instead, he told me, "Moses, get ready to lead the people into the land that I promised their ancestors."DM2 When I had taken the second set of stones up the mountain, I spent forty days and nights there, just as I had done before. Once again, the LORD answered my prayer and did not destroy you.%LE2 The LORD promised that he would always provide for the tribe of Levi, and that's why he won't give them any land, when he divides it among the other tribes.{Kq2 After I put the two stones in the sacred chest, the LORD chose the tribe of Levi, not only to carry the chest, but also to serve as his priests at the place of worship and to bless the other tribes in his name. And they still do these things.\J32 Next, we camped at Gudgodah and then at Jotbathah, where there are flowing streams.BI2 Later we set up camp at the wells belonging to the descendants of Jaakan. Then we moved on and camped at Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became the priest.yHm2 I took them down the mountainside and put them in the chest, just as he had commanded. And they are still there.tGc2 where the LORD wrote the Ten Commandments on them, just as he had done the first time. The commandments were exactly what he had announced from the fire, when you were gathered at the mountain. After the LORD returned the stones to me,F2 So I made a chest out of acacia wood, and I chiseled two flat stones like the ones I broke. Then I carried the stones up the mountain, $~~}}|?{{zzjy{y^wwwvvauuttss rrpxp[p>p!poohnnLmall'kk"ijiNhhggfeeye\dc(c bblaa^``E_2^^]P\}[ZZYYXXcXWW:VVIUUGTTJSMRPPPqOOaNN^MMLLoKKWK J|J%II.HHGFF0EEiDDGCBBQAA@W??}?=>s=<;;;?::9988Z7655l4433-211_1%//..)-F,,Q,+o+R***)k((P'&&f%m$$t$## " ! ?EvZqM+lgJ-bE t X  x H   >FW(b&_|$U%2He will send dust and sandstorms instead of rain, and you will be wiped out.12(SEE 28:21)12(SEE 28:21)%E2The LORD will send terrible diseases to attack you, and you will never be well again. You will suffer with burning fever and swelling and pain until you die somewhere in the land that you captured. The LORD will make the sky overhead seem like a bronze roof that keeps out the rain, and the ground under your feet will become as hard as iron. Your crops will be scorched by the hot east wind or ruined by mildew.C2No matter what you try to accomplish, the LORD will confuse you, and you will feel his anger. You won't last long, and you may even meet with disaster, all because you rejected the LORD.9o2The LORD will make you fail in everything you do.~#2You'll have only a few children, your crops will be small, and your herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats won't produce many young.+}S2You won't have enough bread to eat.,|U2Your businesses and farms will fail.{!2Israel, today I am giving you the laws and teachings of the LORD your God. And if you don't obey them all, he will put many curses on you.Uz%2But you must not reject any of his laws and teachings or worship other gods.Ny2 Obey the laws and teachings that I'm giving you today, and the LORD your God will make Israel a leader among the nations, and not a follower. Israel will be wealthy and powerful, not poor and weak."x?2 The LORD will open the storehouses of the skies where he keeps the rain, and he will send rain on your land at just the right times. He will make you successful in everything you do. You will have plenty of money to lend to other nations, but you won't need to borrow any yourself.\w32 The LORD will give you a lot of children and make sure that your animals give birth to many young. The LORD promised your ancestors that this land would be yours, and he will make it produce large crops for you.fvG2 Then everyone on earth will know that you belong to the LORD, and they will be afraid of you.guI2 If you follow and obey the LORD, he will make you his own special people, just as he promised.4tc2The LORD your God is giving you the land, and he will make sure you are successful in everything you do. Your harvests will be so large that your storehouses will be full.\s32The LORD will help you defeat your enemies and make them scatter in all directions.=rw2The LORD will make you successful in your daily work.-qW2You will have plenty of bread to eat.p!2You will have many children. You will harvest large crops, and your herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats will produce many young.Fo2The LORD will make your businesses and your farms successful.n/2(SEE 28:1)Mm 2Today I am giving you the laws and teachings of the LORD your God. Always obey them, and the LORD will make Israel the most famous and important nation on earth, and he will bless you in many ways.l12(SEE 27:14)k12(SEE 27:14)j12(SEE 27:14)i12(SEE 27:14)h12(SEE 27:14)g12(SEE 27:14)f12(SEE 27:14)e12(SEE 27:14)d12(SEE 27:14)c12(SEE 27:14)b12(SEE 27:14)a12(SEE 27:14)>`w2The people of the Levi tribe will speak each curse in a loud voice, then the rest of the people will agree to that curse by saying, "Amen!" Here are the curses: We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who makes an idol or worships idols, even secretly. The LORD is disgusted with idols. We ask the LORD to put a curse on all who do not show respect for their father and mother. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who moves the rocks that mark property lines. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who tells blind people to go the wrong way. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who keeps the poor from getting justice, whether these poor are foreigners, widows, or orphans. We ask the LORD to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his father's wife; that man has shown no respect for his father's marriage. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who has sex with an animal. We ask the LORD to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his sister or his half sister or his mother-in-law. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who commits murder, even when there are no witnesses to the crime. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who accepts money to murder an innocent victim. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who refuses to obey his laws. And so, to each of these curses, the people will answer, "Amen!"_12 (SEE 27:12)h^K2 After you cross the Jordan River, you will go to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin will go up on Mount Gerizim, where they will bless the people of Israel. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali will go up on Mount Ebal where they will agree to the curses.C]2 That same day, Moses gave them the following instructions:G\ 2 So you must obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you."[!2 Moses stood together with the priests and said, "Israel, be quiet and listen to me! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.Z#2Don't forget to write out a copy of these laws on the stone slabs that you are going to set up. Make sure that the writing is easy to read.Y2Next, offer sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing, and serve the meat at a sacred meal where you will celebrate in honor of the LORD. X2Look for stones that can be used without being cut. Then offer sacrifices to please the LORD, burning them completely on the altar.W2At this same place, build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don't use stones that have been cut with iron tools.V/2(SEE 27:2)U/2(SEE 27:2)RT2Soon you will enter the land that the LORD your God is giving to you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, and he has promised that this land is rich with milk and honey. After you cross the Jordan River, go to Mount Ebal. Set up large slabs of stone, then cover them with white plaster and write on them a copy of these laws.S 2Moses stood together with the leaders and told the people of Israel: Obey all the laws and teachings that I am giving you today.ER2The LORD created all nations, but he will make you more famous than any of them, and you will receive more praise and honor. You will belong only to the LORD your God, just as he promised.Q2Since you have agreed to obey the LORD, he has agreed that you will be his people and that you will belong to him, just as he promised.$PC2In response, you have agreed that the LORD will be your God, that you will obey all his laws and teachings, and that you will listen when he speaks to you.qO]2Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey these laws and teachings with all your heart and soul.KN2Our LORD, look down from your temple in heaven and bless your people Israel. You promised our ancestors that you would give us this land rich with milk and honey, and you have kept your promise.vMg2I have not eaten any of this sacred food while I was in mourning; in fact, I never touched it when I was unclean. And none of it has been offered as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead. I have done everything exactly as you commanded.YL-2 Then you must pray: Our LORD and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor, including the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.K{2 Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the LORD. But every third year, this ten percent must be given to the poor who live in your town, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. That way, they will have enough to eat.eJE2 Then you and your family must celebrate by eating a meal at the place of worship to thank the LORD your God for giving you such a good harvest. And remember to invite the Levites and the foreigners who live in your town.7Ii2 Now, LORD, I bring to you the best of the crops that you have given me. After you say these things, place the basket in front of the LORD's altar and bow down to worship him.LH2 You brought us here and gave us this land rich with milk and honey.^G72Then you terrified the Egyptians with your mighty miracles and rescued us from Egypt.F2We called out for help to you, the LORD God of our ancestors. You heard our cries; you knew we were in trouble and abused.oEY2The Egyptians were cruel and had no pity on us. They mistreated our people and forced us into slavery.uDe2Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray: My ancestor was homeless, an Aramean who went to live in Egypt. There were only a few in his family then, but they became great and powerful, a nation of many people.QC2The priest will take the basket and set it in front of the LORD's altar.CB2and tell the priest, "Long ago the LORD our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land."KA2and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped,S@ #2The LORD is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down,A?}2The LORD your God will help you capture the land, and he will give you peace. But when that day comes, you must wipe out Amalek so completely that no one will remember they ever lived.(>K2You were tired, and they followed along behind, attacking those who could not keep up with the others. This showed that the Amalekites have no respect for God.f=G2People of Israel, do you remember what the Amalekites did to you after you came out of Egypt?J<2But the LORD is disgusted with anyone who cheats or is dishonest.;}2If you weigh and measure things honestly, the LORD your God will let you enjoy a long life in the land he is giving you.:12(SEE 25:13)#9A2 Don't try to cheat people by having two sets of weights or measures, one to get more when you are buying, and the other to give less when you are selling.88m2 you must cut off her hand. Don't have any mercy.7{2 If two men are fighting, and the wife of one man tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the other man's private parts,n6W2 From then on, that man's family will be known as "the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off."_592 she must go over to him while the town leaders watch. She will pull off one of his sandals and spit in his face, while saying, "That's what happens to a man who won't help provide descendants for his dead brother."492The leaders will call the living brother to the town gate and try to persuade him to marry the widow. But if he doesn't change his mind and marry her,32But suppose the brother refuses to marry the widow. She must go to a meeting of the town leaders at the town gate and say, "My husband died without having a son to carry on his name. And my husband's brother refuses to marry me so I can have a son."2/2(SEE 25:5)31a2Suppose two brothers are living on the same property, when one of them dies without having a son to carry on his name. If this happens, his widow must not marry anyone outside the family. Instead, she must marry her late husband's brother, and their first son will be the legal son of the dead man.70k2Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain./2Forty lashes is the most that you can be given, because more than that might make other Israelites think you are worthless../2(SEE 25:1)&- I2Suppose you and someone else each accuse the other of doing something wrong, and you go to court, where the judges decide you are guilty. If your punishment is to be beaten with a whip, one of the judges will order you to lie down, and you will receive the number of lashes you deserve.|,s2You lived in poverty as slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.i+M2And when you pick your grapes, go over the vines only once, then let the poor have what is left.k*Q2When you harvest your olives, don't try to get them all for yourself, but leave some for the poor.b)?2If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don't go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows, and the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.m(U2You were slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.N'2Make sure that orphans and foreigners are treated fairly. And if you lend money to a widow and want to keep something of hers to guarantee that she will pay you back, don't take any of her clothes.R&2Parents must not be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children must not be put to death for crimes committed by their parents. Don't put anyone to death for someone else's crime.R%2Pay them their wages at the end of each day, because they live in poverty and need the money to survive. If you don't pay them on time, they will complain about you to the LORD, and he will punish you. $2If you hire poor people to work for you, don't hold back their pay, whether they are Israelites or foreigners who live in your town.8#k2 Instead, give it back before sunset, so the owner can keep warm and sleep and ask the LORD to bless you. Then the LORD your God will notice that you have done the right thing."2 Suppose someone is so poor that a coat is the only thing that can be offered as a guarantee on a loan. Don't keep the coat overnight.K!2 Wait outside, and they will bring out the item you have agreed on.4 c2 When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that the money will be paid back. But you must not go into their house to get it.P2 And remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam after you left Egypt.dC2I have told the priests what to do if any of you have leprosy, so do exactly what they say.!2If you are guilty of kidnapping Israelites and forcing them into slavery, you will be put to death to remove this evil from the community.2When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that they will pay back the loan. But don't take one or both of their millstones, or else they may starve. They need these stones for grinding grain into flour to make bread.J2If a man and a woman have been married less than one year, he must not be sent off to war or sent away to do forced labor. He must be allowed to stay home for a year and be happy with his wife.F2Since she has slept with her second husband, she cannot marry her first husband again. Their marriage would pollute the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and he would be disgusted.=w2who then either divorced her in the same way or died.&I2Later she married another man,- W2Suppose a woman was divorced by her first husband because he found something disgraceful about her. He wrote out divorce papers, gave them to her, and sent her away.C2In the same way, if you are in a grain field that belongs to someone else, you can pick heads of grain and eat the kernels. But don't cut down the stalks of grain and take them with you.3a2If you go into a vineyard that belongs to someone else, you are allowed to eat as many grapes as you want while you are there. But don't take any with you when you leave.ym2You must keep whatever promises you make to the LORD. After all, you are the one who chose to make the promises.cA2On the other hand, if you never make a sacred promise, you can't be guilty of breaking it.Z/2People of Israel, if you make a sacred promise to give a gift to the LORD, then do it as soon as you can. If the LORD has to come looking for the gift you promised, you will be guilty of breaking that promise..W2You can charge a foreigner interest. But if you charge other Israelites interest, the LORD your God will not let you be successful in the land you are about to take.r_2When you lend money, food, or anything else to another Israelite, you are not allowed to charge interest.)M2The LORD your God is disgusted with men and women who are prostitutes of any kind, and he will not accept a gift from them, even if it had been promised to him.G 2People of Israel, don't any of you ever be temple prostitutes.z o2Instead, you must let them choose which one of your towns they want to live in. Don't be cruel to runaway slaves. 2When runaway slaves from other countries come to Israel and ask for protection, you must not hand them back to their owners.| s2You must keep your camp clean of filthy and disgusting things. The LORD is always present in your camp, ready to rescue you and give you victory over your enemies. But if he sees something disgusting in your camp, he may turn around and leave.F 2 And make sure that you have a small shovel in your equipment. When you go out to the toilet area, use the shovel to dig a hole. Then, after you relieve yourself, bury the waste in the hole.E 2 Set up a place outside the camp to be used as a toilet area.`;2 until late afternoon. Then he must take a bath, and at sunset he can go back into camp.2 For example, if something happens at night that makes a man unclean and unfit for worship, he must go outside the camp and stay thereb?2 When you men go off to fight your enemies, make sure your camp is acceptable to the LORD.T#2and let their great-grandchildren become part of Israel, the LORD's people. 2But Edomites are your relatives, and you lived as foreigners in the country of Egypt. Now you must be kind to Edomites and EgyptiansG 2Don't even think of signing a peace treaty with Moab or Ammon.vg2But the LORD your God loves you, so he refused to listen to Balaam and turned Balaam's curse into a blessing.12This is because when you came out of Egypt, they refused to provide you with food and water. And besides, they hired Balaam to put a curse on you.}2No Ammonites or Moabites, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can become part of Israel, the LORD's people.  2No one born outside of a legal marriage, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can fully belong to the LORD's people.k~ S2If a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off, he cannot fully belong to the LORD's people.l}S2A man must not marry a woman who was married to his father. This would be a disgrace to his father.| 2they will be forced to get married. He must give her father fifty pieces of silver as a bride-price and can never divorce her.u{e2Suppose a woman isn't engaged to be married, and a man talks her into sleeping with him. If they are caught,z2because the woman was alone out in the country when the man attacked her. She screamed, but there was no one to help her.y2Do not punish the woman at all; she has done nothing wrong, and certainly nothing deserving death. This crime is like murder,\x32If an engaged woman is raped out in the country, only the man will be put to death.w12(SEE 22:23)$vC2If a man is caught in town having sex with an engaged woman who isn't screaming for help, they both must be put to death. The man is guilty of having sex with a married woman. And the woman is guilty because she didn't call for help, even though she was inside a town and people were nearby. Take them both to the town gate and stone them to death. You must get rid of the evil they brought into your community.4uc2People of Israel, if a man is caught having sex with someone else's wife, you must put them both to death. That way, you will get rid of the evil they have done in Israel.ytm2the men of the town will take the woman to the door of her father's house and stone her to death. This woman brought evil into your community by sleeping with someone before she got married, and you must get rid of that evil by killing her.Ts#2But if the man was right and there is no proof that his bride was a virgin,"r?2because he accused his bride of not being a virgin. He will have to pay her father one hundred pieces of silver and will never be allowed to divorce her.6qi2The town leaders will beat the man with a whipEp2and accusing her of not being a virgin. But he is wrong, because here is proof that she was a virgin!" Then the bride's parents will show them the bed sheet from the woman's wedding night.Zo/2Her father will say, "I let my daughter marry this man, but he started hating hern2If this happens, the bride's father and mother must go to the town gate to show the town leaders the proof that the woman was a virgin. m 2He might tell ugly lies about her, and say, "I married this woman, but when we slept together, I found out she wasn't a virgin."Jl2 Suppose a man starts hating his wife soon after they are married.Lk2 And when you make a coat, sew a tassel on each of the four corners.kjQ2 When you weave cloth for clothing, you can use thread made of flax or wool, but not both together.Fi2 Don't hitch an ox and a donkey to your plow at the same time.Hh 2 If you plant a vineyard, don't plant any other fruit tree or crop in it. If you do plant something else there, you must bring to the place of worship everything you harvest from the vineyard.&gG2If you build a house, make sure to put a low wall around the edge of the flat roof. Then if someone falls off the roof and is killed, it won't be your fault.f/2(SEE 22:6)Ae}2As you walk along the road, you might see a bird's nest in a tree or on the ground. If the mother bird is in the nest with either her eggs or her baby birds, you are allowed to take the baby birds or the eggs, but not the mother bird. Let her go free, and the LORD will bless you with a long and successful life.d 2Women must not pretend to be men, and men must not pretend to be women. The LORD your God is disgusted with people who do that.Oc2Oxen and donkeys that carry heavy loads can stumble and fall, and be unable to get up by themselves. So as you walk along the road, help anyone who is trying to get an ox or donkey back on its feet..bW2That's what you should do if you find anything that belongs to someone else. Do whatever you can to help, whether you find a cow or sheep or donkey or some clothing.Na2If the owner lives too far away, or if you don't know who the owner is, take the animal home with you and take care of it. The owner will come looking for the animal, and then you can give it back.[` 32If you see a cow or sheep wandering around lost, take the animal back to its owner._2you must not let it hang there overnight. Bury it the same day, because the dead body of a criminal will bring God's curse on the land. The LORD your God is giving this land to you, so don't make it unclean by leaving the bodies of executed criminals on display.M^2If a criminal is put to death, and you hang the dead body on a tree,E]2The men of the town will stone that son to death, because they must get rid of the evil he brought into the community. Everyone in Israel will be afraid when they hear how he was punished. \ 2The parents will tell the leaders, "This son of ours is stubborn and never obeys. He spends all his time drinking and partying."~[w2If a son is like that, his parents must drag him to the town gate, where the leaders of the town hold their meetings.Zy2A father and a mother may have a stubborn and rebellious son who refuses to obey them even after he has been punished.Y12(SEE 21:15)X12(SEE 21:15)^W72Suppose a man has two wives and loves one more than the other. The first son of either wife is the man's first-born son, even if the boy's mother is the wife the man doesn't love. Later, when the man is near death and is dividing up his property, he must give a double share to his first-born son, simply because he was the first to be born.NV2Later on, if you are not happy with the woman, you can divorce her, and she can go free. But you have slept with her as your wife, so you cannot sell her as a slave or make her into your own slave.U12 (SEE 21:11)T12 (SEE 21:11)@S{2 One of these prisoners may be a beautiful woman, and you may want to marry her. But first you must bring her into your home, and have her shave her head, cut her nails, get rid of her foreign clothes, and start wearing Israelite clothes. She will mourn a month for her father and mother, then you can marry her.$RC2 From time to time, you men will serve as soldiers and go off to war. The LORD your God will help you defeat your enemies, and you will take many prisoners.Q/2 (SEE 21:8) P2But since an innocent person was murdered, we beg you, our LORD, to accept this sacrifice and forgive Israel. We are your people, and you rescued us. Please don't hold this crime against us." If you obey the LORD and do these things, he will forgive Israel.OO2and say, "We had no part in this murder, and we don't know who did it.MN2The town leaders will wash their hands over the body of the dead cowM/2(SEE 21:4)4Lc2They and some of the priests will take this cow to a nearby valley where there is a stream, but no crops. Once they reach the valley, the leaders will break the cow's neck. The priests must be there, because the LORD your God has chosen them to be his special servants at the place of worship. The LORD has chosen them to bless the people in his name and to be judges in all legal cases, whether property or injury is involved.yKm2The leaders from that town will go to their cattle herds and choose a young cow that has never been put to work.J2The judges and other leaders from the towns around there must find out what town is the closest to where the body was found.I !2Suppose the body of a murder victim is found in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you, and no one knows who the murderer is. H;2You may need wood to make ladders and towers to help you get over the walls and capture the town. But use only trees that you know are not fruit trees.gGI2When you are attacking a town, don't chop down its fruit trees, not even if you have had the town surrounded for a long time. Fruit trees aren't your enemies, and they produce food that you can eat, so don't cut them down.F2If you allow them to live, they will persuade you to worship their disgusting gods, and you will be unfaithful to the LORD.E2He has commanded you to completely wipe out the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.|Ds2Whenever you capture towns in the land the LORD your God is giving you, be sure to kill all the people and animals.C12(SEE 20:10)B12(SEE 20:10)A12 (SEE 20:10)@12 (SEE 20:10)?12 (SEE 20:10)#>A2 Before you attack a town that is far from your land, offer peace to the people who live there. If they surrender and open their town gates, they will become your slaves. But if they reject your offer of peace and try to fight, surround their town and attack. Then, after the LORD helps you capture it, kill all the men. Take the women and children as slaves and keep the livestock and everything else of value.v=g2 When the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army.p<[2Finally, if any of you are afraid, you may go home. We don't want you to discourage the other soldiers.<;s2If any of you are engaged to be married, you may go back home and get married. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to marry the woman you are engaged to.=:u2If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.d9C2Then the tribal officials will say to the troops: If any of you have built a new house, but haven't yet moved in, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to live in your new house.Q82The LORD your God will fight alongside you and help you win the battle."7%2and say, "Soldiers of Israel, listen to me! Today when you go into battle, don't be afraid of the enemy, and when you see them, don't panic.P62Before you march into battle, a priest will go to the front of the armye5 G2If you have to go to war, you may find yourselves facing an enemy army that is bigger than yours and that has horses and chariots. But don't be afraid! The LORD your God rescued you from Egypt, and he will help you fight.412(SEE 19:19)312(SEE 19:19)22then you will be punished without mercy. You will receive the same punishment the accused would have received if found guilty, whether it means losing an eye, a tooth, a hand, a foot, or even your life. Israel, the crime of telling lies in court must be punished. And when people hear what happens to witnesses that lie, everyone else who testifies in court will tell the truth.112(SEE 19:17)k0Q2then both you and the accused must be taken to the court at the place where the LORD is worshiped. There the priests and judges will find out if you are lying or telling the truth. If you are lying and the accused is innocent,?/{2If you accuse someone of a crime, but seem to be lying,m.U2Before you are convicted of a crime, at least two witnesses must be able to testify that you did it.-!2In the land the LORD is giving you, there are already stones set up to mark the property lines between fields. So don't move those stones., 2 Israel, for the good of the whole country, you must kill anyone who murders an innocent person. Never show mercy to a murderer!B+2 If that happens, the leaders of your town must send messengers to bring you back from the Safe Town. They will hand you over to one of the victim's relatives, who will put you to death."*?2 But what if you really do commit murder? Suppose one of you hates a neighbor. So you wait in a deserted place, kill the neighbor, and run to a Safe Town.&)G2 You will need them, so innocent people won't be killed on your land while they are trying to reach a Safe Town that is too far away. You will be guilty of murder, if innocent people lose their lives because you didn't name enough Safe Towns in the land the LORD your God will give you.(/2 (SEE 19:8) '2Israel, the LORD your God has promised that if you obey his laws and teachings I'm giving you, and if you always love him, then he will give you the land he promised your ancestors. When that happens, you must name three more Safe Towns in the new territory. ^~~1}|{{z^yyuy x[wwsvv uujttWss@rr3qqIpp)onnmmmVm ll;kjjIiiihJgoffze*edddcb[b>b!```__^]\\\H[?ZZYXXXW3VV!VUTT`TSgRRQQ PPINNuNXMgLkL1K|JJJ.JIcH%GFEElDuDXCCPBjA}A @>==H<(SEE 1:13)i 5< The LORD's servant Moses said that the LORD our God has given you land here on the east side of the Jordan River, where you could live in peace. Your wives and children and your animals can stay here in the land Moses gave you. But all of you that can serve in our army must pick up your weapons and lead the men of the other tribes across the Jordan River. They are your relatives, so you must help themLh < Joshua told the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh:Sg #< to go through the camp and tell everyone: In a few days we will cross the Jordan River to take the land that the LORD our God is giving us. So fix as much food as you'll need for the march into the land.(f O< Joshua ordered the tribal leaders e =< I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.d -<(SEE 1:6)c -<(SEE 1:6)eb G<Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.ua g<Joshua, I will always be with you and help you as I helped Moses, and no one will ever be able to defeat you. ` <It will reach from the Southern Desert to the Lebanon Mountains in the north, and to the northeast as far as the great Euphrates River. It will include the land of the Hittites, and the land from here at the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea on the west.F_  <Wherever you go, I'll give you that land, as I promised Moses.z^ q<My servant Moses is dead. Now you must lead Israel across the Jordan River into the land I'm giving to all of you.] Ay2!Month by month, your fruit will ripen in the sunshine.v@g2! Descendants of Joseph, the LORD will bless you with precious water from deep wells and with dew from the sky.h?K2! The LORD Most High loves you, tribe of Benjamin. He will live among your hills and protect you.m>U2! I pray that the LORD will bless everything you do, and make you strong enough to crush your enemies.k=Q2! You teach God's laws to Israel, and at the place of worship you offer sacrifices and burn incense.$<C2! Protecting Israel's agreement with the LORD was more important to you than the life of your father or mother, or brothers or sisters, or your own children.;2!At Massah and Meribah Spring, the LORD tested you, tribe of Levi. You were faithful, and so the priesthood belongs to the Levi tribe.:2!The LORD will listen to you, tribe of Judah, as you beg to come safely home. You fought your enemies alone; now the LORD will help you.U9%2!Tribe of Reuben, you will live, even though your tribe will always be small.:8q2!Then you and your leaders made the LORD your king.K72!I called a meeting of the tribes of Israel and gave you God's Law.}6u2!The LORD loves the tribes of Israel, and he protects his people. They listen to his words and worship at his feet. *E52!The LORD came from Mount Sinai. From Edom, he gave light to his people, and his glory was shining from Mount Paran. Thousands of his warriors were with him, and fire was at his right hand.[4 32!Moses was a prophet, and before he died, he blessed the tribes of Israel by saying:j3O2 4So I will give the land to the people of Israel, but you will only get to see it from a distance.F22 3Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert. I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve.y1m2 2Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor.Z0/2 1Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan River valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel../Y2 0Later that day the LORD said to Moses:h.K2 /The Law isn't empty words. It can give you a long life in the land that you are going to take."4-c2 .he said, "Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law.,12 -(SEE 32:44)+}2 ,Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua helped him. When Moses had finished,S*!2 +Tell the heavens to celebrate and all gods to bow down to the LORD, because he will take revenge on those hateful enemies who killed his people. He will forgive the sins of Israel and purify their land.,)S2 *My arrows will get drunk on enemy blood; my sword will taste the flesh and the blood of the enemy. It will kill prisoners, and cut off the heads of their leaders."l(S2 )I will take revenge on my hateful enemies. I will sharpen my sword and let it flash like lightning.<'u2 ("I make this solemn promise: Just as I live forever,G& 2 'Don't you understand? I am the only God; there are no others. I am the one who takes life and gives it again. I punished you with suffering. But now I will heal you, and nothing can stop me!n%W2 &You offered them wine and your best sacrifices. Can't those gods help you now or give you protection?a$=2 %But first the LORD will say, "You ran for safety to other gods-- couldn't they help you?(#K2 $When only a few of the LORD's people remain, when their strength is gone, and some of them are slaves, the LORD will feel sorry for them and give them justice.x"k2 #Soon our enemies will get what they deserve -- suddenly they will slip, and total disaster will quickly follow.R!2 "But the LORD has written a list of their sins and locked it in his vault.3 c2 !their wine is more deadly than cobra venom.2 Our enemies are grapevines rooted in the fields of Sodom and Gomorrah. The grapes they produce are full of bitter poison;A2 Even our enemies know that only our God is a Mighty Rock.P2 How could one enemy soldier chase a thousand of Israel's troops? Or how could two of theirs pursue ten thousand of ours? It can only happen if the LORD stops protecting Israel and lets the enemy win.7k2 If you did, you could see where you are headed.y2 People of Israel, that's what the LORD has said to you. But you don't have good sense, and you never listen to advice.kQ2 But I dreaded the sound of your enemies saying, 'We defeated Israel with no help from the LORD.' "T#2 "I wanted to scatter you, so no one would remember that you had ever lived.Q2 Young and old alike will be killed in the streets and terrified at home.oY2 You'll be struck by starvation and deadly diseases, by the fangs of wild animals and poisonous snakes.E2 I'll send disaster after disaster to strike you like arrows. ;2 "My people, I will breathe out fire that sends you down to the world of the dead. It will scorch your farmlands and burn deep down under the mountains.2 You worshiped worthless idols, and made me jealous and angry! Now I will send a cruel and worthless nation to make you jealous and angry.  2 and said, "You are unfaithful and can't be trusted. So I won't answer your prayers; I'll just watch and see what happens to you.S!2 You were the LORD's children, but you made him angry. Then he rejected youeE2 You turned away from God, your Creator; you forgot the Mighty Rock, the source of your life.2 You offered sacrifices to demons, those useless gods that never helped you, new gods that your ancestors never worshiped.X+2 You made God jealous and angry by worshiping disgusting idols and foreign gods.~w2 Israel, you grew fat and rebelled against God, your Creator; you rejected the Mighty Rock, your only place of safety.9 m2 Your flocks and herds produced milk and yogurt, and you got choice meat from your sheep and goats that grazed in Bashan. Your wheat was the finest, and you drank the best wine. #2 he helped you capture the land. Your fields were rich with grain. Olive trees grew in your stony soil, and honey was found among the rocks.H  2 Israel, the LORD led you, and without the aid of a foreign god,u e2 The LORD was like an eagle teaching its young to fly, always ready to swoop down and catch them on its back. ;2 Israel, the LORD discovered you in a barren desert filled with howling winds. God became your fortress, protecting you as though you were his own eyes.2a2 but the LORD himself takes care of Israel.dC2 that God Most High gave land to every nation. He assigned a guardian angel to each of them,a=2 Think about past generations. Ask your parents or any of your elders. They will tell yougI2 Israel, the LORD is your Father, the one who created you, but you repaid him by being foolish.2 But you lie and cheat and are unfaithful to him. You have disgraced yourselves and are no longer worthy to be his children.hK2 The LORD is a mighty rock, and he never does wrong. God can always be trusted to bring justice.I 2 Join with me in praising the wonderful name of the LORD our God.vg2 Israel, I will teach you. My words will be like gentle rain on tender young plants, or like dew on the grass.+ U2 Earth and Sky, listen to what I say!72Moses called a meeting of all the people of Israel, so he could teach them the words to the song that the LORD had given him. And here are the words:~ 2I am going to die soon, and I know that in the future you will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong, and so you will disobey the LORD and stop living the way I told you to live. The LORD will be angry, and terrible things will happen to you.j}O2So call together the leaders and officials of the tribes of Israel. I will bring this book and read every word of it to you, and I will call the sky and the earth as witnesses that all of you know what you are supposed to do.;|q2I know how stubborn and rebellious you and the rest of the Israelites are. You have rebelled against the LORD while I have been alive, and it will only get worse after I am gone.D{2This is The Book of God's Law. Keep it beside the sacred chest that holds the agreement the LORD your God made with Israel. This book is proof that you know what the LORD wants you to do.Kz2then he went to the Levites who carried the sacred chest and said:@y}2Moses wrote down all these laws and teachings in a book,x 2The LORD told Joshua, "Be brave and strong! I will help you lead the people of Israel into the land that I have promised them."_w92Moses wrote down the words to the song right away, and he taught it to the Israelites.v52When I punish the Israelites and their descendants with suffering and disasters, I will remind them that they know the words to this song, so they have no excuse for not obeying me. I will give them the land that I promised, but I know the way they are going to live later on.Ku2I am bringing them into the land that I promised their ancestors. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and the Israelites will have more than enough food to eat. But they will get fat and turn their backs on me and start worshiping other gods. The Israelites will reject me and break the agreement that I made with them.mtU2Moses and Joshua, I am going to give you the words to a new song. Write them down and teach the song to the Israelites. If they learn it, they will know what I want them to do, and so they will have no excuse for not obeying me.osY2They will pray to me, but I will ignore them because they were evil and started worshiping other gods.irM2and I will be so furious that I will abandon them and ignore their prayers. I will send disasters and suffering that will nearly wipe them out. Finally, they will realize that the disasters happened because I abandoned them.bq?2The LORD said: Moses, you will soon die. But Israel is going into a land where other gods are worshiped, and Israel will reject me and start worshiping these gods. The people will break the agreement I made with them,Tp#2and the LORD appeared in a thick cloud right over the entrance to the tent.-oU2The LORD told Moses, "You will soon die, so bring Joshua to the sacred tent, and I will appoint him the leader of Israel." Moses and Joshua went to the sacred tent,n12 (SEE 31:12)sma2 Everyone must come--men, women, children, and even the foreigners who live in your towns. And each new generation will listen and learn to worship the LORD their God with fear and trembling and to do exactly what is said in God's Law.l12 (SEE 31:10)(SEE 31:3)e/2(SEE 31:3).dW2But he has promised that he and Joshua will lead you across the Jordan to attack the nations that live on the other side. The LORD will destroy those nations just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings. Just remember--whenever you capture a place, kill everyone who lives there.1c]2I am a hundred twenty years old, and I am no longer able to be your leader. And besides that, the LORD your God has told me that he won't let me cross the Jordan River.7b m2Moses again spoke to the whole nation of Israel:xak2Be completely faithful to the LORD your God, love him, and do whatever he tells you. The LORD is the only one who can give life, and he will let you live a long time in the land that he promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.m`U2Right now I call the sky and the earth to be witnesses that I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the LORD to make you prosperous and give you a long life? Or will he put you under a curse and kill you? Choose life!_12(SEE 30:16)^12(SEE 30:16)3]a2I am commanding you to be loyal to the LORD, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful. On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the LORD and reject him. So I'm warning you that if you bow down and worship other gods, you won't have long to live._\92Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster.^[72No, these commands are nearby and you know them by heart. All you have to do is obey!$ZC2 And you can't say, "How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are across the sea, and someone must go across, then bring them back and explain them to us."[Y12 His commands aren't in heaven, so you can't excuse yourselves by saying, "How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are in heaven, and no one can go up to get them, then bring them down and explain them to us."CX2 You know God's laws, and it isn't impossible to obey them. W2 But you must decide once and for all to worship him with all your heart and soul and to obey everything in The Book of God's Law.3Va2 and he will bless you with many children, large herds and flocks, and abundant crops. The LORD will be happy to do good things for you, just as he did for your ancestors.?U{2You will again obey the laws and teachings of the LORD,vTg2Then the LORD your God will remove the curses from you and put them on those enemies who hate and attack you.)SM2You and your descendants are stubborn, but the LORD will make you willing to obey him and love him with all your heart and soul, and you will enjoy a long life.|Rs2to the land that had belonged to your ancestors and make you even more successful and powerful than they ever were.Q/2(SEE 30:3)P72Then he will stop punishing you and treat you with kindness. He may have scattered you to the farthest countries on earth, but he will bring you backmOU2return to him with all your heart and soul and start obeying the commands I have given to you today.fN I2I have told you everything the LORD your God will do for you, and I've also told you the curses he will put on you if you reject him. He will scatter you in faraway countries, but when you realize that he is punishing you,M2The LORD our God hasn't explained the present or the future, but he has commanded us to obey the laws he gave to us and our descendants.L12(SEE 29:27)OK2and so he became furious and punished the land with all the curses in The Book of God's Law. Then he pulled up Israel by the roots and tossed them into a foreign country, where they still are today.uJe2and decided to worship gods that had never helped them. The LORD had forbidden Israel to worship these gods,2I_2And they will be given this answer: Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, but after he brought them out of Egypt and made an agreement with them, they rejected the agreementlHS2People from other nations will ask, "Why did the LORD destroy this country? Why was he so furious?"G2has become a scorching desert of salt and sulfur, where nothing is planted, nothing sprouts, and nothing grows. It will be as lifeless as the land around the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, after the LORD became angry and destroyed them.F'2The LORD will strike your country with diseases and disasters. Your descendants and foreigners from distant countries will see that your landE12(SEE 29:20)cDA2The LORD will be furious, and instead of forgiving you, he will separate you from the other tribes. Then he will destroy you, by piling on you all the curses in The Book of God's Law, and you will be forgotten forever.oCY2You may be an Israelite and know all about the LORD's agreement with us, but he won't bless you if you rebel against him. You may think you can get away with it, but you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.pB[2So make sure that everyone in your tribe remains faithful to the LORD and never starts worshiping gods of other nations. If even one of you worships idols, you will be like the root of a plant that produces bitter, poisonous fruit.A12(SEE 29:16)Q@2When we lived in Egypt, you saw the Egyptians worship disgusting idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold. Then as we traveled through other nations, you saw those people worship other disgusting idols.?12(SEE 29:13)>12(SEE 29:13)$=C2 In this agreement, the LORD promised that you would be his people and that he would be your God. He first made this promise to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and today the LORD is making this same promise to you. But it isn't just for you; it is also for your descendants.<12 (SEE 29:10);12 (SEE 29:10)2:_2 Today everyone in our nation is standing here in the LORD's presence, including leaders and officials, parents and children, and even those foreigners who cut wood and carry water for us. We are at this place of worship to promise that we will keep our part of the agreement with the LORD our God.9}2 Israel, the LORD has made an agreement with you, and if you keep your part, you will be successful in everything you do.g8I2Then we captured their land and divided it among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh.o7Y2When we first camped here, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan attacked, but we defeated them.6/2(SEE 29:4)5/2(SEE 29:4)L42He has even told you, "For forty years I, the LORD, led you through the desert, but your clothes and your sandals didn't wear out, and I gave you special food. I did these things so you would realize that I am your God." But the LORD must give you a change of heart before you truly understand what you have seen and heard.3/2(SEE 29:2)U2%2Moses called the nation of Israel together and told them: When you were in Egypt, you saw the LORD perform great miracles that caused trouble for the king, his officials, and everyone else in the country.W1 +2So Moses finished telling the Israelites what they had to do in order to keep the agreement the LORD was making with them in Moab, which was in addition to the one the LORD had made with them at Mount Sinai.E02DI told you never to go back to Egypt. But now the LORD himself will load you on ships and send you back. Then you will even try to sell yourselves as slaves, but no one will be interested.+/Q2CEach morning you will wake up to such terrible sights that you will say, "I wish it were night!" But at night you will be terrified and say, "I wish it were day!"0.]2BYou will live in constant fear of death.Q-2AYou will be restless--always longing for home, but never able to return.),M2@Those of you that survive will be scattered to every nation on earth, and you will have to worship stone and wood idols that never helped you or your ancestors.9+m2?The LORD is happy to make you successful and to help your nation grow while you conquer the land. But if you disobey him, he will be just as happy to pull you up by your roots.*2>There are as many of you now as the stars in the sky, but if you disobey the LORD your God, only a few of you will be left.)'2=Remember! If the LORD decides to destroy your nation, he can use any disease or disaster, not just the ones written in The Book of God's Law.2(a2(SEE 28:56){$q28A woman may have grown up in such luxury that she never had to put a foot on the ground. But times will be so bad that she will secretly eat both her newborn baby and the afterbirth, without sharing any with her husband or her other children.#127(SEE 28:54)*"O26Because of hunger, a man who had been gentle and kind will eat his own children and refuse to share the meal with his brother or wife or with his other children.!25while you wait in horror. Finally, you will get so hungry that you will eat the sons and daughters that the LORD gave you.1 ]24All over the land that the LORD your God gave you, the enemy army will surround your towns. You may feel safe inside your town walls, but the enemy will tear them down,hK23They will take your cattle, sheep, goats, grain, wine, and olive oil, then leave you to starve.fG22They won't show any mercy, and they will have no respect for old people or pity for children.~w21Foreigners who speak a strange language will be sent to attack you without warning, just like an eagle swooping down.1]20he will send enemies to attack you and make you their slaves. Then you will live in poverty with nothing to eat, drink, or wear, and your owners will work you to death.U%2/If the LORD makes you wealthy, but you don't joyfully worship and honor him,tc2.Then everyone will look at you and your descendants and realize that the LORD has placed you under a curse.32-Israel, if you don't obey the laws and teachings that the LORD your God is giving you, he will send these curses to chase, attack, and destroy you.$C2,You will be so short of money that you will have to borrow from those foreigners. They will be the leaders in the community, and you will be the followers.hK2+Foreigners in your towns will become wealthy and powerful, while you become poor and powerless.N2*Locusts will eat your crops and strip your trees of leaves and fruit.O2)Even your infant sons and daughters will be taken as prisoners of war.-U2(Even if your olive trees grow everywhere in your country, the olives will fall off before they are ready, and there won't be enough olive oil for combing your hair.1]2'You will plant vineyards and work hard at taking care of them, but you won't gather any grapes, much less get any wine, and the vines themselves will be eaten by worms.gI2&You will plant a lot of seed, but gather a small harvest, because locusts will eat your crops.{q2%People of nearby countries will shudder when they see your terrible troubles, but they will still make fun of you.A}2$The LORD will let you and your king be taken captive to a country that you and your ancestors have never even heard of, and there you will have to worship idols made of wood and stone.R2#and the LORD will punish you from head to toe with boils that never heal.A2"What you see will be so horrible that you will go insane,! =2!You will work hard on your farms, but everything you harvest will be eaten by foreigners, who will mistreat you and abuse you for the rest of your life.< s2 Your sons and daughters will be dragged off to a foreign country, while you stand there helpless. And even if you watch for them until you go blind, you will never see them again.Q 2Your cattle will be killed while you watch, but you won't get to eat any of the meat. Your donkeys and sheep will be stolen from you, and no one will be around to force your enemies to give them back. 2A man will be engaged to a woman, but before they can get married, she will be raped by enemy soldiers. Some of you will build houses, but never get to live in them. If you plant a vineyard, you won't be around long enough to enjoy the first harvest._ 92that even in bright sunshine you will have to feel your way around like a blind person, who cannot tell day from night. For the rest of your life, people will beat and rob you, and no one will be able to stop them.Q2You will become insane and go blind. The LORD will make you so confused,J2The LORD will make you suffer with diseases that will cause oozing sores or crusty itchy patches on your skin or boils like the ones that are common in Egypt. And there will be no cure for you!\32and no one will disturb the birds and wild animals while they eat your dead bodies.72The LORD will let you be defeated by your enemies, and you will scatter in all directions. You will be a horrible sight for the other nations to see, 7~}}|a{xxxjxOx4wwuvvQuu[tsrqppppFoonzmmllxkk/jjihjgfffzeddddcc|c@beanaS`_^]]][[[[u[YZZ%YYXXWWVTT~TcTHSS#RQQPOOmNMMMLXKIIII~IG_GCG'FeEDCCB?~?b?F?*?==x<;~:9987766543211*0//.}.%,,, +4* )R''|&W&<%+%$$f##""H!s/!p:="[w\ - &  6ko1Y< but he did tell the Gibeonites that they would have to be servants of the nation of Israel. They would have to cut firewood and bring it for the priests to use for burning sacrifices on the LORD's altar, wherever the LORD decided the altar would be. The Gibeonites would also have to carry water for the priests. And that is still the work of the Gibeonites.>0y< Joshua did not let the Israelites kill the Gibeonites,o/Y< and you are strong enough to do anything to us that you want. We just ask you to do what seems right.".#< The Gibeonites answered, "The LORD your God told his servant Moses that you were to kill everyone who lives here and take their land for yourselves. We were afraid you would kill us, and so we tricked you into making a peace treaty. But we agreed to be your servants,-< Now you are under a curse, and your people will have to send workers to cut wood and carry water for the place of worship."V,'< Joshua told some of his soldiers, "I want to meet with the Gibeonite leaders. Bring them here." When the Gibeonites came, Joshua said, "You live close to us. Why did you lie by claiming you lived far away?+/< (SEE 9:19)*/< (SEE 9:19))7< but the leaders reminded them, "We promised these people in the name of the LORD God of Israel that we would let them live, so we must not harm them. If we break our promise, God will punish us. We'll let them live, but we'll make them cut wood and carry water for our people."Y(-< But they did not attack the towns, because the Israelite leaders had sworn in the name of the LORD that they would let these people live. The Israelites complained about their leaders' decision not to attack,'/< (SEE 9:16)&< A couple of days later, the Israelites found out that these people actually lived in the nearby towns of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim. So the Israelites left the place where they had camped and arrived at the four towns two days later.,%S< So Joshua made a peace treaty with the messengers and promised that Israel would not kill their people. Israel's leaders swore that Israel would keep this promise.q$]< The Israelites tried some of the food, but they did not ask the LORD if he wanted them to make a treaty.# < These cracked wineskins were new when we filled them, and our clothes and sandals are worn out because we have traveled so far.~"w< See this dry, crumbly bread of ours? It was hot out of the oven when we packed the food on the day we left our homes.!< Our leaders and everyone who lives in our country told us to meet with you and tell you that all of us are your servants. They said to ask you to make a peace treaty with our people. They told us to be sure and take along enough food for our journey. /< and what he did to those two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan: King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, and King Sihon of Heshbon. < We are your servants, and we live far from here. We came because the LORD your God is so famous. We heard what the LORD did in Egypt-< (SEE 9:7)/< The Israelites replied, "But maybe you really live near us. We can't make a peace treaty with you if you live nearby." The Gibeonites said, "If you make a peace treaty with us, we will be your servants." "Who are you?" Joshua asked. "Where do you come from?" They answered:B< Then they went to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, where they said to Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a country that is far from here. Please make a peace treaty with us."~w< Their sandals were old and patched, and their clothes were worn out. They even took along some dry and crumbly bread.kQ< So they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers to Israel from a faraway country. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together.T#< The people of Gibeon had also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.-< (SEE 9:1)" A< The kings west of the Jordan River heard about Joshua's victories, and so they got together and decided to attack Joshua and Israel. These kings were from the hill country and from the foothills to the west, as well as from the Mediterranean seacoast as far north as the Lebanon Mountains. Some of them were Hittites, others were Amorites or Canaanites, and still others were Perizzites, Hivites, or Jebusites./<#(SEE 8:33)/<"(SEE 8:33)cA<!Moses had said that everyone in Israel was to go to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where they were to be blessed. So everyone went there, including the foreigners, the leaders, officials, and judges. Half of the people stood on one side of the valley, and half on the other side, with the priests from the Levi tribe standing in the middle with the sacred chest. Then in a loud voice, Joshua read the blessings and curses from The Book of the Law of Moses./< (SEE 8:30)/<(SEE 8:30)4c<One day, Joshua led the people of Israel to Mount Ebal, where he told some of his men, "Build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD. And use stones that have never been cut with iron tools, because that is what Moses taught in The Book of the Law." Joshua offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. Then with the Israelites still watching, he copied parts of The Book of the Law of Moses onto stones./<(SEE 8:28)^7<Joshua made sure every building in Ai was burned to the ground. He told his men to kill the king of Ai and hang his body on a tree. Then at sunset he told the Israelites to take down the body, throw it in the gateway of the town, and cover it with a big pile of rocks. Those rocks are still there, and the town itself has never been rebuilt.<But the Israelites took the animals and the other possessions of the people of Ai, because this was what the LORD had told Joshua to do. /<(SEE 8:25)v g<Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's twelve thousand people was dead. /<(SEE 8:22) /<(SEE 8:22)= u<Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them. The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there./<(SEE 8:20)M<When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked. The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting.lS<the soldiers who had been hiding got up and ran into the town. They captured it and set it on fire.,S<Finally, the LORD told Joshua, "Point your sword at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!" As soon as Joshua pointed his sword at the town,/<(SEE 8:16)/<So he called out every man in Ai to go after Joshua's troops. They all rushed out to chase the Israelite army, and they left the town gates wide open. Not one man was left in Ai or in Bethel. Joshua let the men of Ai chase him and his army farther and farther away from Ai./<(SEE 8:14)zo<The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them toward the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned. The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town.Q< Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley.p[< Joshua had already sent five thousand soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack.S~!< They set up camp in full view of the town, across the valley to the north.{}q< Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai.S|!< now go! The thirty thousand soldiers went to a place on the west side of Ai, between Ai and Bethel, where they could hide and wait to attack. That night, Joshua stayed in camp with the rest of the army.S{!<Then set it on fire, as the LORD has told us to do. Those are your orders,Qz<you come out of hiding. The LORD our God will help you capture the town.y-<(SEE 8:5) x<The rest of the army will come with me and attack near the gate. When the people of Ai come out to fight, we'll run away and let them chase us. They will think we are running from them just like the first time. But when we've let them chase us far enough away,w-<(SEE 8:3)!v=<Joshua quickly got the army ready to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best soldiers and gave them these orders: Tonight, while it is dark, march to Ai and take up a position behind the town. Get as close to the town as you can without being seen, but be ready to attack.u-<(SEE 8:1)7t k<The LORD told Joshua: Don't be afraid, and don't be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, have part of the army set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.7si<They covered the remains with a big pile of rocks, which is still there. Then the LORD stopped being angry with Israel. That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley.#rA<Joshua said, "Achan, you caused us a lot of trouble. Now the LORD is paying you back with the same kind of trouble." The people of Israel then stoned to death Achan and his family. They made a fire and burned the bodies, together with what Achan had stolen, and all his possessions.Rq<Then everyone took Achan and the things he had stolen to Trouble Valley. They also took along his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and everything else that belonged to him.p<They brought them back and put them in front of the sacred chest, so Joshua and the rest of the Israelites could see them.o/<(SEE 7:21)tnc<While we were in Jericho, I saw a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred pieces of silver, and a gold bar that weighed the same as fifty pieces of gold. I wanted them for myself, so I took them. I dug a hole under my tent and hid the silver, the gold, and the robe." Joshua had some people run to Achan's tent, where they found the silver, the gold, and the robe.Um%<"It's true," Achan answered. "I sinned and disobeyed the LORD God of Israel.l3<"Achan," Joshua said, "the LORD God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. Is this true? Tell me what you did, and don't try to hide anything."{kq<Finally, Joshua brought each man in Zabdi's family to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Achan was the guilty one.sja<Then Joshua brought the clans of Judah to the LORD, and the LORD showed that the Zerah clan was guilty. One by one he brought the leader of each family in the Zerah clan to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Zabdi's family was guilty.i#<Joshua got up early the next morning and brought each tribe to the place of worship, where the LORD showed that the Judah tribe was guilty.h<and the LORD will show who stole what should have been destroyed. That man must be put to death, his body burned, and his possessions thrown into the fire. He has done a terrible thing by breaking the sacred agreement that the LORD made with Israel."{gq<"Tomorrow morning everyone must gather near the place of worship. You will come forward tribe by tribe, and the LORD will show which tribe is guilty. Next, the clans in that tribe must come forward, and the LORD will show which clan is guilty. The families in that clan must come, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, the men in that family must come,f3< Tell the people of Israel, "Tomorrow you will meet with the LORD your God, so make yourselves acceptable to worship him. The LORD says that you have taken things that should have been destroyed. You won't be able to stand up to your enemies until you get rid of those things.re_< What they stole was supposed to be destroyed, and now Israel itself must be destroyed. I cannot help you anymore until you do exactly what I have said. That's why Israel turns and runs from its enemies instead of standing up to them.Qd< I said everything in Jericho belonged to me and had to be destroyed. But the Israelites have kept some of the things for themselves. They stole from me and hid what they took. Then they lied about it.Cc< The LORD answered: Stop lying there on the ground! Get up!+bQ< Everyone will think you weren't strong enough to protect your people. Now the Canaanites and everyone else who lives in the land will surround us and wipe us out.eaE<I don't even know what to say to you, since Israel's army has turned and run from the enemy.J`<Then Joshua said: Our LORD, did you bring us across the Jordan River just so the Amorites could destroy us? This wouldn't have happened if we had agreed to stay on the other side of the Jordan.9_m<Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes and put dirt on their heads to show their sorrow. They lay facedown on the ground in front of the sacred chest until sunset.^-<(SEE 7:4)]%<Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.C\<They went back to Joshua and reported, "You don't need to send the whole army to attack Ai--two or three thousand troops will be enough. Why bother the whole army for a town that small?"[<While Israel was still camped near Jericho, Joshua sent some spies with these instructions: "Go to the town of Ai and find out whatever you can about the region around the town." The spies left and went to Ai, which is east of Bethel and near Beth-Aven.lZ U<The LORD had said that everything in Jericho belonged to him. But Achan from the Judah tribe took some of the things from Jericho for himself. And so the LORD was angry with the Israelites, because one of them had disobeyed him.aY=<The LORD helped Joshua in everything he did, and Joshua was famous everywhere in Canaan..XW<After Jericho was destroyed, Joshua warned the people, "Someday a man will rebuild Jericho, but the LORD will put a curse on him, and the man's oldest son will die when he starts to build the town wall. And by the time he finishes the wall and puts gates in it, all his children will be dead."W/<(SEE 6:21)V/<(SEE 6:21)U/<(SEE 6:21)T/<(SEE 6:21)tSc<They killed everyone, men and women, young and old, everyone except Rahab and the others in her house. They even killed every cow, sheep, and donkey. Joshua said to the two men who had been spies, "Rahab kept you safe when I sent you to Jericho. We promised to protect her and her family, and we will keep that promise. Now go into her house and bring them out." The two men went into Rahab's house and brought her out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and her other relatives. Rahab and her family had to stay in a place just outside the Israelite army camp. But later they were allowed to live among the Israelites, and her descendants still do. The Israelites took the silver and gold and the things made of bronze and iron and put them with the rest of the treasure that was kept at the LORD's house. Finally, they set fire to Jericho and everything in it.SR!<The priests blew their trumpets again, and the soldiers shouted as loud as they could. The walls of Jericho fell flat. Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it.Q/<(SEE 6:18)P<The silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron belong to the LORD and must be put in his treasury. Be careful to follow these instructions, because if you see something you want and take it, the LORD will destroy Israel. And it will be all your fault.eOE<But you must destroy it and everything in it, to show that it now belongs to the LORD. The woman Rahab helped the spies we sent, so protect her and the others who are inside her house. But kill everyone else in the town.|Ns<Then the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua yelled: Get ready to shout! The LORD will let you capture this town.>Mw<On the seventh day, the army got up at daybreak. They marched slowly around Jericho the same as they had done for the past six days, except on this day they went around seven times.L/<(SEE 6:12)K/< (SEE 6:12)!J=< Early the next morning, Joshua and everyone else started marching around Jericho in the same order as the day before. One group of soldiers was in front, followed by the seven priests with trumpets and the priests who carried the chest. The rest of the army came next. The seven priests blew their trumpets while everyone marched slowly around Jericho and back to camp. They did this once a day for six days.wIi< They obeyed Joshua's orders and carried the chest once around the town before returning to camp for the night.H-< (SEE 6:7)G-< (SEE 6:7)F-<(SEE 6:7)~Ew<Next, he gave the army their orders: "March slowly around Jericho. A few of you will go ahead of the chest to guard it, but most of you will follow it. Don't shout the battle cry or yell or even talk until the day I tell you to. Then let out a shout!" As soon as Joshua finished giving the orders, the army started marching. One group of soldiers led the way, with seven priests marching behind them and blowing trumpets. Then came the priests carrying the chest, followed by the rest of the soldiers.D<Joshua called the priests together and said, "Take the chest and have seven priests carry trumpets and march ahead of it."$CC<Then the priests will blast on their trumpets, and everyone else will shout. The wall will fall down, and your soldiers can go straight in from every side.KB<Take along the sacred chest and have seven priests walk in front of it, carrying trumpets. But on the seventh day, march slowly around the town seven times while the priests blow their trumpets.A-<(SEE 6:2)Y@-<The LORD said to Joshua: With my help, you and your army will defeat the king of Jericho and his army, and you will capture the town. Here is how to do it: March slowly around Jericho once a day for six days."? A<Meanwhile, the people of Jericho had been locking the gates in their town wall because they were afraid of the Israelites. No one could go out or come in.q>]<"Take off your sandals," the commander answered. "This is a holy place." So Joshua took off his sandals.F=<"Neither," he answered. "I am here because I am the commander of the LORD's army." Joshua fell to his knees and bowed down to the ground. "I am your servant," he said. "Tell me what to do."U<%< One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, "Are you on our side or on our enemies' side?";/< (SEE 5:11)m:U< The next day, God stopped sending the Israelites manna to eat each morning, and they started eating food grown in the land of Canaan. They ate roasted grain and thin bread made of the barley they had gathered from nearby fields.9< Israel continued to camp at Gilgal in the desert near Jericho, and on the fourteenth day of the same month, they celebrated Passover.F8< The LORD told Joshua, "It was a disgrace for my people to be slaves in Egypt, but now I have taken away that disgrace." So the Israelites named the place Gilgal, and it still has that name.X7+<Everyone who had been circumcised needed time to heal, and they stayed in camp.6-<(SEE 5:4)5-<(SEE 5:4)4-<(SEE 5:4) 3<This had to be done, because none of Israel's baby boys had been circumcised during the forty years that Israel had wandered through the desert after leaving Egypt. And why had they wandered for forty years? It was because right after they left Egypt, the men in the army had disobeyed the LORD. And the LORD had said, "None of you men will ever live to see the land that I promised Israel. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and someday your children will live there, but not before you die here in the desert."W2)<Joshua made the knives, then circumcised those men and boys at Haaraloth Hill.1<While Israel was camped at Gilgal, the LORD said, "Joshua, make some flint knives and circumcise the rest of the Israelite men and boys."f0 I<The Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea lost their courage and their will to fight, when they heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River to let Israel go across.m/U<because he wants everyone on earth to know how powerful he is. And he wants us to worship only him."./<(SEE 4:22)%-E<Tell them, "The LORD our God dried up the Jordan River so we could walk across. He did the same thing here for us that he did for our people at the Red Sea,i,M<Then Joshua told the people: Years from now your children will ask you why these rocks are here.}+u<The men who had carried the twelve rocks from the Jordan brought them to Joshua, and they made them into a monument.0*[<It was the tenth day of the first month of the year when Israel crossed the Jordan River. They set up camp at Gilgal, which was east of the land controlled by Jericho.)/<(SEE 4:14)(/<(SEE 4:14)'/<(SEE 4:14)&/<(SEE 4:14)b%?<"Joshua," the LORD said, "have the priests come up from the Jordan and bring the chest with them." So Joshua went over to the priests and told them what the LORD had said. And as soon as the priests carried the chest past the highest place that the floodwaters of the Jordan had reached, the river flooded its banks again. That's how the LORD showed the Israelites that Joshua was their leader. For the rest of Joshua's life, they respected him as they had respected Moses.$/< (SEE 4:10)#/< (SEE 4:10)"/< (SEE 4:10)E!< The army got ready for battle and crossed the Jordan. They marched quickly past the sacred chest and into the desert near Jericho. Forty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh led the way, as Moses had ordered. The priests stayed right where they were until the army had followed the orders that the LORD had given Moses and Joshua. Then the army watched as the priests carried the chest the rest of the way across.L < Joshua had some other men set up a monument next to the place where the priests were standing. This monument was also made of twelve large rocks, and it is still there in the middle of the river.3a<The men followed the instructions that the LORD had given Joshua. They picked up twelve rocks, one for each tribe, and carried them to the camp, where they put them down.-<(SEE 4:6)sa<Someday your children will ask, "Why are these rocks here?" Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today.W)<and told them: Go to the middle of the riverbed where the sacred chest is, and pick up a large rock. Carry it on your shoulder to our camp. There are twelve of you, so there will be one rock for each tribe.9o<Joshua chose twelve men; he called them together,-<(SEE 4:2)I <Tell one man from each of the twelve tribes to pick up a large rock from where the priests are standing. Then have the men set up those rocks as a monument at the place where you camp tonight.E <After Israel had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua:/<(SEE 3:16)r_<the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.8k<until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime. But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water,`;<The Israelites packed up and left camp. The priests carrying the chest walked in front,/< (SEE 3:11)/< (SEE 3:11)Q< Just watch the sacred chest that belongs to the LORD, the ruler of the whole earth. As soon as the priests carrying the chest step into the Jordan, the water will stop flowing and pile up as if someone had built a dam across the river. The LORD has also said that each of the twelve tribes should choose one man to represent it.J< The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites control the land on the other side of the river. But the living God will be with you and will force them out of the land when you attack. And now, God is going to prove that he's powerful enough to force them out.cA< Joshua spoke to the people: Come here and listen to what the LORD our God said he will do!mU<Now, tell the priests who are carrying the chest to go a little way into the river and stand there." 5<The LORD told Joshua, "Beginning today I will show the people that you are their leader, and they will know that I am helping you as I helped Moses.9 m<Then Joshua turned to the priests and said, "Take the chest and cross the Jordan River ahead of us." So the priests picked up the chest by its carrying poles and went on ahead.  <Joshua told the people, "Make yourselves acceptable to worship the LORD, because he is going to do some amazing things for us." -<(SEE 3:3) <shouting, "When you see some of the priests carrying the sacred chest, you'll know it is time to cross to the other side. You've never been there before, and you won't know the way, unless you follow the chest. But don't get too close! Stay about half a mile back.";s<Two days later their leaders went through the camp, <Early the next morning, Joshua and the Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went to the Jordan River and camped there that night.  <"We're sure the LORD has given us the whole country," they said. "The people there shake with fear every time they think of us."<the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened.&G<The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king's soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho,~w<"I'll do exactly what you said," Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window./<(SEE 2:17)/<(SEE 2:17)/<(SEE 2:17)>w<The spies said: You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can't tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We'll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won't be our fault..~W<Then hide in the hills. The men who are looking for you won't be able to find you there. They'll give up and come back after a few days, and you can be on your way."s}a<Rahab's house was built into the town wall, and one of the windows in her house faced outside the wall. She gave the spies a rope, showed them the window, and said, "Use this rope to let yourselves down to the ground outside the wall.Q|<"Rahab," the spies answered, "if you keep quiet about what we're doing, we promise to be kind to you when the LORD gives us this land. We pray that the LORD will kill us if we don't keep our promise!"q{]< that you won't let your people kill my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and their families.zy< Please promise me in the LORD's name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you. Do something to showqy]< We know that the LORD your God rules heaven and earth, and we've lost our courage and our will to fight.,xS< We heard how the LORD dried up the Red Sea so you could leave Egypt. And we heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River.cwA< I know that the LORD has given Israel this land. Everyone shakes with fear because of you.Vv'<Rahab went back up to her roof. The spies were still awake, so she told them:u-<(SEE 2:3)t-<(SEE 2:3)s-<(SEE 2:3)r-<(SEE 2:3)6qg<So the king sent soldiers to Rahab's house to arrest the spies. Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry. The soldiers came to her door and demanded, "Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies." She answered, "Some men did come to my house, but I didn't know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don't know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them." The guards at the town gate let the soldiers leave Jericho, but they closed the gate again as soon as the soldiers went through. Then the soldiers headed toward the Jordan River to look for the spies at the place where people cross the river.p<But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies."oo [<Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: "Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho." The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.n /<(SEE 1:17)Qm <If the LORD our God will help you as he helped Moses, and if you are strong and brave, we will obey you as we obeyed Moses. We'll even put to death anyone who rebels against you or refuses to obey you.pl ]<The men answered: We'll cross the Jordan River and help our relatives. We'll fight anywhere you send us.Ek <conquer the land that the LORD is giving them. The LORD will give peace to them as he has given peace to you, and then you can come back and settle here in the land that Moses promised you. h~?}} |{{kzztyxvvv>uu^ttssArrqpponn7mm^lll kk=jjYji_h.gffee d"cAc%ba`,`_U_]T]7]\\<[ ZYYhXXW]VTTSRQQ1NNMOM3MLLLLLLoLSL7LKKKKK"FFFdFHF,FEDD.BBrAA5@@> >====P<<;:999G77w66>3+32221w00]/..G-$,,O++%**)((Z'&%$$:##"".!!s Q8mP3yG* Z= neHdGj} j N ?#h /<(SEE 17:1) /<(SEE 17:1)/<(SEE 17:1)/<(SEE 17:1)/<(SEE 17:1)e G<Manasseh was Joseph's oldest son, and Machir was Manasseh's oldest son. Machir had a son named Gilead, and some of his descendants had already received the regions of Gilead and Bashan because they were good warriors. The other clans of the Manasseh tribe descended from Gilead's sons Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. The following is a description of the land they received. Hepher's son Zelophehad did not have any sons, but he did have five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. One day the clans that were descendants of Zelophehad's five daughters went to the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of Israel. The people of these clans said, "The LORD told Moses to give us land just as he gave land to our relatives." Joshua followed the LORD's instructions and gave land to these five clans, as he had given land to the five clans that had descended from Hepher's brothers. So Manasseh's land west of the Jordan River was divided into ten parts.I < Ephraim could not force the Canaanites out of Gezer, so there are still some Canaanites who live there among the Israelites. But now these Canaanites have to work as slaves for the Israelites.Z/< Ephraim also had some towns and villages that were inside Manasseh's tribal land./<(SEE 16:6)/<(SEE 16:6)L<and the Mediterranean Sea. Their northern border started on the east at Janoah, curved a little to the north, then came back south to Michmethath and Tappuah, where it followed the Kanah Gorge west to the Mediterranean Sea. The eastern border started on the north near Janoah and went between Janoah on the southwest and Taanath-Shiloh on the northeast. Then it went south to Ataroth, Naarah, and on as far as the edge of the land that belonged to Jericho. At that point it turned east and went to the Jordan River. The clans of Ephraim received this region as their tribal land.;q<The following is a description of the land that was divided among the clans of the Ephraim tribe. Their southern border started at Ataroth-Addar and went west to Upper Beth-Horon~/<(SEE 16:1)}/<(SEE 16:1)|/<(SEE 16:1) { <Ephraim and Manasseh are the two tribes descended from Joseph, and the following is a description of the land they received. The southern border of their land started at the Jordan River east of the spring at Jericho. From there it went west through the desert up to the hill country around Bethel. From Bethel it went to Luz and then to the border of the Archites in Ataroth. It continued west down to the land that belonged to the Japhlet clan, then went on to Lower Beth-Horon, Gezer, and the Mediterranean Sea.Iz <?The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, and the people of the Judah tribe could not capture the city and get rid of them. That's why Jebusites still live in Jerusalem along with the people of Judah.y1<>(SEE 15:61)Lx<=The twelfth region was located in the desert along the Dead Sea, and it had the following six towns with their surrounding villages: Beth-Arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, Salt Town, and En-Gedi.Yw-<(SEE 15:58)`u;<:The ninth region was located in the central part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following six towns with their surrounding villages: Halhul, Beth-Zur, Gedor, Maarath, Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon. The tenth region was located in the north-central part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following eleven towns with their surrounding villages: Tekoa, Ephrath, which is also called Bethlehem, Peor, Etam, Culon, Tatam, Shoresh, Kerem, Gallim, Bether, and Manahath.t1<9(SEE 15:55)s1<8(SEE 15:55)hrK<7The eighth region was located in the southeastern part of the hill country, and it had the following ten towns with their surrounding villages: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah.q1<6(SEE 15:52)p1<5(SEE 15:52) o<4The seventh region was located in the south-central part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following nine towns with their surrounding villages: Arab, Dumah, Eshan, Janim, Beth-Tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Kiriath-Arba, which is now called Hebron, and Zior.n1<3(SEE 15:48)m1<2(SEE 15:48)l1<1(SEE 15:48) k<0The sixth region was in the southwestern part of the hill country, and it had the following eleven towns with their surrounding villages: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath-Sannah, which is now called Debir, Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, Goshen, Holon, and Giloh.j1</(SEE 15:45)i1<.(SEE 15:45)Uh%<-The fifth region was located along the Mediterranean seacoast, and it had the following towns with their surrounding settlements and villages: Ekron and the towns between there and the coast, Ashdod and the larger towns nearby, Gaza, the towns from Gaza to the Egyptian Gorge, and the towns along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.g1<,(SEE 15:42)f1<+(SEE 15:42)be?<*The fourth region was located in the central part of the lower foothills, and it had the following nine towns with their surrounding villages: Libnah, Ether, Ashan, Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah.d1<)(SEE 15:37)c1<((SEE 15:37)b1<'(SEE 15:37)a1<&(SEE 15:37).`W<%The third region was located in the southern part of the lower foothills, and it had the following sixteen towns with their surrounding villages: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdalgad, Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel, Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, Gederoth, Beth-Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah._1<$(SEE 15:33)^1<#(SEE 15:33)]1<"(SEE 15:33)%\E<!The second region was located in the northern part of the lower foothills, and it had the following fourteen towns with their surrounding villages: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En-Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim.[1< (SEE 15:21)Z1<(SEE 15:21)Y1<(SEE 15:21)X1<(SEE 15:21)W1<(SEE 15:21)V1<(SEE 15:21)U1<(SEE 15:21)T1<(SEE 15:21)S1<(SEE 15:21)R1<(SEE 15:21)Q1<(SEE 15:21)P%<The first region was located in the Southern Desert along the border with Edom, and it had the following twenty-nine towns with their surrounding villages: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Aradah, Kedesh, Hazor of Ithnan, Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, Hazor-Hadattah, Kerioth-Hezron, which is also called Hazor, Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-Pelet, Hazar-Shual, Beersheba and its surrounding villages, Baalah, Iim, Ezem, Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, Lebaoth, Shilhim, and Enrimmon.VO'<The following is a list of the towns in each region given to the Judah clans:_N9<She answered, "I need your help. The land you gave me is in the Southern Desert, so I really need some spring-fed ponds for a water supply." Caleb gave her a couple of small ponds, named Higher Pond and Lower Pond.bM?<Right after the wedding, Achsah started telling Othniel that he ought to ask her father for a field. She went to see her father, and while she was getting down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What's bothering you?"XL+<Caleb's nephew Othniel captured Kiriath-Sepher, and Caleb let him marry Achsah.]K5<He told his men, "The man who captures Kiriath-Sepher can marry my daughter Achsah."hJK<Next, Caleb started a war with the town of Debir, which at that time was called Kiriath-Sepher.iIM<Caleb attacked Hebron and forced the three Anakim clans of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai to leave.UH%< Joshua gave Caleb some land among the people of Judah, as God had told him to do. Caleb's share was Hebron, which at that time was known as Arba's Town, because Arba was the famous ancestor of the Anakim.YG-< which was Judah's western border. The clans of Judah lived within these borders.AF}< It continued along to the hillside north of Ekron, curved around to Shikkeron, and then went to Mount Baalah. After going to Jabneel, the border finally ended at the Mediterranean Sea,JE< From Baalah the northern border curved west to Mount Seir and then ran along the northern ridge of Mount Jearim, where Chesalon is located. Then it went down to Beth-Shemesh and over to Timnah.3Da< At the top of the mountain it turned and went to Nephtoah Spring and then to the ruins on Mount Ephron. From there, it went to Baalah, which is now called Kiriath-Jearim.C<and up through Hinnom Valley on the land sloping south from Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem itself belonged to the Jebusites. Next, the border went up to the top of the mountain on the west side of Hinnom Valley and at the north end of Rephaim Valley.IB <From there, it went to Trouble Valley and Debir, then turned north and went to Gilgal, which is on the north side of the valley across from Adummim Pass. It continued on to Enshemesh, Enrogel,A1<From there it went west up to Beth-Hoglah, continued north of Beth-Arabah, and went up to the Monument of Bohan, who belonged to the Reuben tribe.@<Judah's eastern border ran the full length of the Dead Sea. The northern border started at the northern end of the Dead Sea.?)<and ran along to Azmon. After that, it followed the Egyptian Gorge and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was also Israel's southern border.7>i<As it went west from there, it ran south of Scorpion Pass to Zin, and then came up from the south to Kadesh-Barnea. It continued past Hezron up to Addar, turned toward Karka,J=<Judah's southern border started at the south end of the Dead Sea.< 9<The clans of the Judah tribe were given land that went south along the border of Edom, and at its farthest point south it even reached the Zin Desert.;<Hebron used to be called Arba's Town, because Arba had been one of the greatest of the Anakim. There was peace in the land.l:S<And Hebron still belongs to Caleb's descendants, because he was faithful to the LORD God of Israel.c9A< Joshua prayed that God would help Caleb, then he gave Hebron to Caleb and his descendants.89< So I'm asking you for the hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You were there. You heard the other spies talk about that part of the hill country and the large, walled towns where the Anakim live. But maybe the LORD will help me take their land, just as he promised.Y7-< I'm just as strong today as I was then, and I can still fight as well in battle.s6a< Joshua, it was forty-five years ago that the LORD told Moses to make that promise, and now I am eighty-five. Even though Israel has moved from place to place in the desert, the LORD has kept me alive all this time as he said he would.?5y< The same day I came back, Moses told me, "Since you were faithful to the LORD God, I promise that the places where you went as a spy will belong to you and your descendants forever."h4K<The other spies said things that made our people afraid, but I completely trusted the LORD God.+3Q<I was forty years old at the time Moses sent me from Kadesh-Barnea into Canaan as a spy. When I came back and told him about the land, everything I said was true.@2{<One day while the Israelites were still camped at Gilgal, Caleb the son of Jephunneh went to talk with Joshua. Caleb belonged to the Kenaz clan, and many other people from the Judah tribe went with Caleb. He told Joshua: You know that back in Kadesh-Barnea the LORD talked to his prophet Moses about you and me.1/<(SEE 14:1)0/<(SEE 14:1)//<(SEE 14:1)./<(SEE 14:1)- <Nine and a half tribes still did not have any land, although two and a half tribes had already received land east of the Jordan River. Moses had divided that land among them, and he had also said that the Levi tribe would not receive a large region like the other tribes. Instead, the people of Levi would receive towns and the nearby pastures for their sheep, goats, and cattle. And since the descendants of Joseph had become the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, there were still nine and a half tribes that needed land. The LORD had told Moses that he would show those tribes how to divide up the land of Canaan. When the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the families and tribes of Israel met to divide up the land of Canaan, the LORD showed them how to do it.,{< !But Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the LORD had promised that he would always provide for them.1+]< That was how Moses divided up the Moab Plains to the east of Jericho on the other side of the Jordan River, so these two and a half tribes would have land of their own.*1< (SEE 13:30)/)Y< Their land started at Mahanaim and took in the region that King Og of Bashan had ruled, including Ashtaroth and Edrei, the two towns where he had lived. The villages where the Jair clan settled were part of Manasseh's land, and so was the northern half of the region of Gilead. The clans of this half of Manasseh had sixty towns in all. The Manasseh tribe is sometimes called the Machir tribe, after Manasseh's son Machir._(9< Moses gave land east of the Jordan River to half of the clans from the Manasseh tribe.Q'< These regions with their towns and villages were given to the Gad tribe.u&e< Gad also received the eastern half of the Jordan River valley, which had been ruled by King Sihon of Heshbon. This territory stretched as far north as Lake Galilee, and included the towns of Beth-Haram, Beth-Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon.%5< The land given to Gad stretched from Heshbon in the south to Ramath-Mizpeh and Betonim in the north, and even further north to Mahanaim and Lidebor.j$O< It included the town of Jazer, and in the Gilead region their territory took in the land and towns as far east as the town of Aroer just west of Rabbah. This was about half of the land that had once belonged to the Ammonites.D#< Moses also gave land to each of the clans in the Gad tribe."{< This region with its towns and villages was the land for the Reuben tribe, and the Jordan River was its western border.Y!-< The Israelites also killed Balaam the son of Beor, who had been a fortuneteller. 1< (SEE 13:17)1< (SEE 13:17)1< (SEE 13:17)1< (SEE 13:17)xk< The Amorite King Sihon had lived in Heshbon and had ruled the towns in the flatlands. Now Heshbon belonged to Reuben, and so did the following towns in the flatlands: Dibon, Bamoth-Baal, Beth-Baal-Meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-Shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth-Peor, Slopes of Mount Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth. Moses defeated Sihon and killed him and the Midianite chiefs who ruled parts of his kingdom for him. Their names were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba.Q< Their land started in the south at the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley, took in the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the valley, and went as far north as the flatlands around Medeba.A< Moses gave land to each of the clans in the Reuben tribe.-U< Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the LORD God of Israel had told them, "Instead of land, you will receive the sacrifices offered at my altar." < However, the Israelites did not force the people of Geshur and Maacah to leave, and they still live there among the Israelites.1< (SEE 13:11)1< Geshur and Maacah were part of this region, and so was the whole territory that King Og had ruled, that is, Gilead, Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far east as Salecah. Og had lived in Ashtaroth part of each year, and he had lived in Edrei the rest of the year. Og had been one of the last of the Rephaim, but Moses had defeated Sihon and Og and their people and had forced them to leave their land.#< and took in the towns that had belonged to Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon. Some of these towns were as far east as the Ammonite border.Q< This region stretched north from the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley, and included the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the valley. It covered the flatlands of Medeba north of Dibon,r_< Moses had already given land east of the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh./< (SEE 13:2)/< (SEE 13:2)/< (SEE 13:2)/< (SEE 13:2)/< (SEE 13:2) < First, there is the Canaanite territory that starts at the Shihor River just east of Egypt and goes north to Ekron. The southern part of this region belongs to the Avvites and the Geshurites, and the land around Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron belongs to the five Philistine rulers. The other Canaanite territory is in the north. Its northern border starts at the town of Arah, which belongs to the Sidonians. From there, it goes to Aphek, then along the Amorite border to Hamath Pass. The eastern border starts at Hamath Pass and goes south to Baal-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon, and its southern boundary runs west from there to Misrephoth-Maim. This northern region includes the Lebanon Mountains and the land that belongs to the Gebalites and the Sidonians who live in the hill country from the Lebanon Mountains to Misrephoth-Maim. With my help, Israel will capture these Canaanite territories and force out the people who live there. But you must divide up the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea among the nine tribes and the half of Manasseh that don't have any land yet. Then each tribe will have its own land.  < Many years later, the LORD told Joshua: Now you are very old, but there is still a lot of land that Israel has not yet taken. /< (SEE 12:9) /< (SEE 12:9) /< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)/< (SEE 12:9)~/< (SEE 12:9)}/< (SEE 12:9)n|W< Jericho, Ai near Bethel, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, Shimron-Meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam on Mount Carmel, Dor in Naphath-Dor, Goiim in Galilee, and Tirzah. There were thirty-one of these kings in all.{/< (SEE 12:7)Pz< Later, Joshua and the Israelites defeated many kings west of the Jordan River, from Baal-Gad in Lebanon Valley in the north to Mount Halak near the country of Edom in the south. This region included the hill country and the foothills, the Jordan River valley and its western slopes, and the Southern Desert. Joshua and the Israelites took this land from the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Joshua divided up the land among the tribes of Israel. The Israelites defeated the kings of the following towns west of the Jordan River:'yI< Moses, the LORD's servant, had led the people of Israel in defeating Sihon and Og. Then Moses gave their land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh.^x7< His kingdom stretched north to Mount Hermon, east to the town of Salecah, and included the land of Bashan as far west as the borders of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. He also ruled the northern half of Gilead.Bw< Next, Moses and the Israelites defeated King Og of Bashan, who lived in the town of Ashtaroth part of each year and in Edrei the rest of the year. Og was one of the last of the Rephaim. v < Sihon also controlled the eastern side of the Jordan River valley from Lake Galilee south to Beth-Jeshimoth and the Dead Sea. In addition to these regions, he ruled the town called Slopes of Mount Pisgah and the land south of there at the foot of the hill.?uy< The first king that Moses and the Israelites defeated was an Amorite, King Sihon of Heshbon. The southern border of his kingdom ran down the middle of the Arnon River gorge, taking in the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the gorge. The Jabbok River separated Sihon's kingdom from the Ammonites on the east. Then the Jabbok turned west and became his northern border, so his kingdom included the southern half of the region of Gilead.t < Before Moses died, he and the people of Israel had defeated two kings east of the Jordan River. These kings had ruled the region from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, including the eastern side of the Jordan River valley.$sC< That's how Joshua captured the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Finally, there was peace in the land. r< There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.Oq< During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including Hebron, Debir, and Anab.p1< (SEE 11:19)doC< The LORD had told Moses that he wanted the towns in this region destroyed and their people killed without mercy. That's why the LORD made the people in the towns stubborn and determined to fight Israel. The only town that signed a peace treaty with Israel was the Hivite town of Gibeon. The Israelite army captured the rest of the towns in battle.n1< (SEE 11:17).mW< They took control of the land from Mount Halak near the country of Edom in the south to Baal-Gad in Lebanon Valley at the foot of Mount Hermon in the north. Joshua and his army were at war with the kings in this region for a long time, but finally they captured and put to death the last king.=lu< Joshua and his army took control of the northern and southern hill country, the foothills to the west, the Southern Desert, the whole region of Goshen, and the Jordan River valley.k1< (SEE 11:12)j1< (SEE 11:12)i1< (SEE 11:12)@h{< Joshua captured all the towns where the enemy kings had ruled. These towns were built on small hills, and Joshua did not set fire to any of these towns, except Hazor. The Israelites kept the animals and everything of value from these towns, but they killed everyone who lived in them, including their kings. That's what the LORD had told his servant Moses to do, that's what Moses had told Joshua to do, and that's exactly what Joshua did.:gq< and everyone else, then they set the town on fire.7fi< Up to this time, the king of Hazor had controlled the kingdoms that had joined together to attack Israel, so Joshua led his army back and captured Hazor. They killed its kinge/< (SEE 11:8)d!< and crippled the enemies' horses. Joshua followed the LORD's instructions, and the LORD helped Israel defeat the enemy. The Israelite army even chased enemy soldiers as far as Misrephoth-Maim to the northwest, the city of Sidon to the north, and Mizpeh Valley to the northeast. None of the enemy soldiers escaped alive. The Israelites came back after the battle and burned the enemy's chariots.Xc+< Joshua and his army made a surprise attack against the enemy camp at Merom Pondb< The LORD told Joshua: Don't let them frighten you! I'll help you defeat them, and by this time tomorrow they will be dead. When you attack, the first thing you have to do is to cripple their horses. Then after the battle is over, burn their chariots.a/< (SEE 11:4)]`5< The kings and their armies went to Merom Pond, where they set up camp, and got ready to fight Israel. It seemed as though there were more soldiers and horses and chariots than there are grains of sand on a beach.f_G< He sent messages to the Canaanite kings in the east and the west, to the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, and Jebusite kings in the hill country, and to the Hivite kings in the region of Mizpah, near the foot of Mount Hermon.$^C< the kings in the northern hill country and in the Jordan River valley south of Lake Galilee, and the kings in the foothills and in Naphath-Dor to the west.e] G< King Jabin of Hazor heard about Joshua's victories, so he sent messages to many nearby kings and asked them to join him in fighting Israel. He sent these messages to King Jobab of Madon, the kings of Shimron and Achshaph,\1< +(SEE 10:42)r[_< *The LORD fought on Israel's side, so Joshua and the Israelite army were able to capture these kings and take their land. They fought one battle after another, then they went back to their camp at Gilgal after capturing all that land.{Zq< )Joshua wiped out towns from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza, everywhere in the region of Goshen, and as far north as Gibeon.-YU< (Joshua captured towns everywhere in the land: In the central hill country and the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert and the region that slopes down toward the Dead Sea. Whenever he captured a town, he would kill the king and everyone else, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded.3Xa< 'They captured the town, and its nearby villages. Then they destroyed Debir and killed its king, together with everyone else, just as they had done with Hebron and Libnah.@W}< &Joshua and the Israelite army turned and attacked Debir."V?< %They captured the town and the nearby villages, then killed everyone, including the king. They destroyed Hebron in the same way they had destroyed Eglon.;Us< $Joshua and his army left Eglon and attacked Hebron.VT'< #captured it that same day, then killed everyone, as they had done at Lachish.sSa< "From Lachish, Joshua took his troops to Eglon, where they set up camp surrounding the town. They attacked,xRk< !King Horam of Gezer arrived to help Lachish, but Joshua and his troops attacked and destroyed him and his army.oQY< and the next day the LORD let them capture the town. They killed everyone, as they had done at Libnah.bP?< Joshua then led his army to Lachish, and they set up camp around the town. They attacked,O < The LORD let them capture the town and its king, and they killed the king and everyone else, just as they had done at Jericho.KN< Joshua and his army left Makkedah and attacked the town of Libnah.M< Later that day, Joshua captured Makkedah and killed its king and everyone else in the town, just as he had done at Jericho.gLI< he told some of his troops, "Take the bodies down and throw them into the cave where the kings were found. Cover the entrance to the cave with big rocks." Joshua's troops obeyed his orders, and those rocks are still there.bK?< Joshua killed the five kings and told his men to hang each body on a tree. Then at sunset J< and Joshua continued, "Don't ever be afraid or discouraged. Be brave and strong. This is what the LORD will do to all your enemies."uIe< After Joshua had called the army together, he forced the five kings to lie down on the ground. Then he called his officers forward and told them, "You fought these kings along with me, so put your feet on their necks." The officers did,H< The soldiers opened the entrance to the cave and brought out the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.xGk< Joshua told his soldiers, "Now, move the rocks from the entrance to the cave and bring those five kings to me."#FA< The Israelite army returned to their camp at Makkedah, where Joshua was waiting for them. No one around there dared say anything bad about the Israelites.xEk< So Joshua and the Israelites almost wiped out the enemy soldiers. Only a few safely reached their walled towns.JD< But you and everyone else must keep after the enemy troops, because they will be safe if they reach their walled towns. Don't let them get away! The LORD our God is helping us get rid of them."pC[< Joshua answered, "Roll some big stones over the mouth of the cave and leave a few soldiers to guard it.^B7< Joshua's soldiers told him, "The five kings have been found in a cave near Makkedah."A< While the enemy soldiers were running from the Israelites, the five enemy kings ran away and hid in a cave near Makkedah.W@)< After the battle, Joshua and the Israelites went back to their camp at Gilgal. ?< Never before and never since has the LORD done anything like that for someone who prayed. The LORD was really fighting for Israel.>1< (SEE 10:12)>=w< The LORD was helping the Israelites defeat the Amorites that day. So about noon, Joshua prayed to the LORD loud enough for the Israelites to hear: "Our LORD, make the sun stop in the sky over Gibeon, and the moon stand still over Aijalon Valley." So the sun and the moon stopped and stood still until Israel defeated its enemies. This poem can be found in The Book of Jashar. The sun stood still and didn't go down for about a whole day.Y<-< And while these troops were going down through Beth-Horon Pass, the LORD made huge hailstones fall on them all the way to Azekah. More of the enemy soldiers died from the hail than from the Israelite weapons.g;I< The LORD made the enemy panic, and the Israelites started killing them right and left. They chased the Amorite troops up the road to Beth-Horon and kept on killing them, until they reached the towns of Azekah and Makkedah.g:I< Joshua marched all night from Gilgal to Gibeon and made a surprise attack on the Amorite camp. 9 < "Joshua," the LORD said, "don't be afraid of the Amorites. They will run away when you attack, and I will help you defeat them."G8 < Joshua and his army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal.y7m< the Gibeonites sent a message to the Israelite camp at Gilgal: "Joshua, please come and rescue us! The Amorite kings from the hill country have joined together and are attacking us. We are your servants, so don't let us down. Please hurry!"X6+< When these five Amorite kings called their armies together and attacked Gibeon,t5c< "The Gibeonites have signed a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelites. Come and help me attack Gibeon!"74i< So Adonizedek sent messages to the kings of four other towns: King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. The messages said,Y3-< This frightened Adonizedek and his people. They knew that Gibeon was a large town, as big as the towns that had kings, and even bigger than the town of Ai had been. And all of the men of Gibeon were warriors.`2 =< King Adonizedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured and destroyed the town of Ai, and then killed its king as he had done at Jericho. He also learned that the Gibeonites had signed a peace treaty with Israel. 8~~P|m|Q{ezz^yxww.vuuqqqq}qapooann lllkj4ihh_gsgVg9geeeeedcccccb~a`@`#`__)^^>\\\~\a\D\'\ ZZZYYtXFX)X UUUT{T^TAT$TRRRRbRER(R PPNNNNNLRL6KKIHGFEoESDCC B{BAz>q>U>9>>=====u=Y;i;L;/;:::8z8]8@8#87755y5\5?5"544Y4<322y21410O/},,j,N,2+T+7**l*)(''Y&=%M% ##!t!W ~WzV.1_B\ r ( JxQ48x`k<Joshua said: The LORD is fearsome; he is the one true God, and I don't think you are able to worship and obey him in the ways he demands. You would have to be completely faithful, and if you sin or rebel, he won't let you get away with it.9_m<And when we fought the Amorites and the other nations that lived in this land, the LORD made them run away. Yes, we will worship and obey the LORD, because the LORD is our God.}^u<The LORD is our God. We were slaves in Egypt as our ancestors had been, but we saw the LORD work miracles to set our people free and to bring us out of Egypt. Even though other nations were all around us, the LORD protected us wherever we went.\]3<The people answered: We could never worship other gods or stop worshiping the LORD.#\A<But if you don't want to worship the LORD, then choose right now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you're living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you'll worship their gods. I won't. My family and I are going to worship and obey the LORD!N[<Then Joshua told the people: Worship the LORD, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt.2Z_< You didn't have to work for this land--I gave it to you. Now you live in towns you didn't build, and you eat grapes and olives from vineyards and trees you didn't plant.BY< Your enemies ran from you, but not because you had swords and bows and arrows. I made your enemies panic and run away, as I had done with the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River.rX_< You crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The rulers of Jericho fought you, and so did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I helped you defeat them all.iWM< But I wouldn't listen to Balaam, and I rescued you by making him bless you instead of curse you.V{< King Balak decided that his nation Moab would go to war against you, so he asked Balaam to come and put a curse on you.BU<then I brought you into the land east of the Jordan River. The Amorites were living there, and they fought you. But with my help, you defeated them, wiped them out, and took their land.BT<Your people cried to me for help, so I put a dark cloud between them and the Egyptians. Then I opened up the sea and let your people walk across on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, I commanded the sea to swallow them, and they drowned while you watched. You lived in the desert for a long time,S/<(SEE 24:5)(RK<Later I sent Moses and his brother Aaron to help your people, and I made all those horrible things happen to the Egyptians. I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, but the Egyptians got in their chariots and on their horses and chased your ancestors, catching up with them at the Red Sea.'QI<Then I gave Isaac two sons, Jacob and Esau. I had Esau live in the hill country of Mount Seir, but your ancestor Jacob and his children went to live in Egypt.-PU<But I brought Abraham across the Euphrates River and led him through the land of Canaan. I blessed him by giving him Isaac, the first in a line of many descendants.O9<Then Joshua told everyone to listen to this message from the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods. This continued until the time of your ancestor Terah and his two sons, Abraham and Nahor.?N {<Joshua called the tribes of Israel together for a meeting at Shechem. He had the leaders, including the old men, the judges, and the officials, come up and stand near the sacred tent.M1<(SEE 23:15).LW<Yes, when the LORD makes a promise, he does what he has promised. But when he makes a threat, he will also do what he has threatened. The LORD is our God. He gave us this wonderful land and made an agreement with us that we would worship only him. But if you worship other gods, it will make the LORD furious. He will start getting rid of you, and soon not one of you will be left in this good land that he has given you.'KI<I will soon die, as everyone must. But deep in your hearts you know that the LORD has kept every promise he ever made to you. Not one of them has been broken.J1< (SEE 23:12)&IG< Don't ever turn your backs on him by marrying people from the nations that are left in the land. Don't even make friends with them. I tell you that if you are friendly with those nations, the LORD won't chase them away when you attack. Instead, they'll be like a trap for your feet, a whip on your back, and thorns in your eyes. And finally, none of you will be left in this good land that the LORD has given you.1H_< Be sure to always love the LORD your God.wGi< Any one of you can defeat a thousand enemy soldiers, because the LORD God fights for you, just as he promised.{Fq< When you attacked powerful nations, the LORD made them run away, and no one has ever been able to stand up to you.;Es<Be as faithful to the LORD as you have always been.&DG<Don't have anything to do with the nations that live around you. Don't worship their gods or pray to their idols or make promises in the names of their gods.xCk<Be sure that you carefully obey everything written in The Book of the Law of Moses and do exactly what it says.B/<(SEE 23:4)$AC<There are still some nations left, but the LORD has promised you their land. So when you attack them, he will make them run away. I have already divided their land among your tribes, as I did with the land of the nations I defeated between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.u@e<You have seen how the LORD your God fought for you and helped you defeat the nations who lived in this land.(?K<One day he called a meeting of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, including the old men, the judges, and the officials. Then he told them: I am now very old.q> _<The LORD let Israel live in peace with its neighbors for a long time, and Joshua lived to a ripe old age.f=G<"The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar "A Reminder to Us All That the LORD Is Our God." <<!The Israelites were happy and praised God. There was no more talk about going to war and wiping out the tribes of Reuben and Gad.;%< Phinehas and the clan leaders left Gilead and went back to Canaan to tell the Israelites about their meeting with the Reuben and Gad tribes.:1<(SEE 22:30)99m<Phinehas and the clan leaders were pleased when they heard the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh explain why they had built the altar. Then Phinehas told them, "Today we know that the LORD is helping us. You have not been unfaithful to him, and this means that the LORD will not be angry with us."81<(SEE 22:27)71<(SEE 22:27)B6<To build another altar for offering sacrifices would be the same as turning our backs on the LORD and rebelling against him. We could never do that! No, we built the altar to remind us and you and the generations to come that we will worship the LORD. And so we will keep bringing our sacrifices to the LORD's altar, there in front of his sacred tent. Now your descendants will never be able to say to our descendants, "You can't worship the LORD." But if they do say this, our descendants can answer back, "Look at this altar our ancestors built! It's like the LORD's altar, but it isn't for offering sacrifices. It's here to remind us and you that we belong to the LORD, just as much as you do."|5s<That's why we decided to build the altar. It isn't for offering sacrifices, not even sacrifices to please the LORD.41<(SEE 22:24)37<We built that altar because we were worried. Someday your descendants might tell our descendants, "The LORD made the Jordan River the boundary between us Israelites and you people of Reuben and Gad. The LORD is Israel's God, but you're not part of Israel, so you can't take part in worshiping the LORD." Your descendants might say that and try to make our descendants stop worshiping and obeying the LORD.b2?<and we ask the LORD to punish us if we are lying. We didn't build it so we could turn our backs on the LORD. We didn't even build it so we could offer animal or grain sacrifices to please the LORD or ask his blessing. 1<The LORD is the greatest God! We ask him to be our witness, because he knows whether or not we were rebellious or unfaithful when we built that altar. If we were unfaithful, then we pray that God won't rescue us today. Let us tell you why we built that altar,>0y<The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered:l/S<Don't you remember what happened when Achan was unfaithful and took some of the things that belonged to God? This made God angry with the entire nation. Achan died because he sinned, but he also caused the death of many others..+<If you don't think your land is a fit place to serve God, then move across the Jordan and live with us in the LORD's own land, where his sacred tent is located. But don't rebel against the LORD our God or against us by building another altar besides the LORD's own altar.-+<Now you are turning your backs on the LORD again. If you don't stop rebelling against the LORD right now, he will be angry at the whole nation.6,g<Wasn't our people's sin at Peor terrible enough for you? The LORD punished us by sending a horrible sickness that killed many of us, and we still suffer because of that sin.Z+/<All of the LORD's people have gathered together and have sent us to find out why you are unfaithful to our God. You have turned your backs on the LORD by building that altar. Why are you rebelling against him?x*k<Phinehas and these leaders went to Gilead and met with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They said:a)=<Each of the tribes at Shiloh sent the leader of one of its families along with Phinehas.k(Q< But first they sent a priest, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, to talk with the two and a half tribes.Z'/< the Israelite men met at Shiloh to get ready to attack the two and a half tribes.&1< (SEE 22:10)Z%/< The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh reached the western side of the Jordan River valley and built a huge altar there beside the river. When the rest of the Israelites heard what these tribes had done,$/< (SEE 22:6)#/<(SEE 22:6)"/<(SEE 22:6)s!a<You've become rich from what you've taken from your enemies. You have big herds of cattle, lots of silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and plenty of clothes. Take everything home with you and share with the people of your tribe. I pray that God will be kind to you. You are now free to go home. The tribes of Reuben and Gad started back to Gilead, their own land. Moses had given the land of Bashan to the East Manasseh tribe, so they started back along with Reuben and Gad. God had told Moses that these two and a half tribes should conquer Gilead and Bashan, and they had done so. Joshua had given land west of the Jordan River to the other half of the Manasseh tribe, so they stayed at Shiloh in the land of Canaan with the rest of the Israelites.N <Moses taught you to love the LORD your God, to be faithful to him, and to worship and obey him with your whole heart and with all your strength. So be very careful to do everything Moses commanded.E<The LORD promised to give peace to your relatives, and that's what he has done. Now it's time for you to go back to your own homes in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan River./<(SEE 22:2)N<You have obeyed every command of the LORD your God and of his servant Moses. And you have done everything I've told you to do. It's taken a long time, but you have stayed and helped your relatives.p ]<Joshua had the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh come for a meeting, and he told them:a=<-The LORD promised to do many good things for Israel, and he kept his promise every time.a=<,There still were enemies around Israel, but the LORD kept his promise to let his people live in peace. And whenever the Israelites did have to go to war, no enemy could defeat them. The LORD always helped Israel win.wi<+The LORD gave the Israelites the land he had promised their ancestors, and they captured it and settled in it.1<*(SEE 21:41) <)The people of the Levi tribe had a total of forty-eight towns within Israel, and they had pastures around each one of their towns.1<((SEE 21:34)1<'(SEE 21:34)1<&(SEE 21:34)1<%(SEE 21:34)1<$(SEE 21:34)1<#(SEE 21:34)2_<"The rest of the Levi clans were descendants of Merari, and they received twelve towns with the pastureland around them. Four towns were from the tribe of Zebulun, four from Reuben, and four from Gad. Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmonah, and Nahalal were from Zebulun. Bezer, Jazah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath were from Reuben. Bezer was located in the desert flatlands east of the Jordan River across from Jericho. Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer were from Gad. Bezer and Ramoth in Gilead were Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.1<!(SEE 21:27)1< (SEE 21:27) 1<(SEE 21:27) 1<(SEE 21:27) 1<(SEE 21:27) 1<(SEE 21:27)= u<The clans of Levi that were descendants of Gershon received thirteen towns and the pastureland around them. Two of these towns were from the tribe of East Manasseh, four from Issachar, four from Asher, and three from Naphtali. Golan in Bashan and Beeshterah were from East Manasseh. Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En-Gannim were from Issachar. Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob were from Asher. Kedesh in Galilee, Hammothdor, and Kartan were from Naphtali. Golan in Bashan and Kedesh in Galilee were also Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.1<(SEE 21:20)1<(SEE 21:20)1<(SEE 21:20)1<(SEE 21:20)1<(SEE 21:20)1<(SEE 21:20)lS<The rest of the Kohath clans of the Levi tribe received ten towns and the pastureland around them. Four of these towns were from the tribe of Ephraim, four from Dan, and two from West Manasseh. Shechem, Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-Horon were from Ephraim. Shechem was located in the hill country, and it was also one of the Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone. Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath-Rimmon were from Dan. Taanach and Jibleam were from West Manasseh./<(SEE 21:9)/<(SEE 21:9)/<(SEE 21:9)~/<(SEE 21:9)}/<(SEE 21:9)|/<(SEE 21:9){/< (SEE 21:9)z/< (SEE 21:9)y/< (SEE 21:9)x/< (SEE 21:9)w< The descendants of Aaron from the Kohath clans of Levi were priests, and they were chosen to receive towns first. They were given thirteen towns and the pastureland around them. Nine of these towns were from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and four from Benjamin. Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-Shemesh were from Judah and Simeon. Hebron, located in the hill country of Judah, was earlier called Arba's Town. It had been named after Arba, the ancestor of the Anakim. Hebron's pasturelands went along with the town, but its farmlands and the villages around it had been given to Caleb. Hebron was also one of the Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone. Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon were from Benjamin.v<The LORD had told Moses that he would show the Israelites which towns and pastures to give to the clans of Levi, and he did.uue<The clans that were descendants of Merari received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.t<The clans that were descendants of Gershon were given thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh.use<The other members of the Kohath clans received ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh.'rI<The leaders asked the LORD to show them in what order the clans of Levi would be given towns, and which towns each clan would receive. The Kohath clans were first. The descendants of Aaron, Israel's first priest, were given thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.q9<Since the LORD had said this, the leaders of the other Israelite tribes agreed to give some of the towns and pastures from their tribal lands to Levi.p/<(SEE 21:1)Lo <While the Israelites were still camped at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the family leaders of the Levi tribe went to speak to the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders of the other Israelite tribes. The leaders of Levi said, "The LORD told Moses that you have to give us towns and provide pastures for our animals."n3< These Safe Towns were set up, so that if Israelites or even foreigners who lived in Israel accidentally killed someone, they could run to one of these towns. There they would be safe until a trial could be held, even if one of the victim's relatives came looking for revenge.ume<The Israelites had already decided on the following three towns east of the Jordan River: Bezer in the desert flatlands of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, which was a town that belonged to Gad, and Golan in Bashan, which belonged to Manasseh. l<The Israelites decided that the following three towns west of the Jordan River would be Safe Towns: Kedesh in Galilee in Naphtali's hill country, Shechem in Ephraim's hill country, and Kiriath-Arba in Judah's hill country. Kiriath-Arba is now called Hebron.ak=<The citizens of that Safe Town must come together and hold a trial. They may decide that the victim was killed accidentally and that the accused is not guilty of murder. Everyone found not guilty must still live in the Safe Town until the high priest dies. Then they can go back to their own towns and their homes that they had to leave behind.gjI<One of the victim's relatives might come to the town, looking for revenge. But the town leaders must not simply hand over the person accused of murder. After all, the accused and the victim had been neighbors, not enemies.i/<(SEE 20:3),hS<If a person accidentally kills someone and the victim's relatives say it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of the Safe Towns and be safe from the victim's relatives. The one needing protection will stand at the entrance to the town gate and explain to the town leaders what happened. Then the leaders will bring that person in and provide a place to live in their town.g<When Moses was still alive, I had him tell the Israelites about the Safe Towns. Now you tell them that it is time to set up these towns.$f G<One day the LORD told Joshua:e1<3(SEE 19:49)d1<2(SEE 19:49)c5<1The Israelites were still gathered in Shiloh in front of the sacred tent, when Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the family leaders of Israel finished giving out the land to the tribes. The LORD had told the people to give Joshua whatever town he wanted. So Joshua chose Timnath-Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people gave it to him. Joshua went to Timnath-Serah, rebuilt it, and lived there.b1<0(SEE 19:47)Qa</Its clans received this land and these towns with their surrounding villages. Later, when enemies forced them to leave their tribal land, they went to the town of Leshem. They attacked the town, captured it, and killed the people who lived there. Then they settled there themselves and renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.`1<.(SEE 19:40)_1<-(SEE 19:40)^1<,(SEE 19:40)]1<+(SEE 19:40)\1<*(SEE 19:40)[1<)(SEE 19:40)JZ<(Dan was the seventh tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Azor, Beneberak, Gath-Rimmon, Mejarkon, and Rakkon. Dan's tribal land went almost as far as Joppa.Y1<'(SEE 19:35)X1<&(SEE 19:35)W1<%(SEE 19:35)V1<$(SEE 19:35)?Uy<#The Naphtali clans received this region as their tribal land, and it included nineteen towns with their surrounding villages. The following towns had walls around them: Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, Enhazor, Iron, Migdalel, Horem, Beth-Anath, and Beth-Shemesh.T1<"(SEE 19:32)S1<!(SEE 19:32)R< Naphtali was the sixth tribe chosen to receive land. The southern border for its clans started in the west, where the tribal lands of Asher and Zebulun meet near Hukkok. From that point it ran east and southeast along the border with Zebulun as far as Aznoth-Tabor. From there the border went east to Heleph, Adami-Nekeb, Jabneel, then to the town called Oak in Zaanannim, and Lakkum. The southern border ended at the Jordan River, at the edge of the town named Jehudah. Naphtali shared a border with Asher on the west.Q1<(SEE 19:29)P1<(SEE 19:29)*OO<Then it turned west to become the northern border and went to Ramah and the fortress-city of Tyre. Near Tyre it turned toward Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. Asher had a total of twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages, including Mahalab, Achzib, Acco, Aphek, and Rehob.LN<Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far north as the city of Sidon.TM#<then east to Beth-Dagon. On the southeast, Asher shared a border with Zebulun along the Iphtahel Valley. On the eastern side their border ran north to Beth-Emek, went east of Cabul, and then on to Neiel,L1<(SEE 19:24)K1<(SEE 19:24)1J]<Asher was the fifth tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans included the following towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. Asher's southern border ran from the Mediterranean Sea southeast along the Shihor-Libnath River at the foot of Mount Carmel,I1<(SEE 19:17)H1<(SEE 19:17)G1<(SEE 19:17)F1<(SEE 19:17)E1<(SEE 19:17)D1<(SEE 19:17)C<Issachar was the fourth tribe chosen to receive land. The northern border for its clans went from Mount Tabor east to the Jordan River. Their land included the following sixteen towns with their surrounding villages: Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Debirath, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-Gannim, Enhaddah, Beth-Pazzez, Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth-Shemesh.\B3<This is the tribal land, and these are the towns and villages of the Zebulun clans.A <Zebulun had twelve towns with their surrounding villages. Some of these were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Jiralah, and Bethlehem.w@i<and became the northern border. Then it curved south around Hannathon and went as far west as Iphtahel Valley.`?;< and continued north to Gath-Hepher, Ethkazin, and Rimmonah, where it curved toward Neah>1< (SEE 19:10)=1< (SEE 19:10)}<u< Zebulun was the third tribe chosen to receive land. The southern border for its clans started in the west at the edge of the gorge near Jokneam. It went east to the edge of the land that belongs to the town of Dabbesheth, and continued on to Maralah and Sarid. It took in the land that belongs to Chislothtabor, then ended at Daberath. The eastern border went up to Japhia9;m< Simeon's tribal land was actually inside Judah's territory. Judah had received too much land for the number of people in its tribe, so part of Judah's land was given to Simeon. :<Simeon's land also included all the other towns and villages as far south as Baalath-Beer, which is also called Ramah of the South.9<In another region, Simeon had the following four towns with their surrounding villages: Enrimmon, Tachan, Ether, and Ashan.8/<(SEE 19:2)7/<(SEE 19:2)6/<(SEE 19:2)5/<(SEE 19:2)4<In one region of Simeon's tribal land there were the following thirteen towns with their surrounding villages: Beersheba, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-Marcaboth, Hazar-Susah, Beth-Lebaoth, and Sharuhen.t3 e<Simeon was the second tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans was inside Judah's borders.21<(SEE 18:25)11<(SEE 18:25)01<(SEE 18:25):/o<In the other region there were the following fourteen towns with their surrounding villages: Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, Haeleph, Gibeah, Kiriath-Jearim, and Jerusalem, which is also called Jebusite Town. These regions are the tribal lands of Benjamin..1<(SEE 18:21)-1<(SEE 18:21),1<(SEE 18:21)h+K<One region of Benjamin's tribal land had twelve towns with their surrounding villages. Those towns were Jericho, Beth-Hoglah, Emek-Keziz, Beth-Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Chephar-Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba.*#<The Jordan River itself was Benjamin's eastern border. These were the borders of Benjamin's tribal land, where the clans of Benjamin lived.N)<Inside the valley it went south as far as the northern hillside of Beth-Hoglah. The last section of the border went from there to the northern end of the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan River.h(K<The border ran along the hillside north of Beth-Arabah, then down into the Jordan River valley.V''<At Enrogel the border curved north and went to Enshemesh and on east to Geliloth, which is across the valley from Adummim Pass. Then it went down to the Monument of Bohan, who belonged to the Reuben tribe. & <From there it went to the bottom of the hill at the northern end of Rephaim Valley. The other side of this hill faces Hinnom Valley, which is on the land that slopes south from Jerusalem. The border went down through Hinnom Valley until it reached Enrogel.%y<Benjamin's southern border started at the edge of Kiriath-Jearim and went east to the ruins and on to Nephtoah Spring.$1<(SEE 18:13)N#< From there it went to Luz, which is now called Bethel. The border ran along the ridge south of Luz, then went to Ataroth-Orech and on as far as the mountain south of Lower Beth-Horon. At that point it turned south and became the western border. It went as far south as Kiriath-Baal, a town in Judah now called Kiriath-Jearim.*"O< Benjamin's northern border started at the Jordan River and went up the ridge north of Jericho, then on west into the hill country as far as the Beth-Aven Desert.#!A< Benjamin was the first tribe chosen to receive land. The region for its clans lay between the Judah tribe on the south and the Joseph tribes on the north.q ]< Joshua found out from the LORD how to divide the land, and he told the tribes what the LORD had decided.9m< The men left and went across the land, dividing it into seven regions. They wrote down a description of each region, town by town, and returned to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.K<Just before the men left camp, Joshua repeated their orders: "Explore the land and write a description of it. Then come back to Shiloh, and I will find out from the LORD how to divide the land."/<(SEE 18:3)/<(SEE 18:3)/<(SEE 18:3)/<(SEE 18:3),S<so Joshua told the people: The Judah tribe has already settled in its land in the south, and the Joseph tribes have settled in their land in the north. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh already have the land that the LORD's servant Moses gave them east of the Jordan River. And the people of Levi won't get a single large region of the land like the other tribes. Instead, they will serve the LORD as priests. But the rest of you haven't done a thing to take over any land. The LORD God who was worshiped by your ancestors has given you the land, and now it's time to go ahead and settle there. Seven tribes still don't have any land. Each of these tribes should choose three men, and I'll send them to explore the remaining land. They will divide it into seven regions, write a description of each region, and bring these descriptions back to me. I will find out from the LORD our God what region each tribe should get.7k<There were still seven tribes without any land,Z 1<After Israel had captured the land, they met at Shiloh and set up the sacred tent.<so you can have the rest of the hill country, but it's a forest, and you'll have to cut down the trees and clear the land. You can also have Jezreel Valley. Even though the Canaanites there are strong and have iron chariots, you can force them to leave the valley."tc<"Your tribes do have a lot of people," Joshua admitted. "I'll give you more land. Your tribes are powerful,zo<"Even if we do that," they answered, "there still won't be enough land for us in the hill country. And we can't move down into Jezreel Valley, because the Canaanites who live in Beth-Shan and in other parts of the valley have iron chariots."{q<Joshua replied, "If you have so many people that you don't have enough room in the hill country of Ephraim, then go into the forest that belonged to the Perizzites and the Rephaim. Clear out the trees and make more room for yourselves there."8k<One day the Joseph tribes came to Joshua and asked, "Why didn't you give us more land? The LORD has always been kind to us, and we have too many people for this small region."#< When the Israelites grew stronger, they made the Canaanites in these towns work as their slaves, though they never did force them to leave.lS< But the people of Manasseh could not capture these towns, so the Canaanites kept on living in them.hK< Manasseh was supposed to have the following towns with their surrounding villages inside the borders of Issachar's and Asher's tribal lands: Beth-Shan, Ibleam, Endor, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, which is also called Naphath./< (SEE 17:9)_ 9< Then the border went west to the Kanah Gorge and ran along the northern edge of the gorge to the Mediterranean Sea. The land south of the gorge belonged to Ephraim. And even though there were a few towns that belonged to Ephraim north of the gorge, the land north of the gorge belonged to Manasseh. The western border of Manasseh was the Mediterranean Sea, and the tribe shared a border with the Asher tribe on the northwest and with the Issachar tribe on the northeast. 9<The town of Tappuah was on Manasseh's border with Ephraim. Although the land around Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, the town itself belonged to Ephraim.  <The land of the Manasseh tribe went from its northern border with the Asher tribe south to Michmethath, which is to the east of Shechem. The southern border started there, but curved even farther south to include the people who lived around Tappuah Spring. X!~~}R||{{H{zz:y>wwWvvutttZsTrraqqDppOonnmml kkSjiihh?gffee dPd5cabba`__.^^\\\d\I[ZZZkYWY;XWzVUUTSSRRQQWPPP5OONMMM:LL[KJJEJ)HHH"GmGQFFED9DCCBxB#A@@?>==s<;:::98@776J55*432224111:00P//4..v--l-,++C**C)))$((Y''K&&&%%)$j##"!!!:!%yLq 0~AE m s W Tt2X`1;F but if you're still afraid, you and your servant Purah should sneak down to their camp.t0cF That night, the LORD said to Gideon. "Get up! Attack the Midianite camp. I am going to let you defeat them,g/IFThen Gideon gave these orders, "You three hundred men stay here. The rest of you may go home, but leave your food and trumpets with us." Gideon's army camp was on top of a hill overlooking the Midianite camp in the valley.d.CFThe LORD said, "Gideon, your army will be made up of everyone who lapped the water from their hands. Send the others home. I'm going to rescue Israel by helping you and your army of three hundred defeat the Midianites."l-SFThree hundred men scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, and the rest knelt to get a drink.\,3FWhen Gideon led his army down to the spring, the LORD told him, "Watch how each man gets a drink of water. Then divide them into two groups--those who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel down to drink."G+ F"Gideon," the LORD said, "you still have too many soldiers. Take them down to the spring and I'll test them. I'll tell you which ones can go along with you and which ones must go back home."P*FSo call your troops together and tell them that anyone who is really afraid can leave Mount Gilead and go home." Twenty-two thousand men returned home, leaving Gideon with only ten thousand soldiers.\)3FThe LORD said, "Gideon, your army is too big. I can't let you win with this many soldiers. The Israelites would think that they had won the battle all by themselves and that I didn't have anything to do with it.-( WFEarly the next morning, Gideon and his army got up and moved their camp to Fear Spring. The Midianite camp was to the north, in the valley at the foot of Moreh Hill.U'%F(That night, God made the stone floor wet with dew, but he kept the wool dry.c&AF'But Gideon prayed to God again. "Don't be angry at me," Gideon said. "Let me try this just one more time, so I'll really be sure you'll help me. Only this time, let the wool be dry and the stone floor be wet with dew."%F&And that's just what happened. Early the next morning, Gideon got up and checked the wool. He squeezed out enough water to fill a bowl.$/F%(SEE 6:36)5#eF$Gideon prayed to God, "I know that you promised to help me rescue Israel, but I need proof. Tonight I'll put some wool on the stone floor of that threshing-place over there. If you really will help me rescue Israel, then tomorrow morning let there be dew on the wool, but let the stone floor be dry."="uF#He also sent messengers to the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, telling the men of these tribes to come and join his army. Then they set out toward the enemy camp. !F"The LORD's Spirit took control of Gideon, and Gideon blew a signal on a trumpet to tell the men in the Abiezer clan to follow him.5 eF!All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations got together and crossed the Jordan River. Then they invaded the land of Israel and set up camp in Jezreel Valley. F That same day, Joash changed Gideon's name to Jerubbaal, explaining, "He tore down Baal's altar, so let Baal take revenge himself."H FThe crowd pushed closer and closer, but Joash replied, "Are you trying to take revenge for Baal? Are you trying to rescue Baal? If you are, you will be the ones who are put to death, and it will happen before another day dawns. If Baal really is a god, let him take his own revenge on someone who tears down his altar.",SFThe men of the town went to Joash and said, "Your son Gideon knocked over Baal's altar and cut down the sacred pole next to it. Hand him over, so we can kill him!"#F"Who could have done such a thing?" they asked. And they kept on asking, until finally someone told them, "Gideon the son of Joash did it."r_FWhen the people of the town got up the next morning, they saw that Baal's altar had been knocked over, and the sacred pole next to it had been cut down. Then they noticed the new altar covered with the remains of the sacrificed bull.<sFGideon chose ten of his servants to help him, and they did everything God had said. But since Gideon was afraid of his family and the other people in town, he did it all at night.FThen build an altar for worshiping me on the highest part of the hill where your town is built. Use layers of stones for my altar, not just a pile of rocks. Cut up the wood from the pole, make a fire, kill the bull, and burn it as a sacrifice to me.eEFThat night the LORD spoke to Gideon again: Get your father's second-best bull, the one that's seven years old. Use it to pull down the altar where your father worships Baal and cut down the sacred pole next to the altar..WFGideon built an altar for worshiping the LORD and called it "The LORD Calms Our Fears." It still stands there in Ophrah, a town in the territory of the Abiezer clan.gIF"Calm down!" the LORD told Gideon. "There's nothing to be afraid of. You're not going to die."lSFGideon realized that he had seen one of the LORD's angels. "Oh!" he moaned. "Now I'm going to die."Z/FThe angel was holding a walking stick, and he touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick. Flames jumped from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. When Gideon looked, the angel was gone.FGod's angel said, "Gideon, put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them." Gideon did as he was told.=uFGideon went home and killed a young goat, then started boiling the meat. Next, he opened a big sack of flour and made it into thin bread. When the meat was done, he put it in a basket and poured the broth into a clay cooking pot. He took the meat, the broth, and the bread and placed them under the big tree.a=FAnd wait here until I bring you an offering." "All right, I'll wait," the LORD answered.FGideon said, "It's hard to believe that I'm actually talking to the LORD. Please do something so I'll know that you really are the LORD.5F"Gideon," the LORD answered, "you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man."1FGideon replied, "But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am." FThen the LORD himself said, "Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites."1 ]F Gideon answered, "Please don't take this wrong, but if the LORD is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We've heard how the LORD performed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the LORD has abandoned us to the Midianites."i MF The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, "The LORD is helping you, and you are a strong warrior."  F One day an angel from the LORD went to the town of Ophrah and sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash, a member of the Abiezer clan. Joash's son Gideon was nearby, threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites. 'F I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen.-F (SEE 6:8)A}FThen the LORD sent a prophet to them with this message: I am the LORD God of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egypt into this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land.-F(SEE 6:6)|sFThe Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the LORD for help.-F(SEE 6:4)-FThey rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went. FEvery time the Israelites would plant crops, the Midianites invaded Israel together with the Amalekites and other eastern nations.a=FThe Midianites were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves. FThen once again the Israelites started disobeying the LORD, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years.;qFOur LORD, we pray that all your enemies will die like Sisera. But let everyone who loves you shine brightly like the sun at dawn. There was peace in Israel for about forty years.~/F"Sisera and his troops are finding treasures to bring back-- a woman, or maybe two, for each man, and beautiful dresses for those women to wear."6}iFShe and her wisest women gave the same answer: |FSisera's mother looked out through her window. "Why is he taking so long?" she asked. "Why haven't we heard his chariots coming?";{sFSisera sank to his knees and fell dead at her feet.|zsFShe reached for a tent-peg and held a hammer in her right hand. And with a blow to the head, she crushed his skull.OyFSisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk-- cream in a fancy cup.8xkFBut honor Jael, the wife of Heber from the Kenite clan. Give more honor to her than to any other woman who lives in tents. Yes, give more honor to her than to any other woman.|wsFThe LORD's angel said, "Put a curse on Meroz Town! Its people refused to help the LORD fight his powerful enemies."Iv FSisera's horses galloped off, their hoofs thundering in retreat.duCFand his soldiers were swept away by the ancient Kishon River. I will march on and be brave.?t{FFrom their pathways in the sky the stars fought Sisera,ssaFCanaanite kings fought us at Taanach by the stream near Megiddo -- but they couldn't rob us of our silver.Ur%FBut soldiers of Zebulun and Naphtali risked their lives to attack the enemy.$qCFThe people of Gilead stayed across the Jordan. Why did the tribe of Dan remain on their ships and the tribe of Asher stay along the coast near the harbors?#pAFReuben, why did you stay among your sheep pens? Was it to listen to shepherds whistling for their sheep? No one could figure out why Reuben wouldn't come.oFThe rulers of Issachar came along with Deborah, and Issachar followed Barak into the valley. But the tribe of Reuben was no help at all! nFTroops came from Ephraim, where Amalekites once lived. Others came from Benjamin; officers and leaders came from Machir and Zebulun.Ym-F The LORD's people who were left joined with their leaders and fought at my side.[l1F and said, "Deborah, let's go! Let's sing as we march. Barak, capture our enemies."(kKF Even those who carry water to the animals will tell you, "The LORD has won victories, and so has Israel." Then the LORD's people marched down to the town gatesZj/F Listen, everyone! Whether you ride a donkey with a padded saddle or have to walk.^i7F I praise you, LORD, and I am grateful for those leaders and soldiers who volunteered.hFThe Israelites worshiped other gods, and the gates of their towns were then attacked. But they had no shields or spears to fight with.gFand villagers couldn't work in their fields. Then Deborah took command, protecting Israel as a mother protects her children.f+FIn the time of Shamgar son of Anath, and now again in Jael's time, roads were too dangerous for caravans. Travelers had to take the back roads,KeFrain poured from the sky, the earth trembled, and mountains shook.Sd!FOur LORD, God of Israel, when you came from Seir, where the Edomites live,RcFListen, kings and rulers, while I sing for the LORD, the God of Israel. *LbFWe praise you, LORD! Our soldiers volunteered, ready to follow you.Ma FAfter the battle was over that day, Deborah and Barak sang this song:p`[FJabin grew weaker while the Israelites kept growing stronger, and at last the Israelites destroyed him. _FThat same day the Israelites defeated the Canaanite King Jabin, and his army was no longer powerful enough to attack the Israelites. ^FMeanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "The man you're looking for is inside," she said. "Come in and I'll show him to you." They went inside, and there was Sisera--dead and stretched out with a tent-peg through his skull.]FSisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died.\F"Stand at the entrance to the tent," Sisera told her. "If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them 'No.' "[%F"Could I have a little water?" he asked. "I'm thirsty." Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk, then she covered him back up.2Z_FShe came out to greet him and said, "Come in, sir! Please come on in. Don't be afraid." After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket.:YoFOnly Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber's camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber's wife.XyFBarak's forces went after Sisera's chariots and army as far as Harosheth-Ha-Goiim. Sisera's entire army was wiped out.SW!FAnd during the battle, the LORD confused Sisera, his chariot drivers, and his whole army. Everyone was so afraid of Barak and his army, that even Sisera jumped down from his chariot and tried to escape.mVUFDeborah shouted, "Barak, it's time to attack Sisera! Because today the LORD is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the LORD has already gone on ahead to fight for you." Barak led his ten thousand troops down from Mount Tabor.U1F he called his troops together and got all nine hundred iron chariots ready. Then he led his army away from Harosheth-Ha-Goiim to the Kishon River.GT F When Sisera learned that Barak had led an army to Mount Tabor,SF At this time, Heber of the Kenite clan was living near the village of Oak in Zaanannim, not far from Kedesh. The Kenites were descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, but Heber had moved and had set up his tents away from the rest of the clan.&RGF where Barak called together the troops from Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand soldiers gathered there, and Barak led them out from Kedesh. Deborah went too.KQF "All right, I'll go!" she replied. "But I'm warning you that the LORD is going to let a woman defeat Sisera, and no one will honor you for winning the battle." Deborah and Barak left for Kedesh,6PiF"I'm not going unless you go!" Barak told her.^O7FThe LORD will trick Sisera into coming out to fight you at the Kishon River. Sisera will be leading King Jabin's army as usual, and they will have their chariots, but the LORD has promised to help you defeat them.FNFOne day, Barak the son of Abinoam was in Kedesh in Naphtali, and Deborah sent word for him to come and talk with her. When he arrived, she said: I have a message for you from the LORD God of Israel! You are to get together an army of ten thousand men from the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes and lead them to Mount Tabor..MWFShe would sit under Deborah's Palm Tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where Israelites would come and ask her to settle their legal cases.^L7FDeborah the wife of Lappidoth was a prophet and a leader of Israel during those days."K?FJabin's army had nine hundred iron chariots, and for twenty years he made life miserable for the Israelites, until finally they begged the LORD for help.JFSo the LORD let the Canaanite King Jabin of Hazor conquer Israel. Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, lived in Harosheth-Ha-Goiim.RI !FAfter the death of Ehud, the Israelites again started disobeying the LORD. HFShamgar the son of Anath was the next to rescue Israel. In one battle, he used a sharp wooden pole to kill six hundred Philistines.G3FMoab was so badly defeated that it was a long time before they were strong enough to attack Israel again. And Israel was at peace for eighty years.rF_Fand before the fighting was over, they killed about ten thousand Moabite warriors--not one escaped alive.E/F(SEE 3:27)cDAFin the hill country of Ephraim and started blowing a signal on a trumpet. The Israelites came together, and he shouted, "Follow me! The LORD will help us defeat the Moabites." The Israelites followed Ehud down to the Jordan valley, and they captured the places where people cross the river on the way to Moab. They would not let anyone go across,eCEFBut by that time, Ehud had already escaped past the statues. Ehud went to the town of Seirah+BQFThey stood there waiting until they felt foolish, but Eglon never opened the doors. Finally, they unlocked the doors and found King Eglon lying dead on the floor.A'Fand left. When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, "The king is probably inside relieving himself."@/F(SEE 3:22)1?]Fthat even the handle was buried in his fat. Ehud left the dagger there. Then after closing and locking the doors to the room, he climbed through a window onto the porch`>;FEhud pulled out the dagger with his left hand and shoved it so far into Eglon's stomach=/F(SEE 3:19)<FEhud went with the other Israelites as far as the statues at Gilgal. Then he turned back and went upstairs to the cool room where Eglon had his throne. Ehud said, "Your Majesty, I need to talk with you in private." Eglon replied, "Don't say anything yet!" His officials left the room, and Eglon stood up as Ehud came closer. "Yes," Ehud said, "I have a message for you from God!";/F(SEE 3:17)#:AFEhud and some other Israelites took the taxes to Eglon, who was a very fat man. As soon as they gave the taxes to Eglon, Ehud said it was time to go home.9/F(SEE 3:15)O8FThe Israelites begged the LORD for help, and the LORD chose Ehud from the Benjamin tribe to rescue them. They put Ehud in charge of taking the taxes to King Eglon, but before Ehud went, he made a double-edged dagger. Ehud was left-handed, so he strapped the dagger to his right thigh, where it would be hidden under his robes.^77FThen he ruled Israel for eighteen years and forced the Israelites to pay heavy taxes.{6qF who had joined forces with the Ammonites and the Amalekites to attack Israel. Eglon and his army captured Jericho.p5[F Once more the Israelites started disobeying the LORD. So he let them be defeated by King Eglon of Moab,L4F and Israel was at peace until Othniel died about forty years later. 3F The Spirit of the LORD took control of Othniel, and he led Israel in a war against Cushan Rishathaim. The LORD gave Othniel victory, 2F The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and he chose Othniel to rescue them. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz.&1GFThis made the LORD angry, so he let Israel be defeated by King Cushan Rishathaim of northern Syria, who ruled Israel eight years and made everyone pay taxes.k0QFThe Israelites sinned against the LORD by forgetting him and worshiping idols of Baal and Astarte./-F(SEE 3:5).FBut they refused. And it was because of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived all around them. Some of the Israelites married the people of these nations, and that's how they started worshiping foreign gods.--FMoses had told the Israelites what the LORD had commanded them to do, and now the LORD was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey.4,cFthe Philistines and their five rulers, as well as the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites that lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal-Hermon to Hamath Pass.+-F(SEE 3:1)Q* FAnd the LORD had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting^)7FThat's why the LORD had not let Joshua get rid of all those enemy nations right away.&(GFand I'm going to let those enemies stay. I'll use them to test Israel, because then I can find out if Israel will worship and obey me as their ancestors did.l'SFso I'll stop helping them defeat their enemies. Israel still had a lot of enemies when Joshua died, &FThe LORD was angry with Israel and said: The Israelites have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors. They won't obey me,b%?FBut afterwards, the Israelites would become even more sinful than their ancestors had been. The Israelites were stubborn--they simply would not stop worshiping other gods or following the teachings of other religions.k$QFWhen enemies made life miserable for the Israelites, the LORD would feel sorry for them. He would choose a judge and help that judge rescue Israel from its enemies. The LORD would be kind to Israel as long as that judge lived.#FIn years gone by, the Israelites had been faithful to the LORD, but now they were quick to be unfaithful and to refuse even to listen to these judges. The Israelites would disobey the LORD, and instead of worshiping him, they would worship other gods.5"eFFrom time to time, the LORD would choose special leaders known as judges. These judges would lead the Israelites into battle and defeat the enemies that made raids on them.!/F(SEE 2:14) Fat the Israelites that he let other nations raid Israel and steal their crops and other possessions. Enemies were everywhere, and the LORD always let them defeat Israel in battle. The LORD had warned Israel he would do this, and now the Israelites were miserable./F (SEE 2:11)/F (SEE 2:11)F The LORD had brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they had worshiped him. But now the Israelites stopped worshiping the LORD and worshiped the idols of Baal and Astarte, as well as the idols of other gods from nearby nations. The LORD was so angry-F After a while the people of Joshua's generation died, and the next generation did not know the LORD or any of the things he had done for Israel.-F (SEE 2:6)-F(SEE 2:6)-F(SEE 2:6)}uFJoshua had been faithful to the LORD. And after Joshua sent the Israelites to take the land they had been promised, they remained faithful to the LORD until Joshua died at the age of one hundred ten. He was buried on his land in Timnath-Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. Even though Joshua was gone, the Israelites were faithful to the LORD during the lifetime of those men who had been leaders with Joshua and who had seen the wonderful things the LORD had done for Israel.`;Fand they offered sacrifices to the LORD. From then on, they called that place "Crying."-WFThe Israelites started crying loudly,{FAnd so, I'll stop helping you defeat your enemies. Instead, they will be there to trap you into worshiping their idols.^7Fand you promised not to make any peace treaties with the other nations that live in the land. Besides that, you agreed to tear down the altars where they sacrifice to their idols. But you didn't keep your promise. FThe LORD's angel went from Gilgal to Bochim and gave the Israelites this message from the LORD: I promised your ancestors that I would give this land to their families, and I brought your people here from Egypt. We made an agreement that I promised never to break,h MF$The old Amorite-Edomite border used to go from Sela through Scorpion Pass into the hill country.@ }F#The Amorites on Mount Heres and in Aijalon and Shaalbim were also determined to stay. Later on, as Ephraim and Manasseh grew more powerful, they forced those Amorites into slave labor.  F"The Amorites were strong enough to keep the tribe of Dan from settling in the valleys, so Dan had to stay in the hill country.P F!The Naphtali tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath, but they did force the Canaanites into slave labor. The Naphtali tribe lived with Canaanites around them. /F (SEE 1:31)7  kFThe Asher tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob, and the Asher tribe lived with Canaanites all around them.^  9FThe Zebulun tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Kitron and Nahalol, and the Canaanites stayed there with Israelites around them. But the people of Zebulun did force the Canaanites into slave labor.  FThe Ephraim tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived there with Israelites all around them.  /F(SEE 1:27)#  CFCanaanites lived in the towns of Beth-Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all the villages nearby. The Canaanites were determined to stay, and the Manasseh tribe never did get rid of them. But later on, when the Israelites grew more powerful, they made slaves of the Canaanites.{ sFso they went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named the town Luz, and that is still its name., UFThe man showed them, and the two Israelite tribes attacked Bethel, killing everyone except the man and his family. The two tribes made the man and his family leave,1 _FWhile the spies were watching the town, a man came out, and they told him, "If you show us how our army can get into the town, we will make sure that you aren't harmed." /F(SEE 1:22)M FThe Ephraim and Manasseh tribes were getting ready to attack Bethel, which at that time was called Luz. And the LORD helped them when they sent spies to find out as much as they could about Bethel.? {FThe Jebusites were living in Jerusalem, and the Benjamin tribe did not defeat them or capture the town. That's why Jebusites still live in Jerusalem along with the people of Benjamin. -FThe tribe of Judah gave the town of Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had told them to do. Caleb defeated the three Anakim clans and took over the town. /F(SEE 1:18) FThe LORD helped the army of Judah capture Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the land near those towns. They also took the hill country. But the people who lived in the valleys had iron chariots, so Judah was not able to make them leave or to take their land. FJudah's army helped Simeon's army attack the Canaanites who lived at Zephath. They completely destroyed the town and renamed it Hormah.d~ EFThe people who belonged to the Kenite clan were the descendants of the father-in-law of Moses. They left Jericho with the people of Judah and settled near Arad in the Southern Desert of Judah not far from the Amalekites.^} 9FShe answered, "I need your help. The land you gave me is in the Southern Desert, so please give me some spring-fed ponds for a water supply." Caleb gave her a couple of small ponds named Higher Pond and Lower Pond.]| 7FRight after the wedding, Achsah started telling Othniel that he ought to ask her father for a field. She went to see her father, and while she was getting down from her donkey, Caleb asked, "What's bothering you?" { F Caleb's nephew Othniel captured Kiriath-Sepher, so Caleb let him marry Achsah. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz.bz AF Caleb told his troops, "The man who captures Kiriath-Sepher can marry my daughter Achsah."ey GF From Hebron, Judah's army went to attack Debir, which at that time was called Kiriath-Sepher.1x _F After that, they attacked the Canaanites who lived at Hebron, defeating the three clans called Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. At that time, Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba.}w wF Judah's army fought the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, the Southern Desert, and the foothills to the west.pv ]FThey attacked Jerusalem, captured it, killed everyone who lived there, and then burned it to the ground.u Fand he said, "I've cut off the thumbs and big toes of seventy kings and made those kings crawl around under my table for scraps of food. Now God is paying me back." The army of Judah took the king of Bezek along with them to Jerusalem, where he died.ht MFBezek tried to escape, but soldiers from Judah caught him. They cut off his thumbs and big toes,s -F(SEE 1:4)ar ?FTogether they attacked an army of ten thousand Canaanites and Perizzites at Bezek, and the LORD helped Judah defeat them. During the battle, Judah's army found out where the king of Bezek was, and they attacked there.Lq FThe people of Judah went to their relatives, the Simeon tribe, and said, "Canaanites live in the land God gave us. Help us fight them, and we will help you." Troops from Simeon came to help Judah.Cp F"Judah!" the LORD answered. "I'll help them take the land."zo sFAfter the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Which of our tribes should attack the Canaanites first?"n{<!When Eleazar the priest died, he was buried in the hill country of Ephraim on a hill that belonged to his son Phinehas._m9< When the people of Israel left Egypt, they brought the bones of Joseph along with them. They took the bones to the town of Shechem and buried them in the field that Jacob had bought for one hundred pieces of silver from Hamor, the founder of Shechem. The town and the field both became part of the land belonging to the descendants of Joseph.xlk<As long as Joshua lived, Israel worshiped and obeyed the LORD. There were other leaders old enough to remember everything that the LORD had done for Israel. And for as long as these men lived, Israel continued to worship and obey the LORD.ykm<The Israelites buried him in his own land at Timnath-Serah, north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim.[j1<Not long afterwards, the LORD's servant Joshua died at the age of one hundred ten.1i_<Joshua sent everyone back to their homes.)hM<and told the people, "Look at this stone. It has heard everything that the LORD has said to us. Our God can call this stone as a witness if we ever reject him."g<and wrote them down in The Book of the Law of God. Then he set up a large stone under the oak tree at the place of worship in ShechemnfW<Joshua helped Israel make an agreement with the LORD that day at Shechem. Joshua made laws for IsraelWe)<The people said, "The LORD is our God, and we will worship and obey only him."Id <Joshua said, "But you still have some idols, like those the other nations worship. Get rid of your idols! You must decide once and for all that you really want to obey the LORD God of Israel."c<Joshua said, "You have heard yourselves say that you will worship and obey the LORD. Isn't that true?" "Yes, it's true," they answered.kbQ<But the people shouted, "We won't worship any other gods. We will worship and obey only the LORD!"[a1<If you turn your backs on the LORD and worship the gods of other nations, the LORD will turn against you. He will make terrible things happen to you and wipe you out, even though he had been good to you before. ?~d}|{{>zXzw>=^<<`;; ::*9_88777655-433v222%1_0/-D-(- ,,,i++&**/)m(''A&&g%V$E#""m! Dq\o1<V c  W L 0  Nb~&nxWF So Manoah took a young goat over to a large rock he had chosen for an altar, and he built a fire on the rock. Then he killed the goat, and offered it with some grain as a sacrifice to the LORD. But then an amazing thing happened.owYF "No," the angel replied. "You don't need to know my name. And if you did, you couldn't understand it."Uv%F Manoah said, "Tell us your name, so we can honor you after our son is born." uF Manoah didn't realize that he was really talking to one of the LORD's angels. The angel answered, "I can stay for a little while, although I won't eat any of your food. But if you would like to offer the goat as a sacrifice to the LORD, that would be fine."wtiF "Please," Manoah said, "stay here with us for just a little while, and we'll fix a young goat for you to eat."'sIF "She must not eat or drink anything made from grapes. She must not drink wine or beer or eat anything forbidden by God's laws. I told her exactly what to do."\r3F "Your wife must be careful to do everything I told her," the LORD's angel answered.nqWF Manoah then asked, "When your promise comes true, what rules must he obey and what will be his work?"wpiF Manoah went with his wife and asked the man, "Are you the one who spoke to my wife?" "Yes, I am," he answered.doCF so she found him and said, "That same man is here again! He's the one I saw the other day."n%F God answered Manoah's prayer, and the angel went back to Manoah's wife while she was resting in the fields. Manoah wasn't there at the time,m F Then Manoah prayed, "Our LORD, please send that prophet again and let him tell us what to do for the son we are going to have."ClF but he did say that I'm going to have a baby boy. I'm not supposed to drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God's laws. Our son will belong to God for as long as he lives."BkF She went to Manoah and said, "A prophet who looked like an angel of God came and talked to me. I was so frightened, that I didn't even ask where he was from. He didn't tell me his name,j/F (SEE 13:3)i/F (SEE 13:3)h1F but one day an angel from the LORD appeared to her and said: You have never been able to have any children, but very soon you will be pregnant and have a son. He will belong to God from the day he is born, so his hair must never be cut. And even before he is born, you must not drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God's laws. Your son will begin to set Israel free from the Philistines.igMF Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was not able to have children,f }F Once again the Israelites started disobeying the LORD. So he let the Philistines take control of Israel for forty years.e1F (SEE 12:13)d1F (SEE 12:13)JcF Abdon the son of Hillel was the next leader of Israel. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, and each one of them had his own donkey. Abdon was a leader for eight years, before he died and was buried in his hometown of Pirathon, which is located in the part of the hill country of Ephraim where Amalekites used to live.Ub%F before he died and was buried in Aijalon that belonged to the Zebulun tribe.ba?F Elon from the Zebulun tribe was the next leader of Israel. He was a leader for ten years,3`cF before he died and was buried in Bethlehem._}F He had thirty daughters and thirty sons, and he let them all marry outside his clan. Ibzan was a leader for seven years,>^yF Ibzan, the next leader of Israel, came from Bethlehem.w]iF Jephthah was a leader of Israel for six years, before he died and was buried in his hometown Mizpah in Gilead.?\yF The guards would then tell them to say "Shiboleth," because they knew that people of Ephraim could say "Sibboleth," but not "Shiboleth." If the man said "Sibboleth," the guards would grab him and kill him right there. Altogether, forty-two thousand men from Ephraim were killed in the battle and at the Jordan.?[yF The army of Gilead also posted guards at all the places where the soldiers from Ephraim could cross the Jordan River to return to their own land. Whenever one of the men from Ephraim would try to cross the river, the guards would say, "Are you from Ephraim?" "No," the man would answer, "I'm not from Ephraim."Z3F But the men from Ephraim said, "You people of Gilead are nothing more than refugees from Ephraim. You even live on land that belongs to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh." So Jephthah called together the army of Gilead, then they attacked and defeated the army from Ephraim.=YuF So when we realized you weren't coming, we risked our lives and attacked the Ammonites. And the LORD let us defeat them. There's no reason for you to come here today to attack me."9XmF "But I did ask for your help," Jephthah answered. "That was back when the people of Gilead and I were having trouble with the Ammonites, and you wouldn't do a thing to help us.W F The men of the Ephraim tribe got together an army and went across the Jordan River to Zaphon to meet with Jephthah. They said, "Why did you go to war with the Ammonites without asking us to help? Just for that, we're going to burn down your house with you inside!"`V;F (every year, Israelite girls walk around for four days, weeping for Jephthah's daughter.mUUF 'Then she went back to her father. He did what he had promised, and she never got married. That's whyJTF &"Yes, you may have two months," Jephthah said. She and some other girls left, and for two months they wandered in the hill country, crying because she could never get married and have children.,SSF %But first, please let me spend two months, wandering in the hill country with my friends. We will cry together, because I can never get married and have children."*ROF $"Father," she said, "you made a sacred promise to the LORD, and he let you defeat the Ammonites. Now, you must do what you promised, even if it means I must die.FQF #"Oh!" Jephthah cried. Then he tore his clothes in sorrow and said to his daughter, "I made a sacred promise to the LORD, and I must keep it. Your coming out to meet me has broken my heart."AP}F "When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, the first one to meet him was his daughter. She was playing a tambourine and dancing to celebrate his victory, and she was his only child.3OaF !Jephthah and his army destroyed the twenty towns between Aroer and Minnith, and others as far as Abel-Keramim. After that, the Ammonites could not invade Israel any more.[N1F From Mizpah, Jephthah attacked the Ammonites, and the LORD helped him defeat them.[M1F and come home safely, I will sacrifice to you whoever comes out to meet me first."GL F he promised the LORD, "If you will let me defeat the Ammonites(KKF Then the LORD's Spirit took control of Jephthah, and Jephthah went through Gilead and Manasseh, raising an army. Finally, he arrived at Mizpah in Gilead, whereGJ F But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephthah's message. I;F I haven't done anything to you, but it's certainly wrong of you to start a war. I pray that the LORD will show whether Israel or Ammon is in the right.H}F For three hundred years, Israelites have been living in Heshbon and Aroer and the nearby villages, and in the towns along the Arnon River gorge. If the land really belonged to you Ammonites, you wouldn't have waited until now to try to get it back.G F Are you better than Balak the son of Zippor? He was the king of Moab, but he didn't quarrel with Israel or start a war with us./FYF If Chemosh your god takes over a country and gives it to you, don't you have a right to it? And if the LORD takes over a country and gives it to us, the land is ours!aE=F The messengers also told the king of Ammon that Jephthah had said: The LORD God of Israel helped his nation get rid of the Amorites and take their land. Now do you think you're going to take over that same territory? DF from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and from the desert in the east to the Jordan River in the west. CF But the LORD God helped Israel defeat Sihon and his army. Israel took over all of the Amorite land where Sihon's people had lived,B7F Sihon didn't think the Israelites could be trusted, so he called his army together. They set up camp at Jahaz, then they attacked the Israelite camp.#AAF The Israelites sent messengers to the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon. "Please," they said, "let our people go through your country to get to our own land." @F A little later, the Israelites set out into the desert, going east of Edom and Moab, and camping on the eastern side of the Arnon River gorge. The Arnon is the eastern border of Moab, and since the Israelites didn't cross it, they didn't even set foot in Moab. ?F They sent messengers to the king of Edom and said, "Please, let us go through your country." But the king of Edom refused. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he wouldn't let them cross his country either. And so the Israelites stayed at Kadesh.l>SF When the Israelites came from Egypt, they traveled in the desert to the Red Sea and then to Kadesh.h=KF and they told him that Jephthah had said: Israel hasn't taken any territory from Moab or Ammon.?<{F Jephthah sent the messengers back to the king of Ammon,:;oF The king of Ammon replied, "Tell Jephthah that the land really belongs to me, all the way from the Arnon River in the south, to the Jabbok River in the north, and west to the Jordan River. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole it. Tell Jephthah to return it to me, and there won't be any war."(:KF After the ceremony, Jephthah sent messengers to say to the king of Ammon, "Are you trying to start a war? You have invaded my country, and I want to know why!">9wF So Jephthah went back to Mizpah with the leaders of Gilead. The people of Gilead gathered at the place of worship and made Jephthah their ruler. Jephthah also made promises to them.e8EF "You have our word," the leaders answered. "And the LORD is a witness to what we have said." 7F "All right," Jephthah said. "If I go back with you and the LORD lets me defeat the Ammonites, will you really make me your ruler?"6-F "But we do want you to come back," the leaders said. "And if you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you the ruler of Gilead.""5?F "Didn't you hate me?" Jephthah replied. "Weren't you the ones who forced me to leave my family? You're coming to me now, just because you're in trouble."h4KF "Please come back to Gilead! If you lead our army, we will be able to fight off the Ammonites."3/F (SEE 11:1)2/F (SEE 11:1)1/F (SEE 11:1)0/F (SEE 11:1)(/ MF The leaders of the Gilead clan decided to ask a brave warrior named Jephthah son of Gilead to lead the attack against the Ammonites. Even though Jephthah belonged to the Gilead clan, he had earlier been forced to leave the region where they had lived. Jephthah was the son of a prostitute, but his half-brothers were the sons of his father's wife. One day his half-brothers told him, "You don't really belong to our family, so you can't have any of the family property." Then they forced Jephthah to leave home. Jephthah went to the country of Tob, where he was joined by a number of men who would do anything for money. So the leaders of Gilead went to Jephthah and said,C.F The leaders of Gilead asked each other, "Who can lead an attack on the Ammonites?" Then they agreed, "If we can find someone who can lead the attack, we'll make him the ruler of Gilead."$-CF The rulers of Ammon called their soldiers together and led them to Gilead, where they set up camp. The Israelites gathered at Mizpah and set up camp there.B,F Then the Israelites got rid of the idols of the foreign gods, and they began worshiping only the LORD. Finally, there came a time when the LORD could no longer stand to see them suffer.+F "We have been unfaithful," the Israelites admitted. "If we must be punished, do it yourself, but please rescue us from the Ammonites."*1F (SEE 10:13))5F But I'm not going to rescue you any more! You've left me and gone off to worship other gods. If you're in such big trouble, go cry to them for help!(1F (SEE 10:11)v'gF The LORD answered: In the past when you came crying to me for help, I rescued you. At one time or another I've rescued you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites.&3F They begged the LORD for help and confessed, "We were unfaithful to you, our LORD. We stopped worshiping you and started worshiping idols of Baal."%'F Then the Ammonites began crossing the Jordan and attacking the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Life was miserable for the Israelites.p$[F So the same year that Jair died, Israel's army was crushed by these two nations. For eighteen years, Ammon was cruel to the Israelites who lived in Gilead, the region east of the Jordan River that had once belonged to the Amorites.Z#/F The LORD was angry at Israel and decided to let Philistia and Ammon conquer them."!F Before long, the Israelites began disobeying the LORD by worshiping Baal, Astarte, and gods from Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia.9!oF When he died, he was buried in the town of Kamon. ;F He had thirty sons, and each son had his own mule and was in charge of one town in Gilead. Those thirty towns are still called The Settlements of Jair.gIF The next leader of Israel was Jair, who lived in Gilead. He was a leader for twenty-two years.cAF Tola was a leader of Israel for twenty-three years, then he died and was buried in Shamir.G F Tola was the next person to rescue Israel. He belonged to the Issachar tribe, but he lived in Shamir, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His father was Puah, and his grandfather was Dodo.}F 9God also punished the people of Shechem for helping Abimelech. Everything happened just as Jotham's curse said it would.nWF 8That's how God punished Abimelech for killing his brothers and bringing shame on his father's family.]5F 7And when the Israelite soldiers saw that their leader was dead, they went back home.\3F 6The soldier who carried his weapons was nearby, and Abimelech told him, "Take out your sword and kill me. I don't want people to say that I was killed by a woman!" So the soldier ran his sword through Abimelech.Y-F 5when a woman on the roof dropped a large rock on his head and cracked his skull.7F 4Abimelech and his army rushed to the fortress and tried to force their way inside. Abimelech himself was about to set the heavy wooden doors on fire,.WF 3But there was a tall fortress in the middle of the town, and the town leaders and everyone else went inside. Then they barred the gates and went up to the flat roof.dCF 2After destroying Shechem, Abimelech went to Thebez. He surrounded the town and captured it.X+F 1When they all had branches, they followed Abimelech back to Shechem. They piled the branches against the fortress and set them on fire, burning down the fortress and killing about one thousand men and women.;qF 0He led his troops to Mount Zalmon, where he took an ax and chopped off a tree branch. He lifted the branch onto his shoulder and shouted, "Hurry! Cut off a branch just as I did."0]F /but Abimelech found out where they were.F .Earlier that day, the leaders of the temple of El Berith at Shechem had heard about the attack. So they went into the temple fortress,3aF -He and his troops fought in Shechem all day, until they had killed everyone in town. Then he and his men tore down the houses and buildings and scattered salt everywhere.%EF ,Abimelech and the troops with him ran to the town gate and took control of it, while two other groups attacked and killed the people who were in the fields.NF +Abimelech divided his army into three groups and set up an ambush in the fields near Shechem. When the people came out of the town, he and his army rushed out from their hiding places and attacked. F *The next morning, the people of Shechem were getting ready to work in their fields as usual, but someone told Abimelech about it.[ 1F )Abimelech stayed at Arumah, and Zebul forced Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.! =F (Soon the people of Shechem turned and ran back into the town. However, Abimelech and his troops were close behind and killed many of them along the way.G  F 'Gaal and the leaders of Shechem went out and fought Abimelech.R F &Then Zebul replied, "What good is all of your bragging now? You were the one who said Abimelech shouldn't be the ruler of Shechem. Out there is the army that you made fun of. So go out and fight them!"RF %"But Zebul, look over there," Gaal said. "There's a crowd coming down from the sacred mountain, and another group is coming along the road from the tree where people talk with the spirits of the dead."F $and Gaal saw them. Zebul was standing there with Gaal, and Gaal remarked, "Zebul, that looks like a crowd of people coming down from the mountaintops." "No," Zebul answered, "it's just the shadows of the mountains. It only looks like people moving." F #The next morning, Gaal went out and stood in the opening of the town gate. Abimelech and his soldiers left their hiding places,yF "So one night, Abimelech led his soldiers to Shechem. He divided them into four groups, and they all hid near the town.6gF !Get up the next morning at sunrise and rush out of your hiding places to attack the town. Gaal and his followers will come out to fight you, but you will easily defeat them.iMF This is what I think you should do. Lead your army here during the night and hide in the fields.OF And so he sent some messengers to Abimelech. But they had to pretend to be doing something else, or they would not have been allowed to leave Shechem. Zebul told the messengers to say: Gaal the son of Ebed has come to Shechem along with his brothers, and they have persuaded the people to let Gaal rule Shechem instead of you.=wF Zebul was angry when he found out what Gaal had said.)F If I were the ruler of Shechem, I'd get rid of that Abimelech. I'd tell him, "Get yourself an even bigger army, and we will still defeat you."F Gaal said: Hamor was the founder of Shechem, and one of his descendants should be our ruler. But Abimelech's father was Gideon, so Abimelech isn't really one of us. He shouldn't be our king, and we shouldn't have to obey him or Zebul, who rules Shechem for him.z~oF The time came for the grape harvest, and the people of Shechem went into their vineyards and picked the grapes. They put the grapes in their wine-pits and walked on them to squeeze out the juice in order to make wine. Then they went into the temple of their god and threw a big party. There was a lot of eating and drinking, and before long they were cursing Abimelech.}F One day, Gaal son of Ebed went to live in Shechem. His brothers moved there too, and soon the leaders of Shechem started trusting him.O|F Then they sent some men to hide on the hilltops and watch for Abimelech and his troops, while they sent others to rob everyone that went by on the road. But Abimelech found out what they were doing.{/F (SEE 9:23)z5F when God decided to punish him and the leaders of Shechem for killing Gideon's seventy sons. So God turned the leaders of Shechem against Abimelech.KyF Abimelech had been a military commander of Israel for three years,px[F Jotham ran off and went to live in the town of Beer, where he could be safe from his brother Abimelech.0w[F But if it was wrong to treat Gideon and his family the way you did, then I pray that Abimelech will destroy you with fire, and I pray that you will do the same to him.!v=F So, you leaders of Shechem, if you treated Gideon and his family the way you should have, then I hope you and Abimelech will make each other very happy.u/F (SEE 9:16)t/F (SEE 9:16)sF My father Gideon risked his life for you when he fought to rescue you from the Midianites. Did you reward Gideon by being kind to his family? No, you did not! You attacked his family and killed all seventy of his sons on that rock. And was it right to make Abimelech your king? He's merely the son of my father's slave girl. But just because he's your relative, you made him king of Shechem.r%F The thornbush replied, "If you really want me to be your king, then come into my shade and I will protect you. But if you're deceiving me, I'll start a fire that will spread out and destroy the cedars of Lebanon." After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said:OqF Finally, they went to the thornbush and asked, "Will you be our king?"p7F But the grape vine replied, "My wine brings cheer to people and gods. I won't stop making wine, just to have my branches wave above the other trees."?o{F Next they asked the grape vine, "Will you be our king?"nF But the fig tree replied, "I won't stop growing my delicious fruit, just to have my branches wave above the other trees."=mwF Then they asked the fig tree, "Will you be our king?"l3F But the olive tree replied, "My oil brings honor to people and gods. I won't stop making oil, just to have my branches wave above the other trees."kkQF Once the trees searched for someone to be king; they asked the olive tree, "Will you be our king?"Wj)F Jotham heard what they were doing. So he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted down to the people who were there at the meeting: Leaders of Shechem, listen to me, and maybe God will listen to you.i5F The leaders of Shechem, including the priests and the military officers, met at the tree next to the sacred rock in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.vhgF Abimelech and his soldiers went to his father's home in Ophrah and brought out Gideon's other sons to a large rock, where they murdered all seventy. Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid from the soldiers, but he was the only one who escaped.@g{F Then they gave Abimelech seventy pieces of silver from the temple of their god Baal Berith. Abimelech used the silver to hire a gang of rough soldiers who would do anything for money.fF Abimelech's uncles talked it over with the leaders of Shechem who agreed, "Yes, it would be better for one of our relatives to be king."qe]F and told them to say to the leaders of Shechem, "Do you think it would be good to have all seventy of Gideon's sons ruling us? Wouldn't you rather have just one man be king? Abimelech would make a good king, and he's related to us."dd EF Abimelech the son of Gideon went to Shechem. While there, he met with his mother's relativesycmF#Besides all that, the Israelites were unkind to Gideon's family, even though Gideon had done so much for Israel.b{F"The Israelites forgot that the LORD was their God, and that he had rescued them from the enemies who lived around them.a%F!Soon after Gideon's death, the Israelites turned their backs on God again. They set up idols of Baal and worshiped Baal Berith as their god.`-F Gideon lived to be an old man. And when he died, he was buried in the family tomb in his hometown of Ophrah, which belonged to the Abiezer clan.a_=FHe even had a wife who lived at Shechem. They had a son, and Gideon named him Abimelech./^[FGideon had many wives and seventy sons.]/F(SEE 8:27)\/F(SEE 8:27)['FGideon returned to his home in Ophrah and had the gold made into a statue, which the Israelites soon started worshiping. They became unfaithful to God, and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshiping the statue. The Midianites had been defeated so badly that they were no longer strong enough to attack Israel. And so Israel was at peace for the remaining forty years of Gideon's life.YZ-FThe total weight of this gold was over forty pounds. In addition, there was the gold from the camels' ornaments and from the beautiful jewelry worn by the Midianite kings. Gideon also took their purple robes.Y3FThe Israelite soldiers replied, "Of course we will give you the earrings." Then they spread out a robe on the ground and tossed the earrings on it.%XEFBut I will ask you to do one thing: Give me all the earrings you took from the enemy." The enemy soldiers had been Ishmaelites, and they wore gold earrings.sWaF"No," Gideon replied, "I won't be your king, and my son won't be king either. Only the LORD is your ruler.?VyFAfter the battle with the Midianites, the Israelites said, "Gideon, you rescued us! Now we want you to be our king. Then after your death, your son and then your grandson will rule."bU?F"What's the matter, Gideon?" Zebah and Zalmunna asked. "Do it yourself, if you're not too much of a coward!" Gideon jumped up and killed them both. Then he took the fancy gold ornaments from the necks of their camels.T!FGideon turned to Jether, his oldest son. "Kill them!" Gideon said. But Jether was young, and he was too afraid to even pull out his sword. S F"They were my very own brothers!" Gideon said. "I swear by the living LORD that if you had let them live, I would let you live.";RqFThen Gideon said, "Zebah and Zalmunna, tell me about the men you killed at Tabor." "They were a lot like you," the two kings answered. "They were dignified, almost like royalty."lQSFAfterwards he went to Penuel, where he tore down the tower and killed all the town officials there.UP%FGideon made a whip from thorn plants and used it to beat the town officials.nOWFGideon went to the town officials and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. Remember how you made fun of me? You said, 'We don't know if you really will defeat those two Midianite kings. So why should we feed your worn-out army?' "N9Fhe caught a young man who lived in Succoth. Gideon asked him who the town officials of Succoth were, and the young man wrote down seventy-seven names.WM)F After the battle, Gideon set out for home. As he was going through Heres Pass,iLMF and the enemy panicked. Zebah and Zalmunna tried to escape, but Gideon chased and captured them.yKmF Gideon reached the enemy camp by going east along Nomad Road past Nobah and Jogbehah. He made a surprise attack,hJKF Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of fifteen thousand troops. They were all that was left of the army of the eastern nations, because one hundred twenty thousand of their warriors had been killed in the battle.jIOF "I'll come back safe and sound," Gideon said, "but when I do, I'm going to tear down your tower!"H+FAfter leaving Succoth, Gideon went to Penuel and asked the leaders there for some food. But he got the same answer as he had gotten at Succoth.!G=F"Just wait!" Gideon said. "After the LORD helps me defeat them, I'm coming back here. I'll make a whip out of thorns and rip the flesh from your bones." FFThe town leaders of Succoth answered, "Why should we feed your army? We don't know if you really will defeat Zebah and Zalmunna."CEFThe town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there and asked, "Please give my troops some food. They are worn out, but we have to keep chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings."}DuFAfter Gideon and his three hundred troops had chased the Midianites as far as the Jordan River, they were exhausted.LCFBesides, God chose you to capture Raven and Wolf. I didn't do a thing compared to you. By the time Gideon had finished talking, the men of Ephraim had calmed down and were no longer angry at him.wBiFGideon answered: Don't be upset! Even though you came later, you were able to do much more than I did. It's just like the grape harvest: The grapes your tribe doesn't even bother to pick are better than the best grapes my family can grow. A =FBut the men were really upset with Gideon and complained, "When you went to war with Midian, you didn't ask us to help! Why did you treat us like that?"@{Fand they even helped chase the Midianites on the east side of the Jordan River. These troops captured Raven and Wolf, the two Midianite leaders. They killed Raven at a large rock that has come to be known as Raven Rock, and they killed Wolf near a wine-pit that has come to be called Wolf Wine-Pit. The men of Ephraim brought the heads of the two Midianite leaders to Gideon.D?FHe also sent messengers to tell all the men who lived in the hill country of Ephraim, "Come and help us fight the Midianites! Put guards at every spring, stream, and well, as far as Beth-Barah before the Midianites can get to them. And guard the Jordan River." Troops from Ephraim did exactly what Gideon had asked,>1FGideon sent word for more Israelite soldiers to come from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and both halves of Manasseh to help fight the Midianites.A=}Fand blew their trumpets again. As they did, the LORD made the enemy soldiers pull out their swords and start fighting each other. The enemy army tried to escape from the camp. They ran to Acacia Tree Town, toward Zeredah, and as far as the edge of the land that belonged to the town of Abel-Meholah near Tabbath.<}FThe enemy soldiers started yelling and tried to run away. Gideon's troops stayed in their positions surrounding the campu;eFThe rest of Gideon's soldiers blew the trumpets they were holding in their right hands. Then they smashed the jars and held the burning torches in their left hands. Everyone shouted, "Fight with your swords for the LORD and for Gideon!"h:KFGideon and his group reached the edge of the enemy camp a few hours after dark, just after the new guards had come on duty. Gideon and his soldiers blew their trumpets and smashed the clay jars that were hiding the torches.9/F(SEE 7:17)b8?FGideon said, "When we get to the enemy camp, spread out and surround it. Then wait for me to blow a signal on my trumpet. As soon as you hear it, blow your trumpets and shout, 'Fight for the LORD! Fight for Gideon!' ""7?FGideon divided his little army into three groups of one hundred men, and he gave each soldier a trumpet and a large clay jar with a burning torch inside.X6+FAs soon as Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, he bowed down to praise God. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and shouted, "Let's go! The LORD is going to let us defeat the Midianite army."G5 FThe other soldier answered, "Your dream must have been about Gideon, the Israelite commander. It means God will let him and his army defeat the Midianite army and everyone else in our camp."U4%F Gideon overheard one enemy guard telling another, "I had a dream about a flat loaf of barley bread that came tumbling into our camp. It hit the headquarters tent, and the tent flipped over and fell down."W3)F The camp was huge. The Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. And it would be easier to count the grains of sand on a beach than to count their camels.=2uF When you hear what the Midianites are saying, you'll be brave enough to attack." Gideon and Purah worked their way to the edge of the enemy camp, where soldiers were on guard duty. Y~~}}Y||{{z`yyxwvuu~t}ssqpoon!mlkkdjih`ggIffe dObbha``A_t^^]\[[KZ:YXWVV}UUTRRQPONMMLLJWJ:IHH&GuFWEvE)DBBrAAN@b@F?>>==<;;::!98v8666Z55S43!3221180//..`-+++J)))"(''[&%%$#""7!![ 8N 2xEuNQc g T 0  G* o{^I- FThen the next day, they took the same positions as twice before,S,!FThe Israelites surrounded Gibeah, but stayed where they could not be seen.+1F(SEE 20:26)*1F(SEE 20:26)S)!FThe people of Israel went to the place of worship at Bethel, where the sacred chest was being kept. They sat on the ground, crying and not eating for the rest of the day. Then about sunset, they offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. Phinehas the priest then prayed, "Our LORD, the people of Benjamin are our relatives. Should we stop fighting or attack them again?" "Attack!" the LORD answered. "Tomorrow I will let you defeat them."(/FThat same day, Benjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah and attacked, leaving another eighteen thousand Israelite soldiers dead on the battlefield.'1F(SEE 20:22)&1F(SEE 20:22)%-FThe people of Israel went to the place of worship and cried until sunset. Then they asked the LORD, "Should we attack the people of Benjamin again, even though they are our relatives?" "Yes," the LORD replied, "attack them again!" The Israelite soldiers encouraged each other to be brave and to fight hard. Then the next day they went back to Gibeah and took up the same positions as they had before.$)FBenjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah and attacked, and when the day was over, twenty-two thousand Israelite soldiers lay dead on the ground.X#+FThen they left their camp and got into position to attack the army of Benjamin.S"!FThe next morning the Israelite army moved its camp to a place near Gibeah.&!GFSo they went to the place of worship at Bethel and asked God, "Which tribe should be the first to attack the people of Benjamin?" "Judah," the LORD answered.w iFThe other Israelite tribes organized their army and found they had four hundred thousand experienced soldiers.FIn this army there were seven hundred left-handed experts who could sling a rock at a target the size of a hair and hit it every time.}uFThe Benjamin tribe had twenty-six thousand soldiers, not counting the seven hundred who were Gibeah's best warriors.cAFMen from towns all over Benjamin's territory went to Gibeah and got ready to fight Israel.H F We can't allow such a terrible crime to go unpunished in Israel! Hand the men over to us, and we will put them to death." But the people of Benjamin refused to listen to the other Israelites.FF The tribes of Israel sent messengers to every town and village in Benjamin. And wherever the messengers went, they said, "How could those worthless men in Gibeah do such a disgusting thing?7kF Everyone agreed that Gibeah had to be punished./F (SEE 20:9)X+F We'll send one tenth of the men from each tribe to get food for the army. And we'll ask God who should attack Gibeah, because those men deserve to be punished for committing such a horrible crime in Israel."RFThe whole army was in agreement, and they said, "None of us will go home.dCFYou are the people of Israel, and you must decide today what to do about the men of Gibeah.q]FIt was a terrible thing for Israelites to do! So I cut up her body and sent pieces everywhere in Israel.FLater that night, the men of Gibeah surrounded the house. They wanted to kill me, but instead they raped and killed my wife.yFThe husband of the murdered woman answered: My wife and I went into the town of Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night./F(SEE 20:1)/F(SEE 20:1)i OFThe Israelites called a meeting of the nation. And since they were God's people, the meeting was held at the place of worship in Mizpah. Men who could serve as soldiers came from everywhere in Israel--from Dan in the north, Beersheba in the south, and Gilead east of the Jordan River. Four hundred thousand of them came to Mizpah, and they each felt the same about what those men from the tribe of Benjamin had done. News about the meeting at Mizpah reached the tribe of Benjamin. As soon as the leaders of the tribes of Israel took their places, the Israelites said, "How could such a horrible thing happen?"+QFand ask everyone if anything like this has ever happened since Israel left Egypt. Tell them to think about it, talk it over, and tell us what should be done." Everyone who saw a piece of the body said, "This is horrible! Nothing like this has ever happened since the day Israel left Egypt."5FWhen he got home, he took a butcher knife and cut her body into twelve pieces. Then he told some messengers, "Take one piece to each tribe of Israelx kF"Get up!" he said. "It's time to leave." But his wife didn't move. He lifted her body onto his donkey and left.4 cFAbout that time, her husband woke up and got ready to leave. He opened the door and went outside, where he found his wife lying at the door with her hands on the doorstep. -Fand it was almost daybreak when she went back to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door and lay there until sunrise.9 mFThe men refused to listen, so the Levite grabbed his wife and shoved her outside. The men raped her and abused her all night long. Finally, they let her go just before sunrise,L FLet me send out my daughter instead. She's a virgin. And I'll even send out the man's wife. You can rape them or do whatever else you want, but please don't do such a horrible thing to this man." FThe old man went outside and said, "My friends, please don't commit such a horrible crime against a man who is a guest in my house.]5FThey were having a good time, when some worthless men of that town surrounded the house and started banging on the door and shouting, "A man came to your house tonight. Send him out, so we can have sex with him!"FThe old man brought them into his house and fed their donkeys. Then he and his guests washed their feet and began eating and drinking.wiFThe old man said, "You are welcome to spend the night in my home and to be my guest, but don't stay out here!"~wFWe brought food for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves, so we don't need anything except a place to sleep."+F"We've come from Bethlehem in Judah," the Levite answered. "We went there on a visit. Now we're going to the place where the LORD is worshiped, and later we will return to our home in the hill country of Ephraim. But no one here will let us spend the night in their home. FHe noticed that the Levite was just in town to spend the night. "Where are you going?" the old man asked. "Where did you come from?"fGFSoon an old man came in through the gates on his way home from working in the fields. Most of the people who lived in Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, but this man was originally from the hill country of Ephraim.BFThey left the road and went into Gibeah. But the Levite couldn't find a house where anyone would let them spend the night, and they sat down in the open area just inside the town gates.Z/FThey walked on and reached Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin just after sunset.N~F because we can make it to Gibeah or maybe even to Ramah before dark."} F "No," the Levite answered. "They aren't Israelites, and I refuse to spend the night there. We'll stop for the night at Gibeah, |F It was beginning to get dark, and the man's servant said, "Let's stop and spend the night in this town where the Jebusites live."H{ F But the Levite decided not to spend the night there again. He had the saddles put on his two donkeys, then he and his wife and servant traveled as far as Jebus, which is now called Jerusalem.BzF Finally, the Levite got up from the meal, so he and his wife and servant could leave. "Look," his father-in-law said, "it's already late afternoon, and if you leave now, you won't get very far before dark. Stay with us one more night and enjoy yourself. Then you can get up early tomorrow morning and start home."Ay}FThe fifth day, the man got up early to leave, but his wife's father said, "You need to keep up your strength! Why don't you leave right after lunch?" So the two of them started eating.`x;FThe Levite tried to leave, but his father-in-law insisted, and he spent one more night.w FThe two men sat down together and ate a big meal. "Come on," the man's father-in-law said. "Stay tonight and have a good time."LvFWhen everyone got up on the fourth day, the Levite started getting ready to go home. But his father-in-law said, "Don't leave until you have a bite to eat. You'll need strength for your journey."qu]Fand did not want him to leave. So the man stayed three days, eating and drinking with his father-in-law.gtIFher husband decided to try and talk her into coming back. So he went to Bethlehem, taking along a servant and two donkeys. He talked with his wife, and she invited him into her family's home. Her father was glad to see himesEFbut she was unfaithful and went back to live with her family in Bethlehem. Four months laterr FBefore kings ruled Israel, a Levite was living deep in the hill country of the Ephraim tribe. He married a woman from Bethlehem in Judah,q1F(SEE 18:30)rp_FEven though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.`o;FBut they named it Dan, after one of Israel's sons, who was the ancestor of their tribe.n1F(SEE 18:27)mFThe tribe of Dan took Micah's priest and the things Micah had made, and headed for Laish, which was located in a valley controlled by the town of Beth-Rehob. Laish was defenseless, because it had no walls and was too far from Sidon for the Sidonians to help defend it. The leaders of Laish had not even asked nearby towns to help them in case of an attack. The warriors from Dan made a surprise attack on Laish, killing everyone and burning it down. Then they rebuilt the town and settled there themselves. lFAfter saying this, they turned and left. Micah realized there was no way he could win a fight with them, and so he went back home.k+F"We don't want to hear any more about it," the people of Dan said. "And if you make us angry, you'll only get yourself and your family killed."j{FMicah answered, "You know what's wrong. You stole the gods I made, and you took my priest. I don't have anything left."zioFand shouted for them to stop. They turned to face him and asked, "What's wrong? Why did you bring all these men?"h1FThey had traveled for some time, before Micah asked his neighbors to help him get his things back. He and his men caught up with the people of Dang+Ffrom the tribe of Dan. Then they turned and left, after putting their children, their cattle, and the rest of their other possessions in front.cfAFThe priest really liked that idea. So he took the vest and the idols and joined the others(eKF"Quiet!" the men said. "Keep your mouth shut and listen. Why don't you come with us and be our priest, so you can tell us what God wants us to do? You could stay here and be a priest for one man's family, but wouldn't you rather be the priest for a clan or even a whole tribe of Israel?"d1F(SEE 18:15)c1F(SEE 18:15)b1F(SEE 18:15)eaEFThe six hundred warriors left the road and went to the house on Micah's property where the young Levite priest lived. They stood at the gate and greeted the priest. Meanwhile, the five men who had been there before went into Micah's house and took the sacred priestly vest and the idols. "Hey!" the priest shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"E`Fthe five men who had been spies asked the other warriors, "Did you know that someone in this village has several idols and a sacred priestly vest? What do you think we should do about it?"`_;F Then they went into the hill country of Ephraim. When they came close to Micah's house, ^;F One night they camped near Kiriath-Jearim in the territory of Judah, and that's why the place just west of Kiriath-Jearim is still known as Dan's Camp.x]kF Six hundred men from the tribe of Dan strapped on their weapons and left Zorah and Eshtaol with their families.\/F (SEE 18:9)[!F "Let's go!" the five men said. "We saw some very good land with enough room for all of us, and it has everything we will ever need. What are you waiting for? Let's attack and take it. You'll find that the people think they're safe, but God is giving the land to us."kZQFThe five men went back to Zorah and Eshtaol, where their relatives asked, "Did you find any land?"IY FThe five men left and went to the town of Laish, whose people were from Sidon, but Sidon was too far away to protect them. Even though their town had no walls, the people thought they were safe from attack. So they had not asked anyone else for protection, which meant that the tribe of Dan could easily take over Laish.[X1F"Don't worry," answered the priest. "The LORD is pleased with what you are doing."sWaF"Please talk to God for us," the men said. "Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do."nVWFThe Levite replied, "Micah hired me as his priest." Then he told them how well Micah had treated him.0U[Fbecause they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here?"|TsFThe tribe chose five warriors to represent their clans and told them, "Go and find some land where we can live." The warriors left the area of Zorah and Eshtaol and went into the hill country of Ephraim. One night they stayed at Micah's house,WS +FThese things happened before kings ruled Israel. About this time, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to live. The other tribes had land, but the people of Dan did not really have any to call their own.eREF Micah said, "I have a Levite as my own priest. Now I know that the LORD will be kind to me."Q1F (SEE 17:11)P F then he agreed to stay with Micah and be his priest. He lived in Micah's house, and Micah treated him like one of his own sons.OyF Micah said, "Why don't you stay here with me? You can be my priest and tell me what God wants me to do. Every year I'll give you ten pieces of silver and one complete set of clothes, and I'll provide all your food." The young man went for a walk,N)F "Where are you from?" Micah asked. "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," the man answered, "and I'm on my way to find a new place to live."M/F(SEE 17:7)hLKFOne day a young Levite came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. He had been staying with one of the clans of Judah in Bethlehem, but he had left Bethlehem to find a new place to live where he could be a priest.gKIFThis was before kings ruled Israel, so all the Israelites did whatever they thought was right.6JgFHe had a shrine for worshiping God there at his home, and he had made some idols and a sacred priestly vest. Micah chose one of his own sons to be the priest for his shrine.I/F(SEE 17:3)HFMicah returned the silver to his mother, and she said, "I give this silver to the LORD, so my son can use it to make an idol." Turning to her son, she said, "Micah, now the silver belongs to you." But Micah handed it back to his mother. She took two hundred pieces of the silver and gave them to a silver worker, who made them into an idol. They kept the idol in Micah's house.GFOne day he told his mother, "Do you remember those eleven hundred pieces of silver that were stolen from you? I was there when you put a curse on whoever stole them. Well, I'm the one who did it." His mother answered, "I pray that the LORD will bless you, my son."JF FMicah belonged to the Ephraim tribe and lived in the hill country.]E5FHis brothers and the rest of his family went to Gaza and took his body back home. They buried him in his father's tomb, which was located between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson was a leader of Israel for twenty years.D/FThen he shouted, "Let me die with the Philistines!" He pushed against the columns as hard as he could, and the temple collapsed with the Philistine rulers and everyone else still inside. Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he had killed during his entire life.-CUFSamson was standing between the two middle columns that held up the roof. He felt around and found one column with his right hand, and the other with his left hand./BYFSamson prayed, "Please remember me, LORD God. The Philistines poked out my eyes, but make me strong one last time, so I can take revenge for at least one of my eyes!"6AgFThe Philistine rulers were celebrating in a temple packed with people and with three thousand more on the flat roof. They had all been watching Samson and making fun of him.#@AFA young man was leading Samson by the hand, and Samson said to him, "I need to lean against something. Take me over to the columns that hold up the roof."?1F(SEE 16:24);>qFEveryone there was having a good time, and they shouted, "Bring out Samson--he's still good for a few more laughs!" The rulers had Samson brought from the prison, and when the people saw him, this is how they praised their god: Samson ruined our crops and killed our people. He was our enemy, but our god helped us capture him. They made fun of Samson for a while, then they told him to stand near the columns that supported the roof.4=cFThe Philistine rulers threw a big party and sacrificed a lot of animals to their god Dagon. The rulers said: Samson was our enemy, but our god Dagon helped us capture him!K<FBut they didn't cut his hair any more, so it started growing back.6;gFThe Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain.H: Fand shouted, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" Samson woke up and thought, "I'll break loose and escape, just as I always do." He did not realize that the LORD had stopped helping him.y9mFDelilah had lulled Samson to sleep with his head resting in her lap. She signaled to one of the Philistine men as she began cutting off Samson's seven braids. And by the time she was finished, Samson's strength was gone. Delilah tied him up81FDelilah realized that he was telling the truth. So she sent someone to tell the Philistine rulers, "Come to my house one more time. Samson has finally told me the truth." The Philistine rulers went to Delilah's house, and they brought along the silver they had promised her.W7)FFinally, Samson told her the truth. "I have belonged to God ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else."h6KFDelilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn't stand it any longer.55eF"Samson," Delilah said, "you claim to love me, but you don't mean it! You've made me look like a fool three times now, and you still haven't told me why you are so strong."G4 FWhile Samson was asleep, Delilah wove his braids into the threads on a loom and nailed the loom to a wall. Then she shouted, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking !" Samson woke up and pulled the loom free from its posts in the ground and from the nails in the wall. Then he pulled his hair free from the woven cloth. 3F "You're still lying and making a fool of me," Delilah said. "Tell me how I can tie you up!" "My hair is in seven braids," Samson replied. "If you weave my braids into the threads on a loom and nail the loom to a wall, then I will be as weak as anyone else."V2'F Delilah got new ropes and again had some Philistines hide in the room. Then she tied up Samson's arms and shouted, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" Samson snapped the ropes as if they were threads. 1 F Samson answered, "Use some new ropes. If I'm tied up with ropes that have never been used, I'll be just as weak as anyone else."k0QF "You lied and made me look like a fool," Delilah said. "Now tell me. How can I really tie you up?"//F (SEE 16:8)i.MFThe Philistine rulers gave seven new bowstrings to Delilah. They also told some of their soldiers to go to Delilah's house and hide in the room where Samson and Delilah were. If the bowstrings made Samson weak, they would be able to capture him. Delilah tied up Samson with the bowstrings and shouted, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" Samson snapped the bowstrings, as though they were pieces of scorched string. The Philistines had not found out why Samson was so strong.-#FSamson answered, "If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that have never been dried, it will make me just as weak as anyone else."*,OFThe next time Samson was at Delilah's house, she asked, "Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can't get away? Come on, you can tell me." +FThe Philistine rulers went to Delilah and said, "Trick Samson into telling you what makes him so strong and what can make him weak. Then we can tie him up so he can't get away. If you find out his secret, we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."d*CFSome time later, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in Sorek Valley.+)QFBut Samson got up in the middle of the night and went to the town gate. He pulled the gate doors and doorposts out of the wall and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them all the way to the top of the hill that overlooks Hebron, where he set the doors down, still closed and locked.E(FThe people who lived in Gaza found out he was there, and they decided to kill him at sunrise. So they went to the city gate and waited all night in the guardrooms on each side of the gate.g' KFOne day while Samson was in Gaza, he saw a prostitute and went to her house to spend the night.m&UFSamson was a leader of Israel for twenty years, but the Philistines were still the rulers of Israel.l%SFSamson was tired and weary, but God sent water gushing from a rock. Samson drank some and felt strong again. Samson named the place Caller Spring, because he had called out to God for help. The spring is still there at Jawbone.I$ FSamson was so thirsty that he prayed, "Our LORD, you helped me win a battle against a whole army. Please don't let me die of thirst now. Those heathen Philistines will carry off my dead body."{#qFSamson tossed the jawbone on the ground and decided to call the place Jawbone Hill. It is still called that today.J"FAfter the fighting was over, he made up this poem about what he had done to the Philistines: I used a donkey's jawbone to kill a thousand men; I beat them with this jawbone over and over again.W!)FSamson glanced around and spotted the jawbone of a donkey. The jawbone had not yet dried out, so it was still hard and heavy. Samson grabbed it and started hitting Philistines--he killed a thousand of them! 1F(SEE 15:13)FF "We promise," the men said. "We will only tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines. We won't kill you." Then they tied up his hands and arms with two brand-new ropes and led him away from Etam Rock. When the Philistines saw that Samson was being brought to their camp at Jawbone, they started shouting and ran toward him. But the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and Samson broke the ropes, as though they were pieces of burnt cloth.7iF "We came here to tie you up and turn you over to them," said the men of Judah. "I won't put up a fight," Samson answered, "but you have to promise not to hurt me yourselves."F Three thousand men from Judah went to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, "Don't you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?" "I was only getting even with them," Samson replied. "They did the same things to me first.">wF The people of Judah asked, "Why have you invaded our land?" The Philistines answered, "We've come to get Samson. We're going to do the same things to him that he did to our people."hKF But it wasn't long before the Philistines invaded Judah and set up a huge army camp at Jawbone.FThen Samson started hacking them to pieces with his sword. Samson left Philistia and went to live in the cave at Etam Rock. FWhen Samson found out what they had done, he went to them and said, "You killed them! And I won't rest until I get even with you."NFSome of the Philistines started asking around, "Who could have done such a thing?" "It was Samson," someone told them. "He married the daughter of that man in Timnah, but then the man gave Samson's wife to one of the men at the wedding." The Philistine leaders went to Timnah and burned to death Samson's wife and her father.*OFThen Samson took the foxes into the Philistine wheat fields that were ready to be harvested. He set the rags on fire and let the foxes go. The wheat fields went up in flames, and so did the stacks of wheat that had already been cut. Even the Philistine vineyards and olive orchards burned.{FSamson went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them together in pairs with oil-soaked rags around their tails.b?F"This time," Samson answered, "I have a good reason for really hurting some Philistines."dCF"When you left the way you did, I thought you were divorcing her. So I arranged for her to marry one of the young men who were at your party. But my younger daughter is even prettier, and you can have her as your wife."t eFLater, during the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit the young woman he thought was still his wife. He brought along a young goat as a gift and said to her father, "I want to go into my wife's bedroom." "You can't do that," he replied.ueFThe father of the bride had Samson's wife marry one of the thirty young men that had been at Samson's party._9FThen the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the thirty young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.X+FBefore sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer: A lion is the strongest-- honey is the sweetest! Samson replied, This answer you have given me doubtless came from my bride-to-be. FFor the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.FSamson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. "You must really hate me," she sobbed. "If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle." "But I haven't even told my parents the answer!" Samson replied. "Why should I tell you?" 3FFinally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, "You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death."! =FSamson said: Once so strong and mighty-- now so sweet and tasty! Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer.5 eF But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing." "It's a bet!" the Philistines said. "Tell us the riddle."} uF Samson told the thirty young men, "This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the right answer before the party is over, I'll give each one of you a shirt and a full change of clothing.z oF When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told thirty of their young men to stay with him at the party.F While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, as grooms usually did.tcF He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion.!FLater, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey.kQFWhen they got to Timnah, Samson talked to the woman, and he was sure that she was the one for him.MFBut the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.~wFAs Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson.9FAt that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the LORD wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.saFHis parents answered, "There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?" "She looks good to me," Samson answered. "Get her for me!"FWhen he got back home, he told his parents, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!"H FOne day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman. ~ F Then, while Samson was staying at Dan's Camp between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol, the Spirit of the LORD took control of him.w}iF Later, Manoah's wife did give birth to a son, and she named him Samson. As the boy grew, the LORD blessed him.S|!F "The LORD isn't going to kill us," Manoah's wife responded. "The LORD accepted our sacrifice and grain offering, and he let us see something amazing. Besides, he told us that we're going to have a son."F{F Manoah said, "We have seen an angel. Now we're going to die."czAF The angel was gone, but Manoah and his wife realized that he was one of the LORD's angels.#yAF The fire blazed up toward the sky, and the LORD's angel went up toward heaven in the fire. Manoah and his wife bowed down low when they saw what happened. ^zyyyyyuyXy;yyxww(vvuu+tss?rr9qdpoo&o njnMmm5ll3kkGjii7hg,feeZdId/cc|c2bxb^aa$``7__^^/]u\\\[ZZcYXXX-WW|VVZUUTBSSR&QQPyOO3NsMM5LoKKWJJIIHHEGFFEEADD/CClBBAA5???>>"=<(SEE 3:1)yn oZSamuel served the LORD by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the LORD hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room,Tm#Z$But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, "Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat."%lEZ#I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king.skaZ"To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day. j;Z!If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death!vigZ Your family will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young.zhoZThe time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.ag=ZI am the LORD, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me.f/Z(SEE 2:28)}euZOut of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar. But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all gotten fat from eating the best parts.&dGZOne day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the LORD: When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am.EcZEach day the LORD and his people liked Samuel more and more.|bsZIf you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you. But if you commit a crime against the LORD, no one can help you!" But the LORD had already decided to kill them. So he kept them from listening to their father.a/Z(SEE 2:23)`Z"Why are you doing these awful things?" he asked them. "I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the LORD's people.]_5ZEli was now very old, and he heard what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.^ZThe LORD was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the LORD's house in Shiloh.]/ZEli would always bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "Samuel was born in answer to your prayers. Now you have given him to the LORD. I pray that the LORD will bless you with more children to take his place." After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.\'Zand the clothes his mother made for him. She would bring new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.H[ ZThe boy Samuel served the LORD and wore a special linen garmentZZEli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the LORD very angry.DYZUsually the people answered, "Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the LORD." "No," the servant would reply. "If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force."XZSometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the LORD. Then the servant would tell them, "The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!"cWAZThe servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to the priests. That is how these two priests treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh.V/Z (SEE 2:12)_U9Z Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the LORD. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork.jTOZ Elkanah and Hannah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed to help Eli serve the LORD.>SwZ Our LORD, those who attack you will be broken in pieces when you fight back with thunder from heaven. You will judge the whole earth and give power and strength to your chosen king.RZ You protect your loyal people, but everyone who is evil will die in darkness. We cannot win a victory by our own strength.)QMZYou lift the poor and homeless out of the garbage dump and give them places of honor in royal palaces. You set the world on foundations, and they belong to you.zPoZOur LORD, you are the one who makes us rich or poor. You put some in high positions and bring disgrace on others.xOkZYou take away life, and you give life. You send people down to the world of the dead and bring them back again.vNgZPeople who once had plenty to eat must now hire themselves out for only a piece of bread. But you give the hungry more than enough to eat. A woman did not have a child, and you gave her seven, but a woman who had many was left with none.bM?ZOur LORD, you break the bows of warriors, but you give strength to everyone who stumbles.xLkZI can tell those proud people, "Stop your boasting! Nothing is hidden from the LORD, and he judges what we do."PKZNo other god is like you. We're safer with you than on a high mountain.uJ gZHannah prayed: You make me strong and happy, LORD. You rescued me. Now I can be glad and laugh at my enemies.I %ZNow I am giving him to the LORD, and he will be the LORD's servant for as long as he lives." Elkanah worshiped the LORD there at Shiloh, andOH Zto give me a child. Here he is! The LORD gave me just what I asked for.WG +Z"Sir," Hannah said, "a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the LORDF /Z(SEE 1:24),E UZWhen it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel to the LORD's house. They brought along a three-year-old bull, a twenty-pound sack of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli.WD +Z"You know what's best," Elkanah said. "Stay here until it's time to stop nursing him. I'm sure the LORD will help you do what you have promised." Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.aC ?ZBut Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, "Samuel and I won't go until he's old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I'll give him to the LORD, and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life."B ZThe next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to the LORD.PA Zwith a son. She named him Samuel because she had asked the LORD for him.!@ ?ZElkanah and his family got up early the next morning and worshiped the LORD. Then they went back home to Ramah. Later the LORD blessed Elkanah and Hannah? {Z"Sir, thank you for being so kind to me," Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.q> _ZEli replied, "You may go home now and stop worrying. I'm sure the God of Israel will answer your prayer."= /Z(SEE 1:15)^< 9Z"Sir, please don't think I'm no good!" Hannah answered. "I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking. But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I've been praying all this time, telling the LORD about my problems."E; Z"How long are you going to stay drunk?" he asked. "Sober up!": /Z (SEE 1:12)t9 eZ Hannah prayed silently to the LORD for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk.08 ]Z "LORD All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I will give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut."=7 yZ Hannah was brokenhearted and was crying as she prayed,-6 WZ When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship. 5 ZSo Elkanah asked, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why do you feel so bad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?")4 OZespecially when the family went to the house of the LORD each year. One day, Elkanah was there offering a sacrifice, when Hannah began crying and refused to eat.S3 #ZPeninnah liked to make Hannah feel miserable about not having any children, 2 ZBut he gave Hannah even more, because he loved Hannah very much, even though the LORD had kept her from having children of her own.~1 yZWhenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.d0 EZOnce a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he worshiped the LORD All-Powerful and offered sacrifices. Eli was the LORD's priest there, and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas served with him as priests.l/ UZElkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.. ZElkanah lived in Ramah, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His great-great-grandfather was Zuph, so Elkanah was a member of the Zuph clan of the Ephraim tribe. Elkanah's father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu.-/P(SEE 4:18),/P(SEE 4:18)+/P(SEE 4:18)*/P(SEE 4:18)y)mPHere is a list of the ancestors of David: Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, and Perez.)(MPThe neighborhood women named him Obed, but they called him "Naomi's Boy." When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse, who later became the father of King David.6'iPNaomi loved the boy and took good care of him.7&iPHe will make you happy and take care of you in your old age, because he is the son of your daughter-in-law. And she loves you more than seven sons of your own would love you.?%yPAfter his birth, the women said to Naomi: Praise the LORD! Today he has given you a grandson to take care of you. We pray that the boy will grow up to be famous everywhere in Israel.?${P Boaz married Ruth, and the LORD blessed her with a son.#P May the children you have by this young woman make your family as famous as the family of Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah."-P The town leaders and the others standing there said: We are witnesses to this. And we pray that the LORD will give your wife many children, just as he did Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob. May you be a rich man in the tribe of Ephrath and an important man in Bethlehem.=!uP You are also witnesses that I have agreed to marry Mahlon's widow Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the property in his family's name, and he will be remembered in this town.A }P Boaz told the town leaders and everyone else: All of you are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi the property that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon.xkPSo after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz.iMPTo make a sale legal in those days, one person would take off a sandal and give it to the other.-UPThe man answered, "If that's the case, I don't want to buy it! That would make problems with the property I already own. You may buy it yourself, because I cannot."/YP"If you do buy it from Naomi," Boaz told him, "you must also marry Ruth. Then if you have a son by her, the property will stay in the family of Ruth's first husband."?yPI am telling you about this, since you are his closest relative and have the right to buy the property. If you want it, you can buy it now. These ten men and the others standing here can be witnesses. But if you don't want the property, let me know, because I am next in line. The man replied, "I will buy it!"zoPhe said to the man: Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling the land that belonged to her husband Elimelech.hKPThen Boaz got ten of the town leaders and also asked them to sit down. After they had sat down,E PIn the meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the meeting place at the town gate and was sitting there when the other close relative came by. So Boaz invited him to come over and sit down, and he did.PNaomi replied, "Just be patient and don't worry about what will happen. He won't rest until everything is settled today!"tcPShe also said, "Boaz gave me this grain, because he didn't want me to come back without something for you."I PNaomi asked her what had happened, and Ruth told her everything.PThen he told her to spread out her cape. And he filled it with a lot of grain and placed it on her shoulder. When Ruth got back to town,zoPRuth lay down again, but she got up before daylight, because Boaz did not want anyone to know she had been there.8kP Stay here until morning, then I will find out if he is willing to look after you. If he isn't, I promise by the living God to do it myself. Now go back to sleep until morning. P It's true that I am one of the relatives who is supposed to take care of you, but there is someone who is an even closer relative.Y-P Don't worry, I'll do what you have asked. You are respected by everyone in town.+QP Boaz replied: The LORD bless you! This shows how truly loyal you are to your family. You could have looked for a younger man, either rich or poor, but you didn't.*OP "Who are you?" he asked. "Sir, I am Ruth," she answered, "and you are the relative who is supposed to take care of me. So spread the edge of your cover over me."l SPIn the middle of the night, Boaz suddenly woke up and was shocked to see a woman lying at his feet.H  PAfter Boaz finished eating and drinking and was feeling happy, he went over and fell asleep near the pile of grain. Ruth slipped over quietly. She lifted the cover and lay down near his feet.Z /PShe went out to the place where Boaz was working and did what Naomi had told her.2 aPRuth answered, "I'll do whatever you say." PWatch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do./YPNow take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don't let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking.5PYou have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be threshing the grain.t ePOne day, Naomi said to Ruth: It's time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you.BPAnd so, Ruth stayed close to the women, while picking up grain in his field. Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were harvested. And all this time she lived with Naomi.2_PNaomi replied, "My daughter, it's good that you can pick up grain alongside the women who work in his field. Who knows what might happen to you in someone else's field!"PRuth told her, "Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished gathering all his grain."<sP"The LORD bless Boaz!" Naomi replied. "He has shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead. Boaz is a close relative, one of those who is supposed to look after us."8kPNaomi said, "Where did you work today? Whose field was it? God bless the man who treated you so well!" Then Ruth told her that she had worked in the field of a man named Boaz.PShe took the grain to town and showed Naomi how much she had picked up. Ruth also gave her the food left over from her lunch. PRuth worked in the field until evening. Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain. ~ PBe sure to pull out some stalks of grain from the bundles and leave them on the ground for her. And don't speak harshly to her!" }PWhen Ruth got up to start picking up grain, Boaz told his men, "Don't stop her, even if she picks up grain from where it is stacked.g|IPAt mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, "Come, eat with us. Have some bread and dip it in the sauce." Right away she sat down with the workers, and Boaz handed her some roasted grain. Ruth ate all she wanted and had some left over.{P Ruth replied, "Sir, it's good of you to speak kindly to me and make me feel so welcome. I'm not even one of your servants."%zEP I pray that the LORD God of Israel will reward you for what you have done. And now that you have come to him for protection, I pray that he will bless you."OyP Boaz answered, "I've heard how you've helped your mother-in-law ever since your husband died. You even left your own father and mother to come and live in a foreign land among people you don't know.sxaP Ruth bowed down to the ground and said, "You know I come from another country. Why are you so good to me?"KwP and follow along behind them, as they gather up what the men have cut. I have warned the men not to bother you, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink from the water jars they have filled."vPBoaz went over to Ruth and said, "I think it would be best for you not to pick up grain in anyone else's field. Stay here with the women u PShe asked if she could pick up grain left by the harvest workers, and she has been working all morning without a moment's rest."NtPThe man answered, "She is the one who came back from Moab with Naomi.]s5PThen Boaz asked the man in charge of the harvest workers, "Who is that young woman?"r7PWhen Boaz left Bethlehem and went out to his field, he said to the harvest workers, "The LORD bless you!" They replied, "And may the LORD bless you!"q-P(SEE 2:1)p-P(SEE 2:1)Zo 1POne day, Ruth said to Naomi, "Let me see if I can find someone who will let me pick up the grain left in the fields by the harvest workers." Naomi answered, "Go ahead, my daughter." So right away, Ruth went out to pick up grain in a field owned by Boaz. He was a relative of Naomi's husband Elimelech, as well as a rich and important man.un gPThe barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem./m [PI had everything when I left, but the LORD has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?"ol [PThen she told them, "Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, because God has made my life bitter.k  PThey reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, "Can this really be Naomi?"hj MPWhen Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.{i sPI will die where you die and be buried beside you. May the LORD punish me if we are ever separated, even by death!"6h iPRuth answered, "Please don't tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God.g PNaomi then said to Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?"Zf 1PThey cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth held on to her.#e CP would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the LORD has turned against me."zd qP You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons, c =P But she replied, "My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry?Fb  P and said, "We want to go with you and live among your people."fa IP May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own." Naomi kissed them. They criedM` PNaomi said to them, "Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the LORD will be just as kind to you._ -P(SEE 1:6)6^ iPWhen Naomi heard that the LORD had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there,G]  PMahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.q\ _PLater, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later,<[ wPElimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.Z -P(SEE 1:1) Y PBefore Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there,cXAFIn those days Israel wasn't ruled by a king, and everyone did what they thought was right.UW%FAfterwards, the rest of the Israelites returned to their homes and families.VFThe men of Benjamin went to Shiloh and hid in the vineyards. The young women soon started dancing, and each man grabbed one of them and carried her off. Then the men of Benjamin went back to their own land and rebuilt their towns and started living in them again.\U3FIf the fathers or brothers of these women complain about this, we'll say, "Be kind enough to let those men keep your daughter. After all, we couldn't get enough wives for all the men of Benjamin in the battle at Jabesh. And because you didn't give them permission to marry your daughters, you won't be under the curse we earlier agreed on.'TIFWait there for the young women of Shiloh to come out and perform their dances. Then rush out and grab one of the young women, then take her home as your wife.SFThe leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives: Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival.PRFThen someone suggested, "What about the LORD's Festival that takes place each year in Shiloh? It's held north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and just east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem."/QYFBut we can't let the men of Benjamin marry any of our daughters. We made a sacred promise not to do that, and if we break our promise, we will be under our own curse.OPFIf they don't have children, one of the Israelite tribes will die out.O'FThen their national leaders said: All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left?aN=FThe Israelites were very sad, because the LORD had almost wiped out one of their tribes.M/FSo the men of Benjamin came back from Rimmon Rock, and the Israelites let them marry the young women from Jabesh. But there weren't enough women.L5F The Israelites met and sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock, telling them that the Israelites were willing to make peace with them.tKcF The warriors attacked Jabesh in Gilead, and returned to their camp in Canaan with four hundred young women.J1F (SEE 21:10)I3F So they sent twelve thousand warriors with these orders: "Attack Jabesh in Gilead and kill everyone, except the women who have never been married."H/F (SEE 21:8)3GaFAgain the Israelites asked, "Did any of the tribes stay away from the meeting at Mizpah?" After asking around, they discovered that no one had come from Jabesh in Gilead.xFkFOnly a few men of Benjamin weren't killed in the war. We need to get wives for them, so the tribe won't completely disappear. But how can we do that, after promising in the LORD's name that we wouldn't let them marry any of our daughters?"E FThe Israelites were sad about what had happened to the Benjamin tribe, and they said, "One of our tribes was almost wiped out.QDFThen they asked each other, "Did any of the tribes of Israel fail to come to the place of worship? We made a sacred promise that anyone who didn't come to the meeting at Mizpah would be put to death."C}FEarly the next morning, the Israelites built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing.~BwFand prayed, "Our LORD, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone."A'FAfter the war with Benjamin, the Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel and sat there until sunset. They cried loudly and bitterly4@ eFWhen the Israelites had met at Mizpah before the war with Benjamin, they had made this sacred promise: "None of us will ever let our daughters marry any man from Benjamin."?'F0The Israelites turned back and went to every town in Benjamin's territory, killing all the people and animals, and setting the towns on fire.t>cF/Only six hundred of them finally made it into the desert to Rimmon Rock, where they stayed for four months.c=AF.Twenty-five thousand soldiers of Benjamin died that day, all of them experienced warriors.^<7F-Some other warriors of Benjamin turned and ran down the road toward Rimmon Rock in the desert. The Israelites killed five thousand of them on the road, then chased the rest until they had killed two thousand more.;;sF,until eighteen thousand of these warriors lay dead.<:sF+who were having to fight on all sides. The Israelite soldiers never let up their attack. They chased and killed the warriors of Benjamin as far as a place directly east of Gibeah,x9kF*The men of Benjamin headed down the road toward the desert, trying to escape from the Israelites. But the Israelites stayed right behind them, keeping up their attack. Men even came out of the nearby towns to help kill the men of Benjamin,81F)(SEE 20:31)71F((SEE 20:31)61F'(SEE 20:31)51F&(SEE 20:31)41F%(SEE 20:31)31F$(SEE 20:31)21F#(SEE 20:31)11F"(SEE 20:31)01F!(SEE 20:31)/1F (SEE 20:31)v.gFbut this time they had a different plan. They said, "When the men of Benjamin attack, we will run off and let them chase us away from the town and into the country roads." The soldiers of Benjamin attacked the Israelite army and started pushing it back from the town. They killed about thirty Israelites in the fields and along the road between Gibeah and Bethel. The men of Benjamin were thinking, "We're mowing them down like we did before." The Israelites were running away, but they headed for Baal-Tamar, where they regrouped. They had set an ambush, and they were sure it would work. Ten thousand of Israel's best soldiers had been hiding west of Gibeah, and as soon as the men of Benjamin chased the Israelites into the countryside, these ten thousand soldiers made a surprise attack on the town gates. They dashed in and captured Gibeah, killing everyone there. Then they set the town on fire, because the smoke would be the signal for the other Israelite soldiers to turn and attack the soldiers of Benjamin. The fighting had been so heavy around the soldiers of Benjamin, that they did not know the trouble they were in. But then they looked back and saw clouds of smoke rising from the town. They looked in front and saw the soldiers of Israel turning to attack. This terrified them, because they realized that something horrible was happening. And it was horrible--over twenty-five thousand soldiers of Benjamin died that day, and those who were left alive knew that the LORD had given Israel the victory. _~~}}N|{{#{zyxwwYvvivutss;rqpponnCmmMl;kjji^hgxffee)cBc&ba``[_^^U]\\D[ZYYX_XDWV]VAUUvTTsSSSLS RDQQfPP}P(OINdNMM'LLXKK;KJJPII HGFEEBDCCBB*AA@@x?W>>==<Z But if you and your king do evil, the LORD will wipe you out.=}Z You also must obey the LORD--you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you.p<[Z I would be disobeying the LORD if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right.;Z But the LORD has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.t:cZ Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble.#9AZ Samuel answered: Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the LORD and worship him with all your heart.-8UZ They told Samuel, "Please, pray to the LORD your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king."v7gZ Samuel prayed, and that same day the LORD sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the LORD and of Samuel.65Z Isn't this the dry season? I'm going to ask the LORD to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.A5Z Just stand here and watch the LORD show his mighty power.`4;Z If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the LORD, he will turn against you and your king.|3sZ If you and your king want to be followers of the LORD, you must worship him and do what he says. Don't be stubborn!2%Z You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the LORD who made him your king.<1sZ Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the LORD your God is your king, you told me, "This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!"0Z The LORD sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked.i/MZ Again your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help. They said, "We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our LORD, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you.".+Z But your ancestors forgot the LORD, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.6-gZ After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They led your ancestors out of Egypt and had them settle in this land.,5Z Now the LORD will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the LORD has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.z+oZ Then Samuel told them: The LORD brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders.v*gZ Samuel said, "The LORD and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said." "That's true," they replied.M)Z "No," the Israelites answered. "You've never cheated us in any way!""(?Z Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the LORD and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.7'iZ You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.O& Z Samuel told the Israelites: I have given you a king, just as you asked.Q%Z Everyone went to the place of worship at Gilgal, where they agreed that Saul would be their king. Saul and the people sacrificed animals to ask for the LORD's blessing, and they had a big celebration.s$aZ "Come on!" Samuel said. "Let's go to Gilgal and make an agreement that Saul will continue to be our king."j#OZ "No you won't!" Saul told them. "The LORD rescued Israel today, and no one will be put to death.","SZ The Israelite soldiers went to Samuel and demanded, "Where are the men who said they didn't want Saul to be king? Bring them to us, and we will put them to death!"k!QZ The next day, Saul divided his army into three groups and attacked before daylight. They started killing Ammonites and kept it up until afternoon. A few Ammonites managed to escape, but they were scattered far from each other.s aZ So they told the Ammonites, "We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do whatever you want to."ymZ Saul and his officers sent the messengers back to Jabesh with this promise: "We will rescue you tomorrow afternoon." The messengers went back to the people at Jabesh and told them that they were going to be rescued. Everyone was encouraged!Z at Bezek. Saul had them organized and counted. There were three hundred thousand from Israel and thirty thousand from Judah.lSZ Saul killed two of his oxen, cut them up in pieces, and gave the pieces to the messengers. He told them to show the pieces to everyone in Israel and say, "Saul and Samuel are getting an army together. Come and join them. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen!" The LORD made the people of Israel terribly afraid. So all the men came togetherS!Z Then the Spirit of God suddenly took control of Saul and made him furious.!=Z Just then, Saul came in from the fields, walking behind his oxen. "Why is everyone crying?" Saul asked. They told him what the men from Jabesh had said.Z Some of the messengers went to Gibeah, Saul's hometown. They told what was happening at Jabesh, and everyone in Gibeah started crying./YZ The town leaders said, "Give us seven days so we can send messengers everywhere in Israel to ask for help. If no one comes here to save us, we will surrender to you."Z Nahash answered, "Sure, I'll sign a treaty! But not before I insult Israel by poking out the right eye of every man who lives in Jabesh."t eZ About this time, King Nahash of Ammon came with his army and surrounded the town of Jabesh in Gilead. The people who lived there told Nahash, "If you will sign a peace treaty with us, you can be our ruler, and we will pay taxes to you."DZ But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm. Z God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him.OZ Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in a temple building at one of the places where the LORD was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.!Z "Look closely at the man the LORD has chosen!" Samuel told the crowd. "There is no one like him!" The crowd shouted, "Long live the king!"Z The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else.r_Z The people prayed, "Our LORD, is Saul here?" "Yes," the LORD answered, "he is hiding behind the baggage."A}Z Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.mUZ Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe.T#Z God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the LORD can choose a king.4 cZ When everyone had arrived, Samuel said: The LORD God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.` ;Z Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the LORD. yZ Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.7 kZ "And what did he tell you?" Saul's uncle asked. 9Z Later, Saul's uncle asked him, "Where have you been?" Saul answered, "Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel."I Z After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.#AZ "Why not?" one of them answered. "Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!" That's why everyone started saying, "How can Saul be a prophet?"4cZ Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, "What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?"3aZ When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.)Z As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said.cAZ Then you should go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices and offerings to the LORD. I'll also tell you what to do next.V'Z After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.Z The Spirit of the LORD will suddenly take control of you. You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them.'IZ Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.DZ After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread."~?Z Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine.$}CZ When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, "The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you.".| YZ Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed Saul and told him: The LORD has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people.R{Z and had almost reached the edge of town when Samuel stopped and said, "Have your servant go on. Stay here with me for a few minutes, and I'll tell you what God has told me." After the servant had gone,FzZ and Saul slept there. About sunrise the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, "Time to get up! I'll help you get started on your way." Saul got up. He and Samuel left togetheryZ they went down from the place of worship and back into town. A bed was set up for Saul on the flat roof of Samuel's house,x/Z (SEE 9:23)vwgZ Then Samuel told the cook, "I gave you the best piece of meat and told you to set it aside. Bring it here now." The cook brought the meat over and set it down in front of Saul. "This is for you," Samuel told him. "Go ahead and eat it. I had this piece saved especially for you, and I invited these guests to eat with you." After Saul and Samuel had finished eating,@v{Z Samuel took Saul and his servant into the dining room at the place of worship. About thirty people were there for the dinner, but Samuel gave Saul and his servant the places of honor.u)Z "Why are you telling me this?" Saul asked. "I'm from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan is the least important in the tribe."#tAZ Don't worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago. They've already been found. Everything of value in Israel now belongs to you and your family."(sKZ "I am the one who sees visions!" Samuel answered. "Go on up to the place of worship. You will eat with me today, and in the morning I'll answer your questions.rZ Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, "A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?"q{Z Samuel looked at Saul, and the LORD told Samuel, "This is the man I told you about. He's the one who will rule Israel."p5Z "I've seen how my people are suffering, and I've heard their call for help. About this time tomorrow I'll send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who will rescue my people from the Philistines. I want you to pour olive oil on his head to show that he will be their leader.";osZ The day before Saul came, the LORD had told Samuel,n Z They went to the town, and just as they were going through the gate, Samuel was coming out on his way to the place of worship.emEZ and you should find him right inside the town gate. He's on his way out to the place of worship to eat with the invited guests. They can't start eating until he blesses the sacrifice. If you go now, you should find him."2l_Z "Yes, he is," they replied. "He's in town today because there's going to be a sacrifice and a sacred meal at the place of worship. In fact, he's just ahead of you. HurryEkZ As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to get water, and the two men said to them, "We're looking for the man who can see visions. Is he in town?"j-Z (SEE 9:9)fiGZ "Great!" Saul replied. "Let's go to the man who can see visions!" He said this because in those days God would answer questions by giving visions to prophets. Saul and his servant went to the town where the prophet lived.hZ "I have a small piece of silver," the servant answered. "We can give him that, and then he will tell us where to look for the donkeys.""g?Z Saul said, "How can we talk to the prophet when I don't have anything to give him? We don't even have any bread left in our sacks. What can we give him?"@f{Z "Wait!" the servant answered. "There's a man of God who lives in a town near here. He's amazing! Everything he says comes true. Let's talk to him. Maybe he can tell us where to look."^e7Z Finally they came to the territory where the clan of Zuph lived. "Let's go back home," Saul told his servant. "If we don't go back soon, my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us!"wdiZ Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys. Then they went through the territories of Shaalim and Benjamin, but still there was no sign of the donkeys.c{Z Kish owned some donkeys, but they had run off. So he told Saul, "Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys."vbgZ Kish had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel.Fa Z Kish was a wealthy man who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. His father was Abiel, his grandfather was Zeror, his great-grandfather was Becorath, and his great-great-grandfather was Aphiah.v`gZ"Do what they want," the LORD answered. "Give them a king." Samuel told the people to go back to their homes.S_!ZSamuel listened to them and then told the LORD exactly what they had said.^/Z(SEE 8:19)]%ZThe people would not listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want to be like other nations. We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle."\{Zand you will finally cry out for the LORD to save you from the king you wanted. But the LORD won't answer your prayers.^[7ZHe will also take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You will become the king's slaves,kZQZThe king will take your slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work.fYGZHe will also take a tenth of your grain and grapes and give it to his officers and officials.XyZThe king will take your best fields, as well as your vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his own officials.OWZ Your daughters will have to make perfume or do his cooking and baking.aV=Z Some of them will be officers in charge of a thousand soldiers, and others will be in charge of fifty. Still others will have to farm the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots.[U1Z If you have a king, this is how he will treat you. He will force your sons to join his army. Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot.RTZ Samuel told the people who were asking for a king what the LORD had said:XS+Z Do everything they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them. RZEver since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they are turning away from you.|QsZThe LORD answered: Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king.\P3ZSamuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it.EOZand said, "You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations. Choose one for us!"(SEE 8:1)K )ZSamuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba.JZThen he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there. He also had an altar built for the LORD at Ramah.zIoZEvery year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah where he served as judge for the people.3HcZSamuel was a leader in Israel all his life.GZThe Israelites were even able to recapture their towns and territory between Ekron and Gath. Israel was also at peace with the Amorites.F/Z (SEE 7:12)UE%Z The Philistines were so badly beaten that it was quite a while before they attacked Israel again. After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between Mizpah and the rocky cliffs. He named it "Help Monument" to remind Israel how much the LORD had helped them. For as long as Samuel lived, the LORD helped Israel fight the Philistines. DZ The men of Israel left Mizpah and went after them as far as the hillside below Beth-Car, killing every enemy soldier they caught.C-Z (SEE 7:9)*BOZ Samuel begged the LORD to rescue Israel, then he sacrificed a young lamb to the LORD. Samuel had not even finished offering the sacrifice when the Philistines started to attack. But the LORD answered his prayer and made thunder crash all around them. The Philistines panicked and ran away.UA%Z"Don't stop praying!" they told Samuel. "Ask the LORD our God to rescue us."O@ZWhen the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, they sent an army there to attack the people of Israel. The Israelites were afraid when they heard that the Philistines were coming.?ZThe Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader. They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the LORD. On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the LORD.u>eZThen Samuel said, "Tell everyone in Israel to meet together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."b=?ZThe people got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte and began worshiping only the LORD.(<KZOne day, Samuel told all the people of Israel, "If you really want to turn back to the LORD, then prove it. Get rid of your foreign idols, including the ones of the goddess Astarte. Turn to the LORD with all your heart and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines."};uZand it stayed there for twenty years. During this time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged the LORD for help.%: GZThe people of Kiriath-Jearim got the chest and took it to Abinadab's house, which was on a hill in their town. They chose his son Eleazar to take care of it,(9KZThey sent messengers to tell the people of Kiriath-Jearim, "The Philistines have sent back the sacred chest. Why don't you take it and keep it there with you?"-8UZand they started saying, "No other God is like the LORD! Who can go near him and still live? We'll have to send the chest away from here. But where can we send it?" 7;ZSome of the men of Beth-Shemesh looked inside the sacred chest, and the LORD God killed seventy of them. This made the people of Beth-Shemesh very sad,k6QZThey also sent one gold rat for each walled town and for every village that the five Philistine rulers controlled. The huge stone where the Levites set the chest is still there in Joshua's field as a reminder of what happened.C5ZThat is how the Philistines sent gifts to the LORD to make up for taking the sacred chest. They sent five gold sores, one each for their towns of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.n4WZWhen the five rulers of the Philistines saw what had happened, they went back to Ekron that same day.3/Z(SEE 6:14)c2AZThe cows left the road and pulled the cart into a field that belonged to Joshua from Beth-Shemesh, and they stopped beside a huge rock. Some men from the tribe of Levi were there. So they took the chest off the cart and placed it on the rock, and then they did the same thing with the bag of gold rats and sores. A few other people chopped up the cart and made a fire. They killed the cows and burned them as sacrifices to the LORD. After that, they offered more sacrifices.;1qZ The people of Beth-Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the chest, they were so happy that they stopped working and started celebrating.09Z The cows went straight up the road toward Beth-Shemesh, mooing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them until they got close to Beth-Shemesh.h/KZ Then they put the chest on the cart, along with the bag that had the gold rats and sores in it..yZ The Philistines followed their advice. They hitched up the two cows to the cart, but they kept their calves in a barn.L-Z Watch to see if the chest goes on up the road to the Israelite town of Beth-Shemesh. If it goes back to its own country, you will know that it was the LORD who made us suffer so badly. But if the chest doesn't go back to its own country, then the LORD had nothing to do with the disease that hit us--it was simply bad luck.,ZThen put the chest on the cart. Put the gold rats and sores into a bag and put it on the cart next to the chest. Then send it on its way."+?ZGet a new cart and two cows that have young calves and that have never pulled a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take the calves back to their barn.*ZDon't be like the Egyptians and their king. They were stubborn, but when Israel's God was finished with them, they had to let Israel go.g)IZSo make five gold models of the sores and five gold models of the rats that are wiping out your crops. If you honor the God of Israel with this gift, maybe he will stop causing trouble for you and your gods and your crops.3(aZ"What should we send?" the Philistines asked. The priests and fortunetellers answered: There are five Philistine rulers, and they all have the same disease that you have.'Z"Don't send it back without a gift," the priests and fortunetellers answered. "Send along something to Israel's God to make up for taking the chest in the first place. Then you will be healed, and you will find out why the LORD was causing you so much trouble.")&MZthe Philistines called in their priests and fortunetellers, and asked, "What should we do with this sacred chest? Tell us how to send it back where it belongs!"F% ZAfter the sacred chest had been in Philistia for seven months,i$MZ and those who had survived were suffering from the sores. They all cried to their gods for help.h#KZ The people of Ekron called for another meeting of the Philistine rulers and told them, "Send this chest back where it belongs. Then it won't kill us." Everyone was in a panic, because God was causing a lot of people to die,y"mZ so they sent the sacred chest to Ekron. But before they could take it through the town gates, the people of Ekron started screaming, "They've brought the sacred chest that belongs to the God of Israel! It will kill us and our families too!"_!9Z the LORD made sores break out on everyone in town. The people of Gath were frightened,p [ZThe people of Ashdod had all the Philistine rulers come to Ashdod, and they asked them, "What can we do with the sacred chest that belongs to the God of Israel?" "Send it to Gath," the rulers answered. But after they took it there,"?ZFinally, they said, "The God of Israel did this. He is the one who caused all this trouble for us and our god Dagon. We've got to get rid of this chest."#AZThe LORD caused a lot of trouble for the people of Ashdod and their neighbors. He made sores break out all over their bodies, and everyone was in a panic. ZThis is the reason the priests and everyone else step over that part of the doorway when they enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod.ZBut early the next morning, it had fallen over again and was lying facedown on the floor in front of the chest. The body of the statue was still in one piece, but its head and both hands had broken off and were lying on the stone floor in the doorway.=uZWhen the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, they found the statue lying facedown on the floor in front of the sacred chest. They put the statue back where it belonged.ymZThey brought it into the temple of their god Dagon and put it next to the statue of Dagon, which they worshiped.W +ZThe Philistines took the sacred chest from near Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod./Z(SEE 4:21)PZInstead she kept thinking about losing her husband and her father-in-law. So she said, "My son will be named Ichabod, because the glory of Israel left our country when the sacred chest was captured." Zand she was dying. But the women taking care of her said, "Don't be afraid--it's a boy!" She didn't pay any attention to them.MZThe wife of Phinehas was about to give birth. And soon after she heard that the sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and his father had died, her baby came. The birth was very hard,9ZEli was still sitting on a chair beside the wall of the town gate. And when the man said that the Philistines had taken the sacred chest, Eli fell backwards. He was a very heavy old man, and the fall broke his neck and killed him. He had been a leader of Israel for forty years.G Z"Israel ran away from the Philistines," the soldier answered. "Many of our people were killed, including your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. But worst of all, the sacred chest was captured."a=Z"I escaped from the fighting today and ran here." "Young man, what happened?" Eli asked./Z(SEE 4:14)"?ZHe was ninety-eight years old and blind, but he could hear everyone crying, and he asked, "What's all that noise?" The soldier hurried over and told Eli,Y-Z He went into town and told the news about the battle, and everyone started crying. Eli was afraid that something might happen to the sacred chest. So he was sitting on his chair beside the road, just waiting.$CZ That same day a soldier from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefront to Shiloh. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show his sorrow.L Z Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and the sacred chest was captured.| sZ The Philistines did fight. They killed thirty thousand Israelite soldiers, and all the rest ran off to their homes. !Z Philistines, be brave and fight hard! If you don't, those Hebrews will rule us, just as we've been ruling them. Fight and don't be afraid.( KZWe're in big trouble! Who can save us from these powerful gods? They're the same gods who made all those horrible things happen to the Egyptians in the desert. 5Zthey were scared to death and said: The gods have come into their camp. Now we're in real trouble! Nothing like this has ever happened to us before. ~~4}||k|N{{}xxxwwvv:uuptsXs;r]rqpooSnnm|lkdkGjhjKihhIggOfedzd$cbb%aa`_^^]]\U\8ZZZZ)YXXWCVUUUITT`SSRR=Q{Q PqP OONvMML{L,KK;JJ@IIQHGGG EE>DD CBmAA@@?X>==]=(SEE 19:4)lSZThe next morning, Jonathan reminded Saul about the many good things David had done for him. Then he said, "Why do you want to kill David? He hasn't done anything to you. He has served in your army and has always done what's best for you. He even risked his life to kill Goliath. The LORD helped Israel win a great victory that day, and it made you happy."/Z(SEE 19:2)gIZand he warned David, "My father is trying to have you killed, so be very careful. Hide in a field tomorrow morning, and I'll bring him there. Then I'll talk to him about you, and if I find out anything, I'll let you know."k SZOne day, Saul told his son Jonathan and his officers to kill David. But Jonathan liked David a lot,H ZThe Philistine rulers kept coming to fight Israel, but whenever David fought them, he won. He was famous because he won more battles against the Philistines than any of Saul's other officers.ymZBut knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David, and he was David's enemy for the rest of his life.^7ZSaul knew that she loved David, and he also realized that the LORD was helping David.5eZDavid and his men left and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought back the proof and showed it to Saul, so he could marry Michal. Saul agreed to let David marry Michal.}ZThe officials told David, and David wanted to marry the princess. King Saul had set a time limit, and before it ran out,'ZSaul was hoping that the Philistines would kill David, and he told his officials to tell David, "The king doesn't want any silver or gold. He only wants to get even with his enemies. All you have to do is to bring back proof that you have killed a hundred Philistines!"RZThe officials went back to Saul and told him exactly what David had said.1Z(SEE 18:22)-UZSaul ordered his officials to speak to David in private, so they went to David and said, "Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you can marry his daughter Michal?" "I'm not rich or famous enough to marry princess Michal!" David answered.NZand he thought, "I'll tell David he can marry Michal, but I'll set it up so that the Philistines will kill him." He told David, "I'm going to give you a second chance to marry one of my daughters."ZSaul had another daughter. Her name was Michal, and Saul found out that she was in love with David. This made Saul happy,}ZBut when the time came for David to marry Saul's daughter Merab, Saul told her to marry Adriel from the town of Meholah.vgZDavid answered, "How could I possibly marry your daughter? I'm not very important, and neither is my family."vgZOne day, Saul told David, "If you'll be brave and fight the LORD's battles for me, I'll let you marry my oldest daughter Merab." But Saul was really thinking, "I don't want to kill David myself, so I'll let the Philistines do it for me."e EZBut everyone else in Judah and Israel was loyal to David, because he led the army in battle.1 _ZThis made Saul even more afraid of David.Q ZThe LORD helped David, and he and his soldiers always won their battles.S !Z Saul put David in charge of a thousand soldiers and sent him out to fight.d CZ Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was helping David and was no longer helping him.}Z Saul thought, "I'll pin David to the wall." He threw the spear at David twice, but David dodged and got away both times.Y-Z The next day the LORD let an evil spirit take control of Saul, and he began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual, but this time Saul had a spear in his hand.'KZ Saul never again trusted David..WZThis song made Saul very angry, and he thought, "They are saying that David has killed ten times more enemies than I ever did. Next they will want to make him king."^7ZThey sang: Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies!ZDavid had killed Goliath, the battle was over, and the Israelite army set out for home. As the army went along, women came out of each Israelite town to welcome King Saul. They were singing happy songs and dancing to the music of tambourines and harps.*OZDavid was a success in everything that Saul sent him to do, and Saul made him a high officer in his army. That pleased everyone, including Saul's other officers.!=ZJonathan took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his military clothes, his sword, his bow and arrows, and his belt.T#ZJonathan liked David so much that they promised to always be loyal friends.mUZFrom that time on, Saul kept David in his service and would not let David go back to his own family.~ ZDavid and Saul finished talking, and soon David and Jonathan became best friends. Jonathan thought as much of David as he did of himself.h}KZ:and Saul asked, "Who are you?" "I am David the son of Jesse, a loyal Israelite from Bethlehem."t|cZ9When David came back from fighting Goliath, he was still carrying Goliath's head. Abner took David to Saul,'{KZ8"Then find out!" Saul told him.`z;Z7After King Saul had watched David go out to fight Goliath, Saul turned to the commander of his army and said, "Abner, who is that young man?" "Your Majesty," Abner answered, "I swear by your life that I don't know."_y9Z6David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath's weapons in his own tent.wxiZ5When the Israelite army returned from chasing the Philistines, they took what they wanted from the enemy camp.QwZ4But the soldiers of Israel and Judah let out a battle cry and went after them as far as Gath and Ekron. The bodies of the Philistines were scattered all along the road from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron.7viZ3David ran over and pulled out Goliath's sword. Then he used it to cut off Goliath's head. When the Philistines saw what had happened to their hero, they started running away.bu?Z2David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword.Wt)Z1He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground.;ssZ0When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him."r?Z/Everybody here will see that the LORD doesn't need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.oqYZ.Today the LORD will help me defeat you. I'll knock you down and cut off your head, and I'll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God._p9Z-David answered: You've come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I've come out to fight you in the name of the LORD All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel's army, and you have insulted him too!ioMZ,and shouted, "Come on! When I'm finished with you, I'll feed you to the birds and wild animals!"n%Z+"Do you think I'm a dog?" Goliath asked. "Is that why you've come after me with a stick?" He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods^m7Z*When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him.[l1Z)Goliath came toward David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield.Gk Z(and picked up his shepherd's stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.PjZ'David strapped on a sword and tried to walk around, but he was not used to wearing those things. "I can't move with all this stuff on," David said. "I'm just not used to it." David took off the armormiUZ&Saul had his own military clothes and armor put on David, and he gave David a bronze helmet to wear.Xh+Z%The LORD has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and he will keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine. "All right," Saul answered, "go ahead and fight him. And I hope the LORD will help you."g-Z$Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn't have made fun of the army of the living God!f-Z#I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. If the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it.eZ"But David told him: Your Majesty, I take care of my father's sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear,xdkZ!"You don't have a chance against him," Saul replied. "You're only a boy, and he's been a soldier all his life."uceZ "Your Majesty," he said, "this Philistine shouldn't turn us into cowards. I'll go out and fight him myself!"{bqZSome soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what David had said. Saul sent for David, and David came.uaeZThen he turned and asked another soldier the same thing he had asked the others, and he got the same answer.O`Z"Now what have I done?" David answered. "Can't I even ask a question?"_-ZDavid's oldest brother Eliab heard him talking with the soldiers. Eliab was angry at him and said, "What are you doing here, anyway? Who's taking care of that little flock of sheep out in the desert? You spoiled brat! You came here just to watch the fighting, didn't you?"U^%ZThe soldiers told David what the king would give the man who killed Goliath.p][ZDavid asked some soldiers standing nearby, "What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He's making fun of the army of the living God!"\yZThey said to each other, "Look how he keeps coming out to insult us. The king is offering a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man will even get to marry the king's daughter, and no one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again."O[ZWhen the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath, they were scared and ran off. Z ZWhile David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started boasting as usual. David heard him.YZDavid left his things with the man in charge of supplies and ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well.RXZThe army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other.W}ZDavid obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left someone else in charge of the sheep; then he loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry.LVZThey're with Saul's army, fighting the Philistines in Elah Valley."6UgZAnd here are ten large chunks of cheese to take to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back something that shows that they're all right.TZOne day, Jesse told David, "Hurry and take this sack of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers at the army camp.`S;ZGoliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for forty days.jROZHe took care of his father's sheep, and he went back and forth between Bethlehem and Saul's camp.Q1Z(SEE 17:13)(PKZ the oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and Shammah was the third. The three of them had gone off to fight in Saul's army. David was Jesse's youngest son.OZ David's father Jesse was an old man, who belonged to the Ephrath clan and lived in Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons:xNkZ Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn't do a thing.RMZ Here and now I challenge Israel's whole army! Choose someone to fight me!nLWZ If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves.VK'ZGoliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel: Why are you lining up for battle? I'm the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul's army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me!"J?Zand his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed more than fifteen pounds. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield.I/Z(SEE 17:5)HH ZHe wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back,pG[ZThe Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet tall.F/Z(SEE 17:2)yZ"A man named Jesse who lives in Bethlehem has a son who can play the harp," one official said. "He's a brave warrior, he's good-looking, he can speak well, and the LORD is with him."j=OZ"All right," Saul answered. "Find me someone who is good at playing the harp and bring him here."3<aZ"Your Majesty, let us go and look for someone who is good at playing the harp. He can play for you whenever the evil spirit from God bothers you, and you'll feel better."Z;/Z"It's an evil spirit from God that's frightening you," Saul's officials told him.c:AZThe Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD was terrifying him.H9 Z Samuel poured the oil on David's head while his brothers watched. At that moment, the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and stayed with him from then on. Samuel returned home to Ramah.E8Z Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good-looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes. As soon as David came, the LORD told Samuel, "He's the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head."C7Z Do you have any more sons?" "Yes," Jesse answered. "My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep." "Send for him!" Samuel said. "We won't start the ceremony until he gets here."6 Z Jesse had all seven of his sons go over to Samuel. Finally, Samuel said, "Jesse, the LORD hasn't chosen any of these young men.g5IZ Next, Jesse sent his son Shammah to him, and Samuel said, "The LORD hasn't chosen him either."m4UZJesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel, but Samuel said, "No, the LORD hasn't chosen him."d3CZBut the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts."2)ZWhen Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse's oldest son, Eliab. "He has to be the one the LORD has chosen," Samuel said to himself.1yZ"Yes, it is!" Samuel answered. "I've come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Get yourselves ready to take part in the sacrifice and come with me." Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part.)0MZSamuel did what the LORD told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, "Is this a friendly visit?"/Zthen invite Jesse to the sacrifice. When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, pour the olive oil on his head."<.sZSamuel answered, "If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed." "Take a calf with you," the LORD replied. "Tell everyone that you've come to offer it as a sacrifice to me, - ZOne day he said, "Samuel, I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him. Put some olive oil in a small container and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his sons to be my king.",Z#Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again. The LORD was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.L+Z"Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah.V*'Z!But Samuel said, "Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them. Now your mother will be without children." Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.)Z Then Samuel shouted, "Bring me King Agag of Amalek!" Agag came in chains, and he was saying to himself, "Surely they won't kill me now."?({ZSamuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the LORD.)'MZSaul said, "I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel. Come back with me, so I can worship the LORD your God."j&OZBesides, the eternal God of Israel isn't a human being. He doesn't tell lies or change his mind." %ZSamuel said, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he will give it to someone who is better than you.Q$ZAs Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe. It tore!#-Z"No!" Samuel replied, "You disobeyed the LORD, and I won't go back with you. Now the LORD has said that you can't be king of Israel any longer."L"ZPlease forgive me and come back with me so I can worship the LORD."!Z"I have sinned," Saul admitted. "I disobeyed both you and the LORD. I was afraid of the army, and I listened to them instead.U %ZRebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can't be king."#Z"Tell me," Samuel said. "Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him. ;ZAll the animals were going to be destroyed anyway. That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the LORD your God." Z"But I did listen to the LORD!" Saul answered. "He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured King Agag and destroyed his nation.]5ZWhy didn't you listen to the LORD? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry?"dCZWhen the LORD sent you on this mission, he told you to wipe out those worthless Amalekites.'ZSamuel continued, "You may not think you're very important, but the LORD chose you to be king, and you are in charge of the tribes of Israel.mUZ"Stop!" Samuel said. "Let me tell you what the LORD told me last night." "All right," Saul answered.>wZ"The army took them from the Amalekites," Saul explained. "They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the LORD your God. But we destroyed everything else."?{Z"Then why," Samuel asked, "do I hear sheep and cattle?"Z Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, "I hope the LORD will bless you! I have done what the LORD told me."BZ Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal."Z "Saul has stopped obeying me, and I'm sorry that I made him king." Samuel was angry, and he cried out in prayer to the LORD all night.7Z The LORD told Samuel,EZ Saul and his army let Agag live, and they also spared the best sheep and cattle. They didn't want to destroy anything of value, so they only killed the animals that were worthless or weak.4eZEvery Amalekite was killed except King Agag.\3Zand Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt.jOZSome Kenites lived nearby, and Saul told them, "Your people were kind to our nation when we left Egypt, and I don't want you to get killed when I wipe out the Amalekites. Leave here and stay away from them." The Kenites left,saZthen led them to a valley near one of the towns in Amalek, where they got ready to make a surprise attack.X +ZSaul sent messengers who told every town and village to send men to join the army at Telaim. There were two hundred ten thousand troops in all, and ten thousand of these were from Judah. Saul organized them,Q Z"Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Don't have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys."$ CZ"When the Israelites were on their way out of Egypt, the nation of Amalek attacked them. I am the LORD All-Powerful, and now I am going to make Amalek pay!  ZOne day, Samuel told Saul: The LORD had me choose you to be king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the LORD: #Z4Saul was at war with the Philistines for as long as he lived. Whenever he found a good warrior or a brave man, Saul made him join his army.1Z3(SEE 14:49)1Z2(SEE 14:49)9mZ1Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. They had three sons: Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. They also had two daughters: The older one was Merab, and the younger one was Michal. Abner, Saul's cousin, was the commander of the army. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.1Z0(SEE 14:47))MZ/When Saul became king, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the kings of Zobah, the Philistines, and the Amalekites had all been robbing the Israelites. Saul fought back against these enemies and stopped them from robbing Israel. He was a brave commander and always won his battles.G Z.Saul stopped hunting down the Philistines, and they went home.hKZ-"No!" the soldiers shouted. "God helped Jonathan win the battle for us. We won't let you kill him. We swear to the LORD that we won't let you kill him or even lay a hand on him!" So the army kept Saul from killing Jonathan.:qZ,"Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die."7Z+"Jonathan," Saul exclaimed, "tell me what you did!" "I dipped the end of my walking stick in some honey and ate a little. Now you say I have to die!"yZ*Saul told Ahijah, "Now ask the LORD to decide between Jonathan and me." The answer came back that Jonathan had sinned.t~cZ)Then Saul prayed, "Our LORD, God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Please show us who sinned. Was it my son Jonathan and I, or was it your people Israel?" The answer came back that Jonathan or Saul had sinned, not the army.}Z(Saul told his army, "You stand on that side of the priest, and Jonathan and I will stand on the other side." Everyone agreed.|Z'I swear by the living LORD that whoever sinned must die, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan." No one said a word.t{cZ&Saul called his army officers together and said, "We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering.ozYZ%Saul asked God, "Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win?" This time God did not answer.yZ$Saul said, "Let's attack the Philistines again while it's still dark. We can fight them all night. Let's kill them and take everything they own!" The people answered, "We will do whatever you want." "Wait!" Ahijah the priest said. "Let's ask God what we should do."Sx!Z#It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to the LORD.,wSZ"Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock, then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it." That night the soldiers brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there.Xv+Z!Someone told Saul, "Look! The army is disobeying the LORD by eating meat before the blood drains out." "You're right," Saul answered. "They are being unfaithful to the LORD! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here.EuZ They grabbed the food they had captured from the Philistines and started eating. They even killed sheep and cows and calves right on the ground and ate the meat without draining the blood.staZBy evening the Israelite army was exhausted from killing Philistines all the way from Michmash to Aijalon.s{ZI wish you had eaten some of the food the Philistines left behind. We would have been able to kill a lot more of them."r)ZJonathan said, "My father has caused you a lot of trouble. Look at me! I had only a little of this honey, but already I feel strong and alert.$qCZThen a soldier told him, "Your father swore that anyone who ate food today would be put under a curse, and we agreed not to eat. That's why we're so weak.";pqZJonathan did not know about Saul's warning to the soldiers. So he dipped the end of his walking stick in the honey and ate some with his fingers. He felt stronger and more alert.o1Z(SEE 14:25)[n1ZThe army and the people who lived nearby had gone into a forest, and they came to a place where honey was dripping on the ground. But no one ate any of it, because they were afraid of being put under the curse.m1Z(SEE 14:23)MlZSo the LORD helped Israel win the battle that day. Saul had earlier told his soldiers, "I want to get even with those Philistines by sunset. If any of you eat before then, you will be under a curse!" So he made them swear not to eat. By the time the fighting moved past Beth-Aven, the Israelite troops were weak from hunger.CkZMany Israelites had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim. And when they heard that the Philistines were running away, they came out of hiding and joined in chasing the Philistines.j ZThere were also some hired soldiers in the Philistine camp, who now switched to Israel's side and fought for Saul and Jonathan.&iGZSaul quickly called his army together, then led them to the Philistine camp. By this time the Philistines were so confused that they were killing each other.h5ZJust as Saul finished saying this, he could see that the Philistine army camp was getting more and more confused, and he said, "Ahijah, never mind!"gZAt that time, Ahijah was serving as priest for the army of Israel, and Saul told him, "Come over here! Let's ask God what we should do.";fqZSaul told his officers, "Call the roll and find out who left our camp." When they had finished, they found out that Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons were missing.neWZSaul's lookouts at Geba saw that the Philistine army was running in every direction, like melted wax.gdIZThe whole Philistine army panicked--those in camp, those on guard duty, those in the fields, and those on raiding patrols. All of them were afraid and confused. Then God sent an earthquake, and the ground began to tremble.Wc)ZBefore they had gone a hundred feet, they had killed about twenty Philistines.Zb/Z Jonathan crawled up the hillside with the soldier right behind him. When they got to the top, Jonathan killed the Philistines who attacked from the front, and the soldier killed those who attacked from behind.a1Z (SEE 14:11)`-Z Jonathan and the soldier stood at the bottom of the hill where the Philistines could see them. The Philistines said, "Look! Those worthless Israelites have crawled out of the holes where they've been hiding." Then they yelled down to Jonathan and the soldier, "Come up here, and we will teach you a thing or two!" Jonathan turned to the soldier and said, "Follow me! The LORD is going to let us win."x_kZ But we will go if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean the LORD is going to help us win."j^OZ If they agree to come down the hill and fight where we are, then we won't climb up to their camp.Z]/Z"This is what we will do," Jonathan said. "We will go across and let them see us.V\'Z"Do whatever you want," the soldier answered. "I'll be right there with you.">[wZJonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons talked as they went toward the Philistine camp. "It's just the two of us against all those godless men," Jonathan said. "But the LORD can help a few soldiers win a battle just as easily as he can help a whole army. Maybe the LORD will help us win this battle."Z/Z(SEE 14:4)3YaZJonathan decided to get to the Philistine camp by going through the pass that led between Shiny Cliff and Michmash to the north and Thornbush Cliff and Geba to the south.X/Z(SEE 14:1)W/Z(SEE 14:1)V /Zand Saul was in Geba with his six hundred men. Saul's own tent was set up under a fruit tree by the threshing place at the edge of town. Ahijah was serving as priest, and one of his jobs was to get answers from the LORD for Saul. Ahijah's father was Ahitub, and his father's brother was Ichabod. Ahijah's grandfather was Phinehas, and his great-grandfather Eli had been the LORD's priest at Shiloh. One day, Jonathan told the soldier who carried his weapons that he wanted to attack the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley. So they slipped out of the Israelite camp without anyone knowing it. Jonathan didn't even tell his father he was leaving.AUZ The Philistines moved their camp to the pass at Michmash, T Z So, whenever the Israelite soldiers had to go into battle, none of them had a sword or a spear except Saul and his son Jonathan.S1Z (SEE 13:20) RZ Whenever the Israelites wanted to get an iron point put on a cattle prod, they had to go to the Philistines. Even if they wanted to sharpen plow-blades, picks, axes, sickles, and pitchforks they still had to go to them. And the Philistines charged high prices.4QcZ The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. "If we allowed that," they said, "those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears.")PMZ Another patrol would go west along the road to Beth-Horon. A third patrol would go east toward the desert on the road to the ridge that overlooks Zeboim Valley.$OCZ Each day they sent out patrols to attack and rob villages and then destroy them. One patrol would go north along the road to Ophrah in the region of Shual.tNcZ Saul, Jonathan, and their army set up camp at Geba in Benjamin. The Philistine army was camped at Michmash. ~~}}} ||<{{&zzHyYxww2vouu8tCssJrrqVpppKonnmmlkkZkj4ii8hhSgfeedcccbb'aa``1__%^O]x\\w[ZZIYXWWMV]VU]TTSS?RbQQuPONMMuLLKJJ>==P(SEE 25:39)?]yZ'David heard that Nabal had died. "I praise the LORD!" David said. "He has judged Nabal guilty for insulting me. The LORD kept me from doing anything wrong, and he made sure that Nabal hurt only himself with his own evil." Abigail was still at Carmel. So David sent messengers to ask her if she would marry him./\[Z&Ten days later, the LORD took his life.![=Z%But when he sobered up the next morning, Abigail told him everything that had happened. Nabal had a heart attack, and he lay in bed as still as a stone. Z;Z$Abigail went back home and found Nabal throwing a party fit for a king. He was very drunk and feeling good, so she didn't tell him anything that night.|YsZ#David accepted the food Abigail had brought. "Don't worry," he said. "You can go home now. I'll do what you asked."jXOZ"If you hadn't come to meet me so quickly, every man and boy in Nabal's family and in his servants' families would have been killed by morning. I swear by the living LORD God of Israel who protected you that this is the truth.qW]Z!And you should also be praised. Your good sense kept me from taking revenge and killing innocent people.aV=Z David told her: I praise the LORD God of Israel! He must have sent you to meet me today.@U{Zand now your conscience will be clear, because you won't be guilty of taking revenge and killing innocent people. When the LORD does all those good things for you, please remember me. TZThe LORD has promised to do many good things for you, even to make you the ruler of Israel. The LORD will keep his promises to you,$SCZThe LORD your God will keep you safe when your enemies try to kill you. But he will snatch away their lives quicker than you can throw a rock from a sling.@R{ZPlease forgive me if I say a little more. The LORD will always protect you and your family, because you fight for him. I pray that you won't ever do anything evil as long as you live.Q1Z(SEE 25:26)2P_Zbut please take this gift of food that I've brought and share it with your followers. The LORD has kept you from taking revenge and from killing innocent people. But I hope your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you will end up like Nabal. I swear this by the living LORD and by your life.OZDon't pay any attention to that good-for-nothing Nabal. His name means "fool," and it really fits him! I didn't see the men you sent,2NaZThen she said: Sir, please let me explain!MMZAbigail quickly got off her donkey and bowed down in front of David.L9ZI swear that by morning, there won't be a man or boy left from his family or his servants' families. I pray that God will punish me if I don't do it!"@K{ZDavid had just been saying, "I surely wasted my time guarding Nabal's things in the desert and keeping them from being stolen! I was good to him, and now he pays me back with insults.JZAbigail was riding her donkey on the path that led around the hillside, when suddenly she met David and his men heading straight at her.I Zand told her servants, "Take this on ahead, and I'll catch up with you." She didn't tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.HZAbigail quickly got together two hundred loaves of bread, two large clay jars of wine, the meat from five sheep, a large sack of roasted grain, a hundred handfuls of raisins, and two hundred handfuls of dried figs. She loaded all the food on donkeys?GyZHe's a bully who won't listen to anyone. Isn't there something you can do? Please think of something! Or else our master and his family and everyone who works for him are all doomed.F1Z(SEE 25:14)E1Z(SEE 25:14)7DiZMeanwhile, one of Nabal's servants told Abigail: David's men were often nearby while we were taking care of the sheep in the fields. They were very good to us, they never hurt us, and nothing was ever stolen from us while they were nearby. With them around day or night, we were as safe as we would have been inside a walled city. David sent some messengers from the desert to wish our master well, but he shouted insults at them.3CaZ "Everybody get your swords!" David ordered. They all strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp, but the other four hundred followed David.QBZ The men returned to their camp and told David everything Nabal had said.3AaZ What makes you think I would take my bread, my water, and the meat that I've had cooked for my own servants and give it to you? Besides, I'm not sure that David sent you!/@YZ This is what he said: Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master, and there are too many of them these days.e?EZ David's men went to Nabal and gave him David's message, then they waited for Nabal's answer.W>)ZAsk your shepherds, and they'll tell you the same thing. My servants are your servants, and you are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating, so please be kind and share some of your food with us.*=OZI've heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. When your shepherds were with us in Carmel, we didn't harm them, and nothing was ever stolen from them.</Z(SEE 25:5);ZSo he sent ten men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: I hope that you and your family are healthy and that all is going well for you.: ZOne day, Nabal was in Carmel, having his servants cut the wool from his sheep. David was in the desert when he heard about it.9/Z(SEE 25:2)f8GZNabal was a very rich man who lived in Maon. He owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, which he kept at Carmel. His wife Abigail was sensible and beautiful, but he was from the Caleb clan and was rough and mean.(7 MZSamuel died, and people from all over Israel gathered to mourn for him when he was buried at his home in Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved his camp to Paran Desert.\63ZSo David promised, and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout.5ZPromise me with the LORD as your witness, that you won't wipe out my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive.S4!ZI realize now that you will be the next king, and a powerful king at that.3+ZIf you really were my enemy, you wouldn't have let me leave here alive. I pray that the LORD will give you a big reward for what you did today.b2?ZYou've told me how you were kind enough not to kill me when the LORD gave you the chance.}1uZand said: David, you're a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I've been cruel to you.I0 Z"David, my son--is that you?" Saul asked. Then he started cryingR/ZI pray that the LORD will help me escape and show that I am in the right.k.QZWhy should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea.Y--Z An old proverb says, "Only evil people do evil things," and so I won't harm you.#,AZ I'll let the LORD decide which one of us has done right. I pray that the LORD will punish you for what you're doing to me, but I won't do anything to you.?+yZ Your Majesty, look at what I'm holding. You can see that it's a piece of your robe. If I could cut off a piece of your robe, I could have killed you. But I let you live, and that should prove I'm not trying to harm you or to rebel. I haven't done anything to you, and yet you keep trying to ambush and kill me.[*1Z You can see for yourself that the LORD gave me the chance to catch you in the cave today. Some of my men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn't let them do it. I told them, "I will not harm the LORD's chosen king!"a)=Z and said: Your Majesty, why do you listen to people who say that I'm trying to harm you?(%ZSoon, David also got up and left the cave. "Your Majesty!" he shouted from a distance. Saul turned around to look. David bowed down very low'/Z(SEE 24:6)f&GZand he told his men, "Stop talking foolishly. We're not going to attack Saul. He's my king, and I pray that the LORD will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king." Saul left the cave and started down the road.?%{ZAfterwards, David was sorry that he had even done that,$!ZThey whispered to David, "The LORD told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the LORD was talking about." David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul's robe, but Saul didn't notice a thing.[#1ZThere were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave.}"uZSaul led three thousand of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi.s! cZWhen Saul got back from fighting off the Philistines, he heard that David was in the desert around En-Gedi.? {ZDavid left and went to live in the hideouts at En-Gedi.}uZSaul stopped going after David and went back to fight the Philistines. That's why the place is called "Escape Rock."|sZwhen a messenger came to Saul and said, "Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking Israel and taking everything."8kZSaul was going around a hill on one side, and David and his men were on the other side, trying to get away. Saul and his soldiers were just about to capture David and his men,a=ZSaul and his army set out to find David. But David heard that Saul was coming, and he went to a place called The Rock, one of his hideouts in Maon Desert. Saul found out where David was and started closing in on him.ZThe people from Ziph went back ahead of Saul, and they found out that David and his men were still south of Jeshimon in the Maon Desert.9mZFind out where all his hiding places are and come back when you're sure. Then I'll go with you. If he is still in the area, or anywhere among the clans of Judah, I'll find him..WZNow please do just a little more for me. Find out exactly where David is, as well as where he goes, and who has seen him there. I've been told that he's very tricky.]5ZSaul told them: You've done me a big favor, and I pray that the LORD will bless you.1_ZIf you come, we will help you catch him."@{ZSome people from the town of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Your Majesty, David has a hideout not far from us! It's near Horesh, somewhere on Mount Hachilah south of Jeshimon. ZThey both promised the LORD that they would always be loyal to each other. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.T#Z"Don't be afraid," Jonathan said. "My father Saul will never get his hands on you. In fact, you're going to be the next king of Israel, and I'll be your highest official. Even my father knows it's true."LZBut Jonathan went to see David, and God helped him encourage David.saZOne time, David was at Horesh in Ziph Desert. He was afraid because Saul had come to the area to kill him.|sZDavid stayed in hideouts in the hill country of Ziph Desert. Saul kept searching, but God never let Saul catch him./YZ David and his six hundred men got out of there fast and started moving from place to place. Saul heard that David had left Keilah, and he decided not to go after him.yZ David asked, "Would the leaders of Keilah hand me and my soldiers over to Saul?" "Yes, they would," the LORD answered.Z Would the leaders of Keilah turn me over to Saul? Or is he really coming? Please tell me, LORD." "Yes, he will come," the LORD answered.$ CZ David prayed, "LORD God of Israel, I was told that Saul is planning to come here. What should I do? Suppose he threatens to destroy the town because of me.o YZ David heard about Saul's plan to capture him, and he told Abiathar, "Let's ask God what we should do." /Z(SEE 23:6) /Z(SEE 23:6)J ZMeanwhile, Saul heard that David was in Keilah. "God has let me catch David," Saul said. "David is trapped inside a walled town where the gates can be locked." Saul decided to go there and surround the town, in order to trap David and his men. He sent messengers who told the towns and villages, "Send men to serve in Saul's army!" By this time, Abiathar had joined David in Keilah and had brought along everything he needed to get answers from God.$CZDavid and his men went there and fiercely attacked the Philistines. They killed many of them, then led away their cattle, and rescued the people of Keilah. ZDavid asked the LORD about it again. "Leave right now," the LORD answered. "I will give you victory over the Philistines at Keilah."ZBut David's men said, "Look, even here in Judah we're afraid of the Philistines. We will be terrified if we try to fight them at Keilah!"~wZDavid asked the LORD, "Should I attack these Philistines?" "Yes," the LORD answered. "Attack them and rescue Keilah." ZOne day some people told David, "The Philistines keep attacking the town of Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing place."oYZStay here. Isn't the same person trying to kill both of us? Don't worry! You'll be safe here with me."nWZDavid answered, "That day when I saw Doeg, I knew he would tell Saul! Your family died because of me.=wZand told him, "Saul has murdered the priests at Nob!"OZAhimelech's son Abiathar was the only one who escaped. He ran to David8kZThen he attacked the town of Nob, where the priests had lived, and he killed everyone there--men, women, children, and babies. He even killed their cattle, donkeys, and sheep.~}ZSaul turned to Doeg, who was from Edom, and said, "Kill the priests!" On that same day, Doeg killed eighty-five priests.W})ZSaul shouted to his bodyguards, "These priests of the LORD helped David! They knew he was running away, but they didn't tell me. Kill them!" But the king's officers would not attack the priests of the LORD.N|Z"Ahimelech," Saul said, "you and your whole family are going to die."8{kZThis isn't the first time I've talked with God for David, and it's never made you angry before! Please don't accuse me or my family like this. I have no idea what's going on!":zoZ"Your Majesty, none of your officers is more loyal than David!" Ahimelech replied. "He's your son-in-law and the captain of your bodyguard. Everyone in your family respects him.LyZ Saul demanded, "Why did you plot against me with that son of Jesse? You helped him rebel against me by giving him food and a sword, and by talking with God for him. Now he's trying to ambush me!"jxOZ Saul told them, "Listen to me, you son of Ahitub." "Certainly, Your Majesty," Ahimelech answered.wyZ Saul sent a message to Ahimelech and his whole family of priests at Nob, ordering them to come to him. When they came,}vuZ Ahimelech talked to the LORD for him, then gave him food and the sword that had belonged to Goliath the Philistine."=uuZ Doeg the Edomite was standing with the other officers and spoke up, "When I was in the town of Nob, I saw that son of Jesse. He was visiting the priest Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.tZBut you're all plotting against me! Not one of you told me that my own son Jonathan had made an agreement with him. Not one of you cared enough to tell me that Jonathan had helped one of my officers rebel. Now that son of Jesse is trying to ambush me.fsGZHe told them: Listen to me! You belong to the Benjamin tribe, so if that son of Jesse ever becomes king, he won't give you fields or vineyards. He won't make you officers in charge of thousands or hundreds as I have done.Ir ZSaul was sitting under a small tree on top of the hill at Gibeah when he heard that David and his men had been seen. Saul was holding his spear, and his officers were standing in front of him.|qsZOne day the prophet Gad told David, "Don't stay here! Go back to Judah." David then left and went to Hereth Forest.kpQZSo he brought his parents to the king of Moab, and they stayed with him while David was in hiding.Yo-ZDavid left Adullam Cave and went to the town of Mizpeh in Moab, where he talked with the king of Moab. "Please," David said, "let my father and mother stay with you until I find out what God will do with me."n%ZA lot of other people joined him too. Some were in trouble, others were angry or in debt, and David was soon the leader of four hundred men.'m KZWhen David escaped from the town of Gath, he went to Adullam Cave. His brothers and the rest of his family found out where he was, and they followed him there.jlOZI have enough crazy people without your bringing another one here. Keep him away from my palace!"jkOZ"Look at him!" Achish said to his officers. "You can see he's crazy. Why did you bring him to me?$jCZ So right there in front of everyone, he pretended to be insane. He acted confused and scratched up the doors of the town gate, while drooling in his beard.Ui%Z David thought about what they were saying, and it made him afraid of Achish.lhSZ The officers of King Achish were also there, and they asked Achish, "Isn't David a king back in his own country? Don't the Israelites dance and sing, 'Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies'?"ggIZ David kept on running from Saul that day until he came to Gath, where he met with King Achish.,fSZ The priest answered, "The only sword here is the one that belonged to Goliath the Philistine. You were the one who killed him in Elah Valley, and so you can take his sword if you want to. It's wrapped in a cloth behind the statue." "It's the best sword there is," David said. "I'll take it!"1e]ZDavid asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or a sword? I had to leave so quickly on this mission for the king that I didn't bring along my sword or any other weapons.")dMZIt so happened that one of Saul's officers was there, worshiping the LORD that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, and he was the strongest of Saul's shepherds.#cAZThe only bread the priest had was the sacred bread that he had taken from the place of worship after putting out the fresh loaves. So he gave it to David.lbSZ"Of course we didn't sleep with women," David answered. "I never let my men do that when we're on a mission. They have to be acceptable to worship God even when we're on a regular mission, and today we're on a special mission."a!Z"The only bread I have is the sacred bread," the priest told David. "You can have it if your soldiers didn't sleep with women last night."U`%ZDo you have any food you can give me? Could you spare five loaves of bread?"%_EZ"I'm on a mission for King Saul," David answered. "He ordered me not to tell anyone what the mission is all about, so I had my soldiers stay somewhere else.S^ #ZDavid went to see Ahimelech, a priest who lived in the town of Nob. Ahimelech was trembling with fear as he came out to meet David. "Why are you alone?" Ahimelech asked. "Why isn't anyone else with you?"R]Z*Jonathan said, "Take care of yourself. And remember, we each have asked the LORD to watch and make sure that we and our descendants keep our promise forever." David left and Jonathan went back to town.-\UZ)After the boy had gone, David got up from beside the mound and bowed very low three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and cried, but David cried louder.X[+Z(Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, "Take these back into town."RZZ'but he had no idea about what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew.YyZ&Jonathan shouted to him again, "Hurry up! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to Jonathan,uXeZ%When the boy got near the place where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted, "Isn't the arrow on past you?"#WAZ$and told him, "When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me." The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him.bV?Z#In the morning, Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along UZ"Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David so terribly. He got up, left the table, and didn't eat anything all that day.TZ!Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David.MSZ "Why do you want to kill David?" Jonathan asked. "What has he done?"R'ZYou'll never be safe, and your kingdom will be in danger as long as that son of Jesse is alive. Turn him over to me now! He deserves to die!"qQ]ZSaul was furious with Jonathan and yelled, "You're no son of mine, you traitor! I know you've chosen to be loyal to that son of Jesse. You should be ashamed of yourself! And your own mother should be ashamed that you were ever born.P1Z(SEE 20:28)!O=ZJonathan answered, "The reason David hasn't come to eat with you is that he begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. He said, 'Please let me go. My family is offering a sacrifice, and my brother told me I have to be there. Do me this favor and let me slip away to see my brothers.' "SN!ZThe day after the New Moon Festival, when David's place was still empty, Saul asked Jonathan, "Why hasn't that son of Jesse come to eat with us? He wasn't here yesterday, and he still isn't here today!"1M]ZSaul didn't say anything that day, because he was thinking, "Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened."LZby the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty.\K3ZSo David hid there in the field. During the New Moon Festival, Saul sat down to eataJ=ZBut he will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.I#ZBut if it isn't safe, I'll say to the boy, "The arrows are farther away!" This will mean that the LORD wants you to leave, and you must go.VH'Zand send my servant to find the arrows. You'll know if it's safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living LORD that I'll say, "The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up!"IG ZI'll shoot three arrows at a target off to the side of the rock, F;ZBy the day after tomorrow, everyone will think you've been gone a long time. Then go to the place where you hid before and stay beside Going-Away Rock. EZAfter this Jonathan said: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, and people will wonder where you are, because your place will be empty.D ZJonathan thought as much of David as he did of himself, so he asked David to promise once more that he would be a loyal friend.KCZJonathan and David made an agreement that even David's descendants would have to keep. Then Jonathan said, "I pray that the LORD will take revenge on your descendants if they break our promise."B1Z(SEE 20:14)*AOZSomeday the LORD will wipe out all of your enemies. Then if I'm still alive, please be as kind to me as the LORD has been. But if I'm dead, be kind to my family.^@7Z But if he wants to harm you, I promise to tell you and help you escape. And I ask the LORD to punish me severely if I don't keep my promise. I pray that the LORD will bless you, just as he used to bless my father.0?[Z Jonathan said: I swear by the LORD God of Israel, that two days from now I'll know what my father is planning. Of course I'll let you know if he's friendly toward you.a>=Z "Let's go out to this field, and I'll tell you," Jonathan answered. When they got there,,=UZ "How will you do that?" David asked.u<eZ "Don't worry," Jonathan said. "If I find out that my father wants to kill you, I'll certainly let you know."D;ZBe kind to me. After all, it was your idea to promise the LORD that we would always be loyal friends. If I've done anything wrong, kill me yourself, but don't hand me over to your father.r:_ZIf your father says it's all right, then I'm safe. But if he gets angry, you'll know he wants to harm me.39aZIf Saul wonders where I am, tell him, "David asked me to let him go to his hometown of Bethlehem, so he could take part in a sacrifice his family makes there every year."18]ZDavid answered: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, and I'm supposed to eat dinner with your father. But instead, I'll hide in a field until the evening of the next day.A7ZThen Jonathan said, "Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."q6]Z"Jonathan, I swear it's true! But your father knows how much you like me, and he didn't want to break your heart. That's why he didn't tell you. I swear by the living LORD and by your own life that I'm only one step ahead of death."5)Z"My father can't be trying to kill you! He never does anything without telling me about it. Why would he hide this from me? It can't be true!"4 -ZDavid escaped from Prophets Village. Then he ran to see Jonathan and asked, "Why does your father Saul want to kill me? What have I done wrong?"?3yZhe stripped off his clothes and prophesied in front of Samuel. He dropped to the ground and lay there naked all day and night. That's how the saying started, "Is Saul now a prophet?" 2;ZSaul left for Ramah. But as he walked along, the Spirit of God took control of him, and he started prophesying. Then, when he reached Prophets Village,C1ZFinally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far as the deep pit at the town of Secu, and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "At Prophets Village in Ramah," the people answered.80kZWhen Saul heard what had happened, he sent another group of soldiers, but they prophesied the same way. He sent a third group of soldiers, but the same thing happened to them.k/QZSaul sent a few soldiers to bring David back. They went to Ramah and found Samuel in charge of a group of prophets who were all prophesying. Then the Spirit of God took control of the soldiers and they started prophesying too.D.ZSomeone told Saul, "David is at Prophets Village in Ramah."-!ZMeanwhile, David went to Samuel at Ramah and told him what Saul had done. Then Samuel and David went to Prophets Village and stayed there.%,EZ"Why have you tricked me this way?" Saul asked Michal. "You helped my enemy get away!" She answered, "He said he would kill me if I didn't help him escape!"j+OZWhen the guards went in, all they found in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head.{*qZSaul sent the guards back and told them, "Get David out of his bed and bring him to me, so I can have him killed."c)AZThe next morning, Saul sent guards to arrest David. But Michal told them, "David is sick."q(]Z Michal put a statue in his bed. She put goat hair on its head and dressed it in some of David's clothes.]'5Z She helped David go through a window and climb down to the ground. As David ran off,9&mZ Saul sent guards to watch David's house all night and then to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you don't escape tonight, they'll kill you tomorrow!"%/Z (SEE 19:9)/$YZ One night, David was in Saul's home, playing the harp for him. Saul was sitting there, holding a spear, when an evil spirit from the LORD took control of him. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David dodged, and it stuck in the wall. David ran out of the house and escaped. b~}||h| {5zzyywvv\tsssUsrqpp4oohnnfmllskkSjji_hhAgg[fe"eccobFba~``'_^^^]]a\[[ ZHZ,Y}XXWYVVUiU TSRQQPPE>*>==)<<;;r;::!99088,7786t655!44+33k32311U00 //8..-,,+**)s((1''*&$$n$S$8#"!!g u )Zlil0c0d 8  ~ c h rxfKGdThe Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, and David led his army there to attack them. The Jebusites did not think he could get in, so they told him, "You can't get in here! We could run you off, even if we couldn't see or walk!"/JYdHe lived in Hebron for the first seven and a half years and ruled only Judah. Then he moved to Jerusalem, where he ruled both Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.VI'dDavid was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years.KHdDuring the meeting, David made an agreement with the leaders and asked the LORD to be their witness. Then the leaders poured olive oil on David's head to show that he was now the king of Israel.G7dEven when Saul was king, you led our nation in battle. And the LORD promised that someday you would rule Israel and take care of us like a shepherd."SF #dIsrael's leaders met with David at Hebron and said, "We are your relatives.REd Then David said to his troops, "Kill these two brothers! Cut off their hands and feet and hang their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But bury Ishbosheth's head in Abner's tomb near Hebron." And they did.JDd You evil men have done something much worse than he did. You've killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed. I'll make you pay for that. I'll wipe you from the face of the earth!C3d When a man came to Ziklag and told me that Saul was dead, he thought he deserved a reward for bringing good news. But I grabbed him and killed him.SB!d David answered: I swear that only the LORD rescues me when I'm in trouble!wAidFinally they turned west and went to Hebron. They went in to see David and told him, "Your Majesty, here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you! The LORD has let you get even with Saul and his family."@-d(SEE 4:6))?Mdin his bedroom. The two brothers went into the house, pretending to get some flour. But once they were inside, they stabbed Ishbosheth in the stomach and killed him. Then they cut off his head and took it with them. Rechab and Baanah walked through the Jordan River valley all night long.o>YdOne day about noon, Rechab and Baanah went to Ishbosheth's house. It was a hot day, and he was resting=)dSaul's son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who had not been able to walk since he was five years old. It happened when someone from Jezreel told his nurse that Saul and Jonathan had died. She hurried off with the boy in her arms, but he fell and injured his legs.c<AdThe people who used to live in Beeroth had run away to Gittaim, and they still live there.];5dIshbosheth had put the two brothers Baanah and Rechab in charge of the soldiers who raided enemy villages. Rimmon was their father, and they were from the town of Beeroth, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.v: idIshbosheth felt like giving up after he heard that Abner had died in Hebron. Everyone in Israel was terrified.9d'I am the chosen king, but Joab and Abishai have more power than I do. So God will have to pay them back for the evil thing they did."k8Qd&David said to his officials, "Don't you realize that today one of Israel's great leaders has died?i7Md%Now the people of Judah and Israel were certain that David had nothing to do with killing Abner.c6Ad$Everyone noticed what David did, and they liked it, just as they always liked what he did.d5Cd#Then they brought some food to David and told him he would feel better if he had something to eat. It was still daytime, and David said, "I swear to God that I'll not take a bite of bread or anything else until sunset!"{4qd"No one tied your hands or chained your feet, yet you died as a victim of murderers. Everyone started crying again.g3Id!Then the king sang a funeral song about Abner: Abner, why should you have died like an outlaw?f2Gd Abner was buried in Hebron, while David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly.c1AdDavid told Joab and everyone with him, "Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner's body and cry!" David walked behind the stretcher on which Abner's body was being carried.v0gdJoab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.I/ dJoab and his family are the guilty ones. I pray that Joab's family will always be sick with sores and other skin diseases. May they all be cowards, and may they die in war or starve to death.".}dDavid heard how Joab had killed Abner, and he said, "I swear to the LORD that I am completely innocent of Abner's death! - dWhen Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pretended he wanted to talk privately with him. So he took Abner into one of the small rooms that were part of the town gate and stabbed him in the stomach. Joab killed him because Abner had killed Joab's brother Asahel.&,GdJoab left David, then he sent some messengers to catch up with Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David did not know anything about it.+}dYou know Abner--he came to trick you. He wants to find out how strong your army is and to know everything you're doing."u*edJoab went to David and said, "What have you done? Abner came to you, and you let him go. Now he's long gone!)%dRight after they arrived, someone told Joab, "Abner visited the king, and the king let him go. Abner even left without causing any trouble."('dSoon after Abner had left Hebron, Joab and some of David's soldiers came back, bringing a lot of things they had taken from an enemy village.'dAfter the feast, Abner said, "Your Majesty, let me leave now and bring Israel here to make an agreement with you. You'll be king of the whole nation, just as you've been wanting." David told Abner he could leave, and he left without causing any trouble.k&QdAbner took twenty soldiers with him, and when they got to Hebron, David gave a big feast for them.9%mdFinally, Abner talked with the tribe of Benjamin. Then he left for Hebron to tell David everything that the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the people of Israel wanted to do.$)dSo do it! After all, God said he would use his servant David to rescue his people Israel from their enemies, especially from the Philistines." # dAbner talked with the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, "You've wanted to make David your king for a long time now."dPaltiel followed Michal and the men all the way to Bahurim, crying as he walked. But he went back home after Abner ordered him to leave.l!SdIshbosheth sent some of his men to take Michal away from her new husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.& GdDavid sent a few of his officials to Ishbosheth to give him this message: "Give me back my wife Michal! I killed a hundred Philistines so I could marry her."/Yd David sent this message back: "Good! I'll make an agreement with you. But before I will even talk with you about it, you must get Saul's daughter Michal back for me."Kd Abner sent some of his men to David with this message: "You should be the ruler of the whole nation. If you make an agreement with me, I will persuade everyone in Israel to make you their king."I d Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not even answer.nWd God said that he wouldn't let anyone in Saul's family ever be king again and that David would be king instead. He also said that David would rule both Israel and Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.U%d I ask God to punish me if I don't help David get what the LORD promised him!8kdAbner was very angry at what Ishbosheth had said, and he told Ishbosheth: Am I some kind of worthless dog from Judah? I've always been loyal to your father's family and to his relatives and friends. I haven't turned you over to David. And yet you talk to me as if I've committed a crime with this woman.:odHe had even slept with a wife of Saul by the name of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah. But Saul's son Ishbosheth told Abner, "You shouldn't have slept with one of my father's wives!"|sdAs the war went on between the families of David and Saul, Abner was gaining more power than ever in Saul's family.-d(SEE 3:2)-d(SEE 3:2)-d(SEE 3:2)widSeveral of David's sons were born while he was living in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. David's second son was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, who had been married to Nabal from Carmel. Absalom was the third. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, another one of David's wives." AdThis battle was the beginning of a long war between the followers of Saul and the followers of David. Saul's power grew weaker, but David's grew stronger.)Md Joab and his troops carried Asahel's body to Bethlehem and buried him in the family burial place. Then they marched all night and reached Hebron before sunrise.W)dBut David's soldiers had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. dAs soon as Joab stopped chasing Abner, he got David's troops together and counted them. There were nineteen missing besides Asahel..WdAbner and his troops marched through the Jordan River valley all that night. Then they crossed the river and marched all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim. dJoab took his trumpet and blew the signal for his soldiers to stop chasing the soldiers of Israel. Right away, the fighting stopped. dJoab shouted back, "I swear by the living God, if you hadn't spoken, my men would have chased their relatives all night!" }dAbner shouted to Joab, "Aren't we ever going to stop killing each other? Don't you know that the longer we keep on doing this, the worse it's going to be when it's all over? When are you going to order your men to stop chasing their own relatives?"o YdAbner brought the men of Benjamin together in one group on top of a hill, and they got ready to fight. 'dBut Joab and Abishai went after Abner. Finally, about sunset, they came to the hill of Ammah, not far from Giah on the road to Gibeon Desert. dBut Asahel would not turn back, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the back end of his spear. The spear went all the way through and came out of his back. Asahel fell down and died. Everyone who saw Asahel lying dead just stopped and stood still.vgdAbner said, "If you don't turn back, I'll have to kill you! Then I could never face your brother Joab again."0[dAbner said, "There are soldiers all around. Stop chasing me and fight one of them! Kill him and take his clothes and weapons for yourself." But Asahel refused to stop.eEdWhen Abner turned and saw him, he said, "Is that you, Asahel?" Asahel answered, "Yes it is."V'dand he ran straight after Abner, without looking to the right or to the left.ymdZeruiah's three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel could run as fast as a deer in an open field,dThen everyone started fighting. Both sides fought very hard, but David's soldiers defeated Abner and the soldiers of Israel.;qdThey grabbed each other by the hair and stabbed each other in the side with their daggers. They all died right there! That's why the place in Gibeon is called "Field of Daggers."iMdand twelve of Ishbosheth's men from the tribe of Benjamin got up to fight twelve of David's men.oYdAbner yelled to Joab, "Let's have some of our best soldiers get up and fight each other!" Joab agreed,Y-d Meanwhile, Joab the son of Zeruiah was leading David's soldiers, and the two groups met at the pool in Gibeon. Abner and his men sat down on one side of the pool, while Joab and his men sat on the other side.X~+d One day, Abner and the soldiers of Ishbosheth left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.<}ud and he ruled from Hebron for seven and a half years.~|wd Ishbosheth was forty years old at the time, and he ruled for two years. But the tribe of Judah made David their king,k{Qd and made him king of Israel, including the areas of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin.zdAbner the son of Ner had been the general of Saul's army. He took Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan River to MahanaimdyCdSaul is dead, but the tribe of Judah has made me their king. So be strong and have courage.xxkdand I pray that the LORD will be kind and faithful to you. I will be your friend because of what you have done.nwWdDavid sent messengers to tell them: The LORD bless you! You were kind enough to bury Saul your ruler,@v{dThe people of Judah met with David at Hebron and poured olive oil on his head to show that he was their new king. Then they told David, "The people from Jabesh in Gilead buried Saul."]u5dDavid also had his men and their families come and live in the villages near Hebron.tdDavid went to Hebron with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. Ahinoam was from Jezreel, and Abigail was the widow of Nabal from Carmel.;s sdLater, David asked the LORD, "Should I go back to one of the towns of Judah?" The LORD answered, "Yes." David asked, "Which town should I go to?" "Go to Hebron," the LORD replied.Br dOur warriors have fallen, and their weapons are destroyed.q dJonathan, I miss you most! I loved you like a brother. You were truly loyal to me, more faithful than a wife to her husband.fp IdOur warriors have fallen in the heat of battle, and Jonathan lies dead on the hills of Gilboa.^o 9dWomen of Israel, cry for Saul. He brought you fine red cloth and jewelry made of gold. n dIt was easy to love Saul and Jonathan. Together in life, together in death, they were faster than eagles and stronger than lions.`m =dThe arrows of Jonathan struck, and warriors died. The sword of Saul cut the enemy apart.El dDon't let dew or rain fall on the hills of Gilboa. Don't let its fields grow offerings for God. There the warriors' shields were smeared with mud, and Saul's own shield was left unpolished. k dDon't tell it in Gath or spread the news on the streets of Ashkelon. The godless Philistine women will be happy and jump for joy.^j 9dIsrael, your famous hero lies dead on the hills, and your mighty warriors have fallen!'i Kdand he ordered his men to teach the song to everyone in Judah. He called it "The Song of the Bow," and it can be found in The Book of Jashar. This is the song:8h odDavid sang a song in memory of Saul and Jonathan,g /d(SEE 1:14)f /d(SEE 1:14)ee GdDavid said to him, "Why weren't you afraid to kill the LORD's chosen king? And you even told what you did. It's your own fault that you're going to die!" Then David told one of his soldiers, "Come here and kill this man!"}d wd David asked the young man, "Where is your home?" The man replied, "My father is an Amalekite, but we live in Israel.")c Od They cried all day long and would not eat anything. Everyone was sad because Saul, his son Jonathan, and many of the LORD's people had been killed in the battle.Hb  d Right away, David and his soldiers tore their clothes in sorrow.-a Wd So I killed him. I knew he was too badly wounded to live much longer. Then I took his crown and his arm-band, and I brought them to you, Your Majesty. Here they are.E` d Then he said, "Kill me! I'm dying, and I'm in terrible pain."@_ dSaul asked me, "Who are you?" "An Amalekite," I answered.]^ 7dWhen he turned around and saw me, he called me over. I went and asked what he wanted.] /dThe young man replied: I was on Mount Gilboa and saw King Saul leaning on his spear. The enemy's war chariots and cavalry were closing in on him.B\ dDavid asked, "How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?"![ ?d"Who won the battle?" David asked. The man said, "Our army turned and ran, but many were wounded and died. Even King Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."vZ idDavid asked, "Where did you come from?" The man answered, "From Israel's army. I barely escaped with my life."Y 5dThree days later, a soldier came from Saul's army. His clothes were torn, and dirt was on his head. He went to David and knelt down in front of him.ZX 3dSaul was dead. Meanwhile, David had defeated the Amalekites and returned to Ziklag.WyZ They buried the bones under a small tree in Jabesh, and for seven days, they went without eating to show their sorrow.&VGZ So one night, some brave men from Jabesh went to Beth-Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons, then brought them back to Jabesh and burned them.eUEZ The people who lived in Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul's body.T/Z (SEE 31:9)(SEE 30:27)I1Z(SEE 30:27)H1Z(SEE 30:27)G1Z(SEE 30:27)7FiZThis is a list of the towns where David sent gifts: Bethel, Ramoth in the Southern Desert, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Racal, the towns belonging to the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites, Hormah, Bor-Ashan, Athach, and Hebron. He also sent gifts to the other towns where he and his men had traveled.EZDavid went back to Ziklag with everything they had taken from the Amalekites. He sent some of these things as gifts to his friends who were leaders of Judah, and he told them, "We took these things from the LORD's enemies. Please accept them as a gift."ODZDavid made this a law for Israel, and it has been the same ever since.CZWho would pay attention to you, anyway? Soldiers who stay behind to guard the camp get as much as those who go into battle. B;ZBut David said: My friends, don't be so greedy with what the LORD has given us! The LORD protected us and gave us victory over the people who attacked.eAEZSome of David's men were good-for-nothings, and they said, "Those men didn't go with us to the battle, so they don't get any of the things we took back from the Amalekites. Let them take their wives and children and go!" @;ZOn the way back, David went to the two hundred men he had left at Besor Gorge, because they had been too tired to keep up with him. They came toward David and the people who were with him. When David was close enough, he greeted the two hundred men and asked how they were doing.K?Zincluding their livestock. David also took the sheep and cattle that the Amalekites had with them, but he kept these separate from the others. Everyone agreed that these would be David's reward.q>]ZNo one was missing--young or old, sons or daughters. David brought back everything that had been stolen,\=3ZDavid rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag.'<IZDavid attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped.;)ZHe led David to the Amalekites. They were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah.&:GZ"Will you take me to those Amalekites?" David asked. "Yes, I will, if you promise with God as a witness that you won't kill me or hand me over to my master.":9oZWe had attacked some towns in the desert where the Cherethites live, in the area that belongs to Judah, and in the desert where the Caleb clan lives. And we burned down Ziklag."L8Z "Who is your master?" David asked. "And where do you come from?" "I'm from Egypt," the young man answered. "I'm the servant of an Amalekite, but he left me here three days ago because I was sick.7Z some dried figs, and two handfuls of raisins. This was the first time in three days he had tasted food or water. Now he felt much better.+6QZ Some of David's men found an Egyptian out in a field and took him to David. They gave the Egyptian some bread, and he ate it. Then they gave him a drink of water,5/Z (SEE 30:9)@4{Z David led his six hundred men to Besor Gorge, but two hundred of them were too tired to go across. So they stayed behind, while David and the other four hundred men crossed the gorge.W3)ZThen David asked the LORD, "Should I go after the people who raided our town? Can I catch up with them?" "Go after them," the LORD answered. "You will catch up with them, and you will rescue your families."#2AZand he said to the priest, "Abiathar, let's ask God what to do." Abiathar brought everything he needed to get answers from God, and he went over to David.O1ZDavid was desperate. His soldiers were so upset over what had happened to their sons and daughters that they were thinking about stoning David to death. But he felt the LORD God giving him strength,[01ZDavid's two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been taken captive with everyone else.U/%ZThey started crying and kept it up until they were too weak to cry any more..ZWhen David and his men came to Ziklag, they saw the burned-out ruins and learned that their families had been taken captive.2-aZand had taken away the women and children.J, ZIt took David and his men three days to reach Ziklag. But while they had been away, the Amalekites had been raiding in the desert around there. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground,+{Z David and his men got up early in the morning and headed back toward Philistia, while the Philistines left for Jezreel.>*wZ You and your troops will have to go back to the town I gave you. Get up and leave tomorrow morning as soon as it's light. I am pleased with you, so don't let any of this bother you.)Z Achish said: I believe that you're as good as an angel of God, but our army commanders have decided that you can't fight in this battle.(Z"But what have I done?" David asked. "Do you know of anything I've ever done that would keep me from fighting the enemies of my king?"2'aZGo on back home and try not to upset them.%&EZAchish called David over and said: I swear by the living LORD that you've been honest with me, and I want you to fight by my side. I don't think you've done anything wrong from the day you joined me until this very moment. But the other Philistine rulers don't want you to come along.y%mZThe Israelites even dance and sing, "Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies!"$)ZThe Philistine army commanders were angry and shouted: Send David back to the town you gave him. We won't have him going into the battle with us. He could turn and fight against us! Saul would take David back as an officer if David brought him the heads of our soldiers.#/Z(SEE 29:2)?"yZThe Philistine rulers and their troops were marching past the Philistine army commanders in groups of a hundred and a thousand. When David and his men marched by at the end with Achish, the commanders said, "What are these worthless Israelites doing here?" "They are David's men," Achish answered. "David used to be one of Saul's officers, but he left Saul and joined my army a long time ago. I've never had even one complaint about him."s! cZThe Philistines had brought their whole army to Aphek, while Israel's army was camping near Jezreel Spring.] 5ZThen she served the food to Saul and his officers, who ate and left before daylight.ZRight away the woman killed a calf that she had been fattening up. She cooked part of the meat and baked some thin bread.#Z"No, I won't eat!" But his officers and the woman kept on urging Saul, until he finally agreed. He got up off the floor and sat on the bed.ZNow please listen to me. Let me get you a little something to eat. It will give you strength for your walk back to camp.",SZThe woman came over to Saul, and when she saw that he was completely terrified, she said, "Your Majesty, I listened to you and risked my life to do what you asked.+QZAt once, Saul collapsed and lay stretched out on the floor, terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he had not eaten anything since the day before.ZTomorrow the LORD will let the Philistines defeat Israel's army, then you and your sons will join me down here in the world of the dead.ZWhen the LORD was angry with the Amalekites, he told you to destroy them, but you didn't do it. That's why the LORD is doing this to you.ZI've already told you: The LORD has sworn to take the kingdom from you and give it to David. And that's just what he's doing!jOZSamuel said: If the LORD has turned away from you and is now your enemy, don't ask me what to do.Z"Why are you bothering me by bringing me up like this?" Samuel asked. "I'm terribly worried," Saul answered. "The Philistines are about to attack me. God has turned his back on me and won't answer any more by prophets or by dreams. What should I do?"|sZ"What does it look like?" "It looks like an old man wearing a robe." Saul knew it was Samuel, so he bowed down low.Z "Don't be afraid," Saul replied. "Just tell me what you see." She answered, "I see a spirit rising up out of the ground."ymZ When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. Then she turned to Saul and said, "You've tricked me! You're the king!"b?Z "Who do you want me to bring up?" she asked. "Bring up the ghost of Samuel," he answered.dCZ Saul replied, "I swear by the living LORD that nothing will happen to you because of this." ;Z The woman said, "Why are you trying to trick me and get me killed? You know King Saul has gotten rid of everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead!"<sZThat night, Saul put on different clothing so nobody would recognize him. Then he and two of his men went to the woman, and asked, "Will you bring up the ghost of someone for us?"kQZThen Saul told his officers, "Find me a woman who can talk to the spirits of the dead. I'll go to her and find out what's going to happen." His servants told him, "There's a woman at Endor who can talk to spirits of the dead."w iZSo he asked the LORD what to do. But the LORD would not answer, either in a dream or by a priest or a prophet.Q ZSaul took one look at the Philistine army and started shaking with fear.  ZThe Philistines went to Shunem and set up camp. Saul called the army of Israel together, and they set up their camp in Gilboa. /Z(SEE 28:1) /Z(SEE 28:1)@ }ZSamuel had died some time earlier, and people from all over Israel had attended his funeral in his hometown of Ramah. Meanwhile, Saul had been trying to get rid of everyone who spoke with the spirits of the dead. But one day the Philistines brought their soldiers together to attack Israel. Achish told David, "Of course, you know that you and your men must fight as part of our Philistine army." David answered, "That will give you a chance to see for yourself just how well we can fight!" "In that case," Achish said, "you and your men will always be my bodyguards." Z But Achish trusted David and thought, "David's people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me."cAZ That's why David killed everyone in the towns he attacked. He thought, "If I let any of them live, they might come to Gath and tell what I've really been doing." David made these raids all the time he was in Philistia.-UZ who would ask, "Where did you attack today?" David would answer, "Oh, we attacked some desert town that belonged to the Judah tribe." Sometimes David would say, "Oh, we attacked a town in the desert where the Jerahmeel clan lives" or "We attacked a town in the desert where the Kenites live."Y-Z Whenever David and his men attacked a town, they took the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and the clothing, and killed everyone who lived there. After he returned from a raid, David always went to see Achish,3ZThe Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites lived in the area from Telam to Shur and on as far as Egypt, and David often attacked their towns.:qZDavid was in Philistia for a year and four months.vgZAchish gave David the town of Ziklag that same day, and Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.PZOne day, David was talking with Achish and said, "If you are happy with me, then let me live in one of the towns in the countryside. I'm not important enough to live here with you in the royal city."\3ZWhen Saul found out that David had run off to Gath, he stopped trying to catch him.~/Z(SEE 27:2)%}EZDavid and his six hundred men went across the border to stay in Gath with King Achish the son of Maoch. His men brought their families with them. David brought his wife Ahinoam whose hometown was Jezreel, and he also brought his wife Abigail who had been married to Nabal from Carmel.R| !Zbut he thought to himself, "One of these days, Saul is going to kill me. The only way to escape from him is to go to Philistia. Then I'll be outside of Israel, and Saul will give up trying to catch me."|{sZ"David, my son, I pray that the Lord will bless you and make you successful!" Saul went back home. David also left,]z5ZI saved your life today, and I pray that the LORD will protect me and keep me safe."y/ZThe LORD put you in my power today, but you are his chosen king and I wouldn't harm you. The LORD rewards people who are faithful and live right. 3~_~D~)}}||{{{tzzyy?xxswwvv2u"tutIs^rrfqqrpooponn4mxllljj9ii}i#hrh*ggoffenddcybbbaa?``___+^^] \\[[ZZWYYJWWNVV UhTT[SQS6RR{QQVQPPOONMMrLLnKKJUIfH>H"HGFF,EvDCC!BHAAD@@ ?>>{=<(SEE 12:13)Il d David said, "I have disobeyed the LORD." "Yes, you have!" Nathan answered. "You showed you didn't care what the LORD wanted. He has forgiven you, and you won't die. But your newborn son will."ckAd What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see."Jjd Someone from your own family will cause you a lot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on.pi[d "Because you wouldn't obey me and took Uriah's wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace.h/d Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by having the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife.g)d and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more./fYd Then Nathan told David: You are that rich man! Now listen to what the LORD God of Israel says to you: "I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saulvegd And because he didn't have any pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth."d d David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, "I swear by the living LORD that the man who did this deserves to die!Sc!d One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn't want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man's little lamb and served it instead.{bqd but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children.5agd The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle,u` gd and he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David: A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town.:_od Then after the time for mourning was over, David sent someone to bring her to the palace. She became David's wife, and they had a son. The LORD was angry at what David had done,M^d When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.T]#d David replied, "Tell Joab to cheer up and not to be upset about what happened. You never know who will be killed in a war. Tell him to strengthen his attack against the city and break through its walls." \ d Then they shot arrows at us from the top of the wall. Some of your soldiers were killed, and one of them was Uriah the Hittite."[d He added, "The enemy chased us from the wall and out into the open fields. But we pushed them back as far as the city gate.OZd The messenger went to David and reported everything Joab had told him.Y-d Don't you know how Abimelech the son of Gideon was killed at Thebez? Didn't a woman kill him by dropping a large rock from the top of the city wall? Why did you go so close to the city walls?" Then you tell him, "One of your soldiers who was killed was Uriah the Hittite."Xd he may get angry and ask, "Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?kWQd He gave the messenger these orders: When you finish telling the king everything that has happened,VV'd Joab sent a messenger to tell David everything that was happening in the war.Uyd When the men of the city came out, they fought and killed some of David's soldiers--Uriah the Hittite was one of them.T%d Joab had been carefully watching the city of Rabbah, and he put Uriah in a place where he knew there were some of the enemy's best soldiers. S;d The letter said: "Put Uriah on the front line where the fighting is the worst. Then pull the troops back from him, so that he will be wounded and die."[R1d Early the next morning, David wrote a letter and told Uriah to deliver it to Joab.7Qid David invited him for dinner. Uriah ate with David and drank so much that he got drunk, but he still did not go home. He went out and slept on his mat near the palace guards.P!d Then David said, "Stay here in Jerusalem today, and I will send you back tomorrow." Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day. Then the next day,O9d Uriah answered, "The sacred chest and the armies of Israel and Judah are camping out somewhere in the fields with our commander Joab and his officers and troops. Do you really think I would go home to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? I swear by your life that I would not!"N9d Someone told David that Uriah had not gone home. So the next morning David asked him, "Why didn't you go home? Haven't you been away for a long time?"}Mud But Uriah didn't go home. Instead, he slept outside the entrance to the royal palace, where the king's guards slept.L}d Then David told Uriah, "Go home and clean up." Uriah left the king's palace, and David had dinner sent to Uriah's house.nKWd to David's palace, and David asked him, "Is Joab well? How is the army doing? And how about the war?"VJ'd David sent a message to Joab: "Send Uriah the Hittite to me." Joab sent UriahId But later, when she found out that she was going to have a baby, she sent someone to David with this message: "I'm pregnant!"H/d (SEE 11:2)G/d (SEE 11:2)F+d Late one afternoon, David got up from a nap and was walking around on the flat roof of his palace. A beautiful young woman was down below in her courtyard, bathing as her religion required. David happened to see her, and he sent one of his servants to find out who she was. The servant came back and told David, "Her name is Bathsheba. She is the daughter of Eliam, and she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite." David sent some messengers to bring her to his palace. She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she returned home.xE md It was now spring, the time when kings go to war. David sent out the whole Israelite army under the command of Joab and his officers. They destroyed the Ammonite army and surrounded the capital city of Rabbah, but David stayed in Jerusalem.LDd When the kings who had been under Hadadezer's rule saw that Israel had beaten them, they made peace with Israel and accepted David as their ruler. The Arameans were afraid to help Ammon any more..CWd The Arameans attacked, but then they ran from Israel. David killed seven hundred chariot drivers and forty thousand cavalry. He also killed Shobach, their commander.@B{d David found out what the Arameans were doing, and he brought Israel's whole army together. They crossed the Jordan River and went to Helam, where the Arameans were ready to meet them.=Aud Hadadezer sent messengers to call in the Arameans who were on the other side of the Euphrates River. Then Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, led them to the town of Helam.i@Md The Arameans realized they had lost the battle, so they brought all their troops together again.J?d When the Ammonite soldiers saw that the Arameans had run away, they ran from Abishai's soldiers and went back into their own city. Joab stopped fighting the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.U>%d Joab and his soldiers attacked the Arameans, and the Arameans ran from them.=d Be brave and fight hard to protect our people and the cities of our God. I pray that the LORD will do whatever pleases him."*<Od Joab told his brother, "If the Arameans are too much for me to handle, you can come and help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you.h;Kd He put his brother Abishai in command of the rest of the army and had them fight the Ammonites.:%d Joab saw that he had to fight in front and behind at the same time, and he picked some of the best Israelite soldiers to fight the Arameans.U9%d The Ammonite troops came out and got ready to fight in front of the gate to their city. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the soldiers from Tob and Maacah formed a separate group in the nearby fields.d8Cd David heard what they had done, and he sent out Joab with all of his well-trained soldiers.!7=d The Ammonites realized that they had made David very angry, so they hired more foreign soldiers. Twenty thousand of them were foot soldiers from the Aramean cities of Beth-Rehob and Zobah, one thousand were from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand were from the region of Tob.E6d They were terribly ashamed. When David found out what had happened to his officials, he sent a message and told them, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back. Then you can come home."25_d Hanun arrested David's officials and had their beards shaved off on one side of their faces. He had their robes cut off just below the waist, and then he sent them away.F4d But Hanun's officials told him, "Do you really believe David is honoring your father by sending these people to comfort you? He probably sent them to spy on our city, so he can destroy it."73id David said, "Nahash was kind to me, and I will be kind to his son." So he sent some officials to the country of Ammon to tell Hanun how sorry he was that his father had died.R2 !d Some time later, King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son Hanun became king.1/d (SEE 9:11)0/d (SEE 9:11)$/Cd Ziba replied, "Your Majesty, I will do exactly what you tell me to do." So Ziba's family and servants worked for Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was lame, but he lived in Jerusalem and ate at David's table, just like one of David's own sons. And he had a young son of his own, named Mica.k.Qd You and your fifteen sons and twenty servants will work for Mephibosheth. You will farm his land and bring in his crops, so that Saul's family and servants will have food. But Mephibosheth will always eat with me at my table.";-qd David called in Ziba, Saul's chief servant, and told him, "Since Mephibosheth is Saul's grandson, I've given him back everything that belonged to your master Saul and his family.s,ad Mephibosheth knelt down again and said, "Why should you care about me? I'm worth no more than a dead dog."`+;d David said, "Don't be afraid. I'll be kind to you because Jonathan was your father. I'm going to give you back the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. Besides that, you will always eat with me at my table."*-d (SEE 9:5)e)Ed David sent some servants to bring Jonathan's son from Lo-Debar. His name was Mephibosheth, and he was the grandson of Saul. He came to David and knelt down. David asked, "Are you Mephibosheth?" "Yes, I am, Your Majesty."h(Kd "Where is he?" David asked. Ziba replied, "He lives in Lo-Debar with Machir the son of Ammiel."1']d David asked, "Are any of Saul's family still alive? If there are, I want to be kind to them." Ziba answered, "One of Jonathan's sons is still alive, but he can't walk."~&wd David called in Ziba, one of the servants of Saul's family. David said, "So you are Ziba." "Yes, Your Majesty, I am."% 9d One day, David thought, "I wonder if any of Saul's family are still alive. If they are, I will be kind to them, because I made a promise to Jonathan."g$IdBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of David's bodyguard. David's sons were priests.q#]dZadok the son of Ahitub, and Abiathar the son of Ahimelech, were the priests. Seraiah was the secretary."dJoab the son of Zeruiah was the commander in chief of the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept the government records.9!odDavid ruled all Israel with fairness and justice. dDavid left soldiers all through Edom, and the people of Edom had to accept him as their ruler. Wherever David went, the LORD helped him. d David fought the Edomite army in Salt Valley and killed eighteen thousand of their soldiers. When he returned, he built a monument.H d Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and from King Hadadezer of Zobah.mUd David gave these to the LORD, just as he had done with the silver and gold that he had captured from-d (SEE 8:9)d King Toi of Hamath and King Hadadezer had been enemies. So when Toi heard that David had attacked and defeated Hadadezer's whole army, he sent his son Joram to praise and congratulate David. Joram also brought him gifts made of silver, gold, and bronze.mUdHe also took a lot of bronze from the cities of Betah and Berothai, which had belonged to Hadadezer.-dHadadezer's officers had carried their arrows in gold cases hung over their shoulders, but David took these cases and brought them to Jerusalem.4cdHe left some of his soldiers in Damascus, and the Arameans had to accept David as their ruler and pay taxes to him. Everywhere David went, the LORD helped him win battles.widWhen troops from the Aramean kingdom of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, David killed twenty thousand of them.0[dIn the battle, David captured seventeen hundred cavalry and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He also captured war chariots, but he destroyed all but one hundred of them.9dDavid set out for the Euphrates River to build a monument there. On his way, he defeated the king of Zobah, whose name was Hadadezer the son of Rehob.U%dDavid also defeated the Moabites. Then he made their soldiers lie down on the ground, and he measured them off with a rope. He would measure off two lengths of the rope and have those men killed, then he would measure off one length and let those men live. The people of Moab had to accept David as their ruler and pay taxes to him.i OdLater, David attacked and badly defeated the Philistines. Israel was now free from their control.5dPlease bless my descendants and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already promised, and I'm sure that you will bless my family forever.dLORD All-Powerful, you are God. You have promised me some very good things, and you can be trusted to do what you promise.]5dAfter all, you really are Israel's God, the LORD All-Powerful. You've told me that you will let my descendants be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.+dThen you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, "The LORD God All-Powerful rules Israel, and David's descendants are his chosen kings."S!dAnd now, LORD God, please do what you have promised me and my descendants.Y -dYou have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.  dAnd there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so your people could live here. !dLORD All-Powerful, you are greater than all others. No one is like you, and you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true.x kdYou have done this wonderful thing, and you have let me know about it, because you wanted to keep your promise.b ?dI am your servant, and you know my thoughts, so there is nothing more that I need to say.]5dand yet you have promised to do even more. Is this the way you usually treat people?7idDavid went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. Then he sat there and prayed: LORD All-Powerful, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us,CdNathan told David exactly what he had heard in the vision.KdI will make sure that one of your descendants will always be king.dBut I will never put an end to my agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king before you.-dI will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I'll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents.p[d and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. ;d I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler,'d when I let judges rule my people. And I have kept your enemies from attacking you. Now I promise that you and your descendants will be kings.7id I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace, and they won't have to tremble with fear any more. Evil nations won't bother them, as they did~3d Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world.)}MdDavid, this is what I, the LORD All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people.'|IdI chose leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?%{EdI didn't live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. zdto go to David and give him this message: David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me?(yMdThat night, the LORD told NathanExdNathan replied, "The LORD is with you, so do what you want!"-wUdThen one day, as David was talking with Nathan the prophet, David said, "Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest has to stay in a tent."Wv +dKing David moved into his new palace, and the LORD let his kingdom be at peace.&uIdMichal never had any children.tdI'll show you just how great I can be! I'll even be disgusting to myself. But those slave-girls you talked about will still honor me!"4scdDavid told her, "The LORD didn't choose your father or anyone else in your family to be the leader of his people. The LORD chose me, and I was celebrating in honor of him.r!dDavid went home so he could ask the LORD to bless his family. But Saul's daughter Michal went out and started yelling at him. "You were really great today!" she said. "You acted like a dirty old man, dancing around half-naked in front of your servants' slave-girls."q dHe gave all the men and women in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins, and everyone went home.Ip dthen he blessed the people in the name of the LORD All-Powerful.o%dThey put the chest inside a tent that David had set up for it. David worshiped the LORD by sacrificing animals and burning them on an altar,8nkdSaul's daughter Michal looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing for the LORD, she was disgusted.umedHe and everyone else were celebrating by shouting and blowing horns while the chest was being carried along.Xl+dHe was dancing for the LORD with all his might, but he wore only a linen cloth.fkGd The people carrying the chest walked six steps, then David sacrificed an ox and a choice cow.j/d (SEE 6:11)\i3d The chest stayed there for three months, and the LORD greatly blessed Obed Edom, his family, and everything he owned. Then someone told King David, "The LORD has done this because the sacred chest is in Obed Edom's house." Right away, David went to Obed Edom's house to get the chest and bring it to David's City. Everyone was celebrating.hd He decided not to take it there. Instead, he turned off the road and took it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath.fgGd David was afraid of the LORD and thought, "Should I really take the sacred chest to my city?"f dDavid got angry at God for killing Uzzah. He named that place "Bursting Out Against Uzzah," and that's what it's still called.oeYdThe LORD God was very angry at Uzzah for doing this, and he killed Uzzah right there beside the chest.ddBut when they came to Nacon's threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and took hold of the sacred chest.gcIdSome of the people of Israel were playing music on small harps and other stringed instruments, and on tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. David and the others were happy, and they danced for the LORD with all their might.)bOdwith Ahio walking in front of it.)aMdThey put the sacred chest on a new ox cart and started bringing it down the hill from Abinadab's house. Abinadab's sons Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the ox cart, `dled them to Baalah in Judah, which was also called Kiriath-Jearim. They were going there to get the sacred chest and bring it back to Jerusalem. The throne of the LORD All-Powerful is above the winged creatures on top of this chest, and he is worshiped there.L_ dDavid brought together thirty thousand of Israel's best soldiers and^{dDavid obeyed the LORD and defeated the Philistines. He even chased them all the way from Geba to the entrance to Gezer.@]{dWait until you hear a sound like troops marching through the tops of the trees. Then attack quickly! That sound will mean I have marched out ahead of you to fight the Philistine army.&\GdDavid asked the LORD what he should do, and the LORD answered: Don't attack them from the front. Circle around behind and attack from among the balsam trees.g[IdSome time later, the Philistines came back into the hill country and camped in Rephaim Valley._Z9dDavid and his troops also carried away the idols that the Philistines had left behind.(SEE 5:7)M-d(SEE 5:7)L5dDavid told his troops, "You will have to go up through the water tunnel to get those Jebusites. I hate people like them who can't walk or see." That's why there is still a rule that says, "Only people who can walk and see are allowed in the temple." David captured the fortress on Mount Zion, then he moved there and named it David's City. He had the city rebuilt, starting with the landfill to the east. @Y<~~}z}^|||zzUyyyxxcwvv+uttDsrrvqqqppMoonndnmlnkjjRiihh^gg|eeoeRdccbbaaD`o__w^]]6\\$[[zZZY}Y5X]WWWV U/TsSS RR$QMPPONNMM5LLZKKgK IIqHHHG_FFEEDCCBAy@@?W>==<;::^9C877655~43211f1J0i0M//@.--[,,w,+m**)r(''<&x%%V$##K""p! ZdFG+Nc!lH=8o 8  k 1 dEN\@ rdAbishai left Jerusalem to try and capture Sheba. He took along Joab and his soldiers, as well as David's bodyguard and best troops.BqdSo David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us."^p7dAmasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days.bo?dDavid said to Amasa, "Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!"QndDavid had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again. They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.m-dSo they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.sl cdA troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin was there. His name was Sheba the son of Bichri, and he blew a trumpet to get everyone's attention. Then he said, "People of Israel, David the son of Jesse doesn't belong to us! Let's go home."k1d+Those from Israel said, "King David belongs to us ten times more than he belongs to you. Why didn't you think we were good enough to help you? After all, we were the first ones to think of bringing him back!" The people of Judah spoke more harshly than the people of Israel."j?d*The people of Judah answered, "Why are you so angry? We are the king's relatives. He didn't give us any food, and we didn't take anything for ourselves!"i-d)The soldiers from Israel came to him and said, "Why did our relatives from Judah sneak you and your family and your soldiers across the Jordan?"hd(Chimham crossed the river with David. All of Judah's army and half of Israel's army were there to help David cross the river.g)d'David's soldiers went on across the river, while he stayed behind to tell Barzillai good-by and to wish him well. Barzillai returned home, butf1d&David said, "I'll take Chimham with me, and whatever you ask me to do for him, I'll do. And if there's anything else you want, I'll also do that."+eQd%Just let me return to my hometown, where I can someday be buried near my father and mother. My servant Chimham can go with you, and you can treat him as your own.|dsd$I'll cross the river with you, but I'll only go a little way on the other side. You don't have to be so kind to me.c1d#I'm already eighty years old, and my body is almost numb. I can't taste my food or hear the sound of singing, and I would be nothing but a burden.jbOd"Barzillai answered: Your Majesty, why should I go to Jerusalem? I don't have much longer to live.caAd!David said to him, "Cross the river and go to Jerusalem with me. I will take care of you."a`=d Barzillai was eighty years old. He was very rich and had sent food to David in Mahanaim.h_KdBarzillai came from Rogelim in Gilead to meet David at the Jordan River and go across with him.[^1dMephibosheth replied, "He can have it all! I'm just glad you've come home safely."h]KdDavid answered, "You've said enough! I've decided to divide the property between you and Ziba."\'dAfter all, you could have killed my whole family and me. But instead, you let me eat at your own table. Your Majesty, what more could I ask?"a[=dthen he lied about me. You're as wise as an angel of God, so do what you think is right.#ZAdHe answered, "Your Majesty, you know I can't walk. I told my servant to saddle a donkey for me so I could go with you. But my servant left without me, and{YqdAfter they had gone back to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth came to see David, who asked him, "Why didn't you go with me?"HX dMephibosheth, the grandson of Saul, also came to meet David. He had missed David so much that he had not taken a bath or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes the whole time David was gone.?W{dThen David promised Shimei that he would not be killed.KVdDavid said, "Abishai, what will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? Is it your job to tell me who has done wrong? I've been made king of all Israel today, and no one will be put to death!"XU+dBut Abishai shouted, "You should be killed for cursing the LORD's chosen king!"kTQdI know I was wrong. That's why I wanted to be the first one from the northern tribes to meet you."SdHe said, "Your Majesty, I beg you not to punish me! Please, forget what I did when you were leaving Jerusalem. Don't even think about it.=RudThen they brought David's family and servants back across the river, and they did everything he wanted them to do. Shimei crossed the Jordan River and bowed down in front of David.LQda thousand others from Benjamin had come with him. Ziba, the chief servant of Saul's family, also came to the Jordan River. He and his fifteen sons and twenty servants waded across to meet David. PdShimei the son of Gera was there with them. He had hurried from Bahurim to meet David. Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, and*OOdDavid started back and had gone as far as the Jordan River when he met the people of Judah. They had gathered at Gilgal and had come to help him cross the river.NdSoon the tribe of Judah again became followers of David, and they sent him this message: "Come back, and bring your soldiers with you."Md And tell Amasa, "You're my nephew, and with God as a witness, I swear I'll make you commander of my army instead of Joab."aL=d He is your brother, your own relative! Why haven't you done anything to bring him back?"YK-d When David found out what they were saying, he sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. It said: Say to the leaders of Judah, "Why are you the last tribe to think about bringing King David back home?J/d (SEE 19:9)DId everyone in Israel started arguing. They were saying to each other, "King David rescued us from the Philistines and from our other enemies. But then we chose Absalom to be our new leader, and David had to leave the country to get away. Absalom died in battle, so why hasn't something been done to bring David back?"3HadDavid got up and went to the town gate and sat down. When the people heard that he was sitting there, they came to see him. After Israel's soldiers had all returned home,G/dNow get up! Go out there and thank them for what they did. If you don't, I swear by the LORD that you won't even have one man left on your side tomorrow morning. You may have had a lot of troubles in the past, but this will be the worst thing that has ever happened to you!rF_dYou're more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. What you've done today has shown your officers and soldiers that they don't mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive, even if the rest of us were dead.@E{dJoab went to the house where David was staying and told him: You've made your soldiers ashamed! Not only did they save your life, they saved your sons and daughters and wives as well.rD_dDavid held his hands over his face and kept on crying loudly, "My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"mCUdThe troops were sneaking into Mahanaim, just as if they had run away from a battle and were ashamed.B dDavid's army found out he was crying because his son had died, and their day of victory suddenly turned into a day of sadness.HA dSomeone told Joab, "The king is crying because Absalom is dead."a@=d!David started trembling. Then he went up to the room above the city gate to cry. As he went, he kept saying, "My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I could have died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!".?Wd "Is my son Absalom all right?" David asked. The Ethiopian replied, "I wish that all Your Majesty's enemies and everyone who tries to harm you would end up like him!"}>udThe Ethiopian came and said, "Your Majesty, today I have good news! The LORD has rescued you from all your enemies!"X=+dDavid told him, "Stand over there and wait." Ahimaaz went over and stood there..<Wd"Is my son Absalom all right?" David asked. Ahimaaz said, "When Joab sent your personal servant and me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don't know what it was all about.");MdAhimaaz called out, "We won! We won!" Then he bowed low to David and said, "Your Majesty, praise the LORD your God! He has given you victory over your enemies."(:KdThe soldier on the roof shouted, "The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." This time David said, "He's a good man. He must have some good news."9/dwhen the soldier saw someone else running. He shouted down to the gate, "Look! There's another runner!" David said, "He must have some news too."8{dand shouted down to tell David. David answered, "If he's alone, he must have some news." The runner was getting closer,@7{dMeanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates in the city wall. One of his soldiers was watching from the roof of the gate-tower. He saw a man running toward the town!6=d"I'll run no matter what!" Ahimaaz insisted. "All right then, run!" Joab said. Ahimaaz took the road through the Jordan Valley and outran the Ethiopian.P5dAhimaaz spoke to Joab again, "No matter what happens, I still want to run. And besides, the Ethiopian has already left." Joab said, "Why should you run? You won't get a reward for the news you have!"94mdSomeone from Ethiopia was standing there, and Joab told him, "Go and tell the king what you have seen." The man knelt down in front of Joab and then got up and started running.3dJoab answered, "You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today."~2wdAhimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Joab, let me run and tell King David that the LORD has rescued him from his enemies."d1CdWhen Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, "I don't have any sons to keep my name alive." He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.*0OdThey threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it. Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes.Y/-dThen Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers.@.}dTen of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off.-5dJoab said, "I'm not going to waste any more time on you!" Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest.,d He always finds out what's going on. I would have been risking my life to kill Absalom, because you would have let me take the blame."L+d The man answered, "Even if you paid me a thousand pieces of silver here and now, I still wouldn't touch the king's son. We all heard King David tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom.*yd Joab said, "You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt."O)d and one of them went and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!"7(id Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by,'/d(SEE 18:7)]&5dBattles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.%/d(SEE 18:4)$/d(SEE 18:4)b#?dDavid said, "All right, if you think I should." Then in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, "Joab! Abishai! Ittai! For my sake, be sure that Absalom comes back unharmed." David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of a hundred and in groups of a thousand. The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest."dBut the soldiers said, "No, don't go into battle with us! It won't matter to our enemies if they make us all run away, or even if they kill half of us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better for you to stay in town and send help if we need it."o!YdHe sent out one-third of his army under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, and the rest under the command of Ittai from Gath. He told the soldiers, "I'm going into battle with you."  dDavid divided his soldiers into groups of a hundred and groups of a thousand. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group.1d(SEE 17:28)CdHere is a list of what they brought: sleeping mats, blankets, bowls, pottery jars, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, yogurt, sheep, and cheese. They brought the food for David and the others because they knew that everyone would be hungry, tired, and thirsty from being out in the desert.A}dAfter David came to the town of Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash came from Rabbah in Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel came from Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite came from Rogelim.T#dThe Israelites under Absalom's command set up camp in the region of Gilead.T#dAbsalom put Amasa in Joab's place as commander of the army. Amasa's father was Ithra from the family of Ishmael, and his mother was Abigal, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah.jOdDavid went to the town of Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan River with the army of Israel.)dWhen Ahithophel saw that Absalom and the leaders of Israel were not going to follow his advice, he saddled his donkey and rode back to his home in Gilo. He told his family and servants what to do. Then he hanged himself, and they buried him in his family's burial place.}udDavid and the others got ready and started crossing the Jordan River. By sunrise all of them were on the other side.CdAfter the soldiers had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to David and said, "Hurry! Get ready to cross the river!" Then they told him about Ahithophel's plan.{dAbsalom's soldiers came to the woman and demanded, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman answered, "They went across the stream." The soldiers went off to look for the two men. But when they did not find the men, they went back to Jerusalem.oYdThe man's wife put the cover on the well and poured grain on top of it, so the well could not be seen.EdBut a young man saw them and went to tell Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left and hurried to the house of a man who lived in Bahurim. Then they climbed down into a well in the courtyard.8kdJonathan and Ahimaaz had been waiting at Rogel Spring because they did not want to be seen in Jerusalem. A servant girl went to the spring and gave them the message for David.3adThen he said, "Hurry! Send someone to warn David not to spend the night on this side of the river. He must get across the river, so he and the others won't be wiped out!"?ydRight away, Hushai went to Zadok and Abiathar. He told them what advice Ahithophel had given to Absalom and to the leaders of Israel. He also told them about the advice he had given.A}dAbsalom and the others liked Hushai's plan better than Ahithophel's plan. This was because the LORD had decided to keep Ahithophel's plan from working and to cause trouble for Absalom.'d If they go into a walled town, we will put ropes around that town and drag it into the river. We won't leave even one small piece of a stone.-d and we will all go to fight David wherever he is. We will fall on him just as dew falls and covers the ground. He and all his soldiers will die! yd My advice is to gather all the fighting men of Israel from the town of Dan in the north down to the town of Beersheba in the south. You will have more soldiers than there are grains of sand on the seashore. Absalom, you should lead them yourself,! =d Then even those who are as brave as a lion will lose their courage. All Israel knows what a great warrior your father is and what brave soldiers he has.O d He has probably already found a hiding place in a cave or somewhere else. As soon as anyone hears that some of your soldiers have been killed, everyone will think your whole army has been destroyed. dYou know that your father and his followers are real warriors. Right now they are as fierce as a mother bear whose cubs have just been killed. Besides, your father has a lot of experience in fighting wars, and he won't be spending the night with the others.A dHushai said: This time Ahithophel's advice isn't so good.5edHushai came in, and Absalom told him what Ahithophel had planned. Then Absalom said, "Should we do what he says? And if we shouldn't, can you come up with anything better?"Y-dThen Absalom said, "Bring in Hushai the Archite. Let's hear what he has to say."dCdAbsalom and all the leaders of the tribes of Israel agreed that Ahithophel had a good plan..Wdsince he's the one you want to get rid of. Then I'll bring the whole nation back to you like a bride coming home to her husband. This way there won't be a civil war.}dwhile he is tired and discouraged. He will panic, and everyone with him will run away. I won't kill anyone except David,_ ;dAhithophel said to Absalom: Let me choose twelve thousand men and attack David tonight,vgdAhithophel gave such good advice in those days that both Absalom and David thought it came straight from God.  dAbsalom had a tent set up on the flat roof of the palace, and everyone watched as he went into the tent with his father's wives.  dAhithophel answered, "Some of your father's wives were left here to take care of the palace. You should have sex with them. Then everyone will find out that you have publicly disgraced your father. This will make you and your followers even more powerful."Y-dAbsalom turned to Ahithophel and said, "Give us your advice! What should we do?"T~#dBesides, it seems right for me to serve you, just as I served your father."}+dHushai answered, "The LORD and the people of Israel have chosen you to be king. I can't leave. I have to stay and serve the one they've chosen.s|adBut Absalom asked Hushai, "Is this how you show loyalty to your friend David? Why didn't you go with him?"b{?dDavid's friend Hushai came to Absalom and said, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"QzdBy this time, Absalom, Ahithophel, and the others had reached Jerusalem.ydWhen David and those with him came to the Jordan River, they were tired out. But after they rested, they felt much better. xd David and the others went on down the road. Shimei went along the hillside by the road, cursing and throwing rocks and dirt at them.owYd But if the LORD hears these curses and sees the trouble I'm in, maybe he will have pity on me instead.ivMd Then David said to Abishai and all his soldiers: My own son is trying to kill me! Why shouldn't this man from the tribe of Benjamin want me dead even more? Let him curse all he wants. Maybe the LORD did tell him to curse me.-uUd David replied, "What will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? If Shimei is cursing me because the LORD has told him to, then who are you to tell him to stop?"t+d Abishai said, "Your Majesty, this man is as useless as a dead dog! He shouldn't be allowed to curse you. Let me go over and chop off his head."Ss!dthe LORD is paying you back for killing so many in Saul's family. You stole his kingdom, but now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. You're a murderer, and that's why you're in such big trouble!"[r1dShimei was yelling at David, "Get out of here, you murderer! You good-for-nothing,qdHe threw stones at David, at his soldiers, and at everyone else, including the bodyguards who walked on each side of David.(pKdDavid was near the town of Bahurim when a man came out and started cursing him. The man was Shimei the son of Gera, and he was one of Saul's distant relatives.9omdDavid then told him, "Everything that used to belong to Mephibosheth is now yours." Ziba said, "Your Majesty, I am your humble servant, and I hope you will be pleased with me."8nkd"And where is Mephibosheth?" David asked. Ziba answered, "He stayed in Jerusalem, because he thinks the people of Israel want him to rule the kingdom of his grandfather Saul."Vm'd"What's all this?" David asked. Ziba said, "The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and fruit are for the people to eat, and the wine is for them to drink in the desert when they are tired out."l dDavid had started down the other side of the Mount of Olives, when he was met by Ziba, the chief servant of Mephibosheth. Ziba had two donkeys that were carrying two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred handfuls of raisins, a hundred figs, and some wine.qk]d%David's advisor Hushai slipped back into Jerusalem, just about the same time that Absalom was coming in.Zj/d$Then have them send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what you've heard.xikd#Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you, and you can tell them everything you hear in the palace.Th#d"Go back into the city and tell Absalom, "Your Majesty, I am your servant. I will serve you now, just as I served your father in the past." Hushai, if you do that, you can help me ruin Ahithophel's plans.Egd!David told him: If you come with me, you might slow us down.f7d When David reached the top of the Mount of Olives, he met Hushai the Archite at a place of worship. Hushai's robe was torn, and dust was on his head.edSomeone told David, "Ahithophel is helping Absalom plot against you!" David said, "Please, LORD, keep Ahithophel's plans from working!"CddDavid went on up the slope of the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and crying, and he covered his head to show his sorrow. Everyone with him was crying, and they covered their heads too.Wc)dZadok and Abiathar took the sacred chest back into Jerusalem and stayed there.MbdI'll wait at the river crossing in the desert until I hear from you.3aadZadok, you are a good judge of things, so return to the city and don't cause any trouble. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Abiathar and his son Jonathan will also go back.X`+dBut if he says he isn't pleased with me, then let him do what he knows is best.%_EdThen David said: Zadok, take the sacred chest back to Jerusalem. If the LORD is pleased with me, he will bring me back and let me see it and his tent again.g^IdZadok and Abiathar the priests were there along with several men from the tribe of Levi who were carrying the sacred chest. They set the chest down, and left it there until David and his followers had gone out of the city.)]MdThe people of Jerusalem were crying and moaning as David and everyone with him passed by. He led them across Kidron Valley and along the road toward the desert.f\Gd"Then come on!" David said. So Ittai and all his men and their families walked on past David. [dIttai answered, "Your Majesty, just as surely as you and the LORD live, I will go where you go, no matter if it costs me my life."QZdYou haven't been with me very long, so why should you have to follow me, when I don't even know where I'm going? Take your soldiers and go back. I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you."YdDavid spoke to Ittai and said, "You're a foreigner from the town of Gath. You don't have to leave with us. Go back and join the new king!LXdThen David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.W1d(SEE 15:16)HV dDavid left behind ten of his wives to take care of the palace, but the rest of his family and his officials and soldiers went with him. They stopped at the last house at the edge of the city.GU dThe officials said, "Your Majesty, we'll do whatever you say."T/dDavid's officials were in Jerusalem with him, and he told them, "Let's get out of here! We'll have to leave soon, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! If he moves fast, he could catch us while we're still here. Then he will kill us and everyone else in the city."TS#d A messenger came and told David, "Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!"R1d (SEE 15:10)Q1d (SEE 15:10)lPSd He took two hundred men from Jerusalem with him, but they had no idea what he was going to do. Absalom offered sacrifices in Hebron and sent someone to Gilo to tell David's advisor Ahithophel to come. More and more people were joining Absalom and supporting his plot. Meanwhile, Absalom had secretly sent some messengers to the northern tribes of Israel. The messengers told everyone, "When you hear the sound of the trumpets, you must shout, 'Absalom now rules as king in Hebron!' ">Oyd David gave his permission, and Absalom went to Hebron.N5dwhen I was living with the Arameans in Geshur. I promised that if the LORD would bring me back to live in Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron."M}dFour years later, Absalom said to David, "Please, let me go to Hebron. I have to keep a promise that I made to the LORD,L3dThat's how he treated everyone from Israel who brought a complaint to the king. Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.oKYdWhenever anyone would come to Absalom and start bowing down, he would reach out and hug and kiss them.ZJ/dI wish someone would make me the judge around here! I would be fair to everyone."IdAbsalom would say, "You deserve to win your case. It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear complaints like yours.H5dHe would get up early each morning and wait by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Anyone who had a complaint to bring to King David would have to go that way, and Absalom would ask each of them, "Where are you from?" If they said, "I'm from a tribe in the north,"qG _dSome time later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses to pull it, and he had fifty men run in front."F?d!Joab went to David and told him what Absalom had said. David sent for Absalom, and Absalom came. He bowed very low, and David leaned over and kissed him.hEKd Absalom answered, "You didn't pay any attention when I sent for you. I want you to ask my father why he told me to come back from Geshur. I was better off there. I want to see my father now! If I'm guilty, let him kill me."aD=dJoab went to Absalom's house and demanded, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"zCodFinally, Absalom told his servants, "Joab's barley field is right next to mine. Go set it on fire!" And they did.0B[dHe wanted Joab to talk to David for him. So one day he sent a message asking Joab to come over, but Joab refused. Absalom sent another message, but Joab still refused.LAdAbsalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing his father.f@GdAbsalom had three sons. He also had a daughter named Tamar, who grew up to be very beautiful.f?GdHe got his hair cut once a year, and when the hair was weighed, it came to about five pounds.H> dNo one in all Israel was as handsome and well-built as Absalom.=/dDavid told Joab, "I don't want to see my son Absalom. Tell him to stay away from me." So Absalom went to his own house without seeing his father.R<dJoab went to Geshur to get Absalom. But when they came back to Jerusalem,;ydJoab bowed very low and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for giving your permission. It shows that you approve of me."t:cdDavid turned to Joab and said, "It seems that I have already given my decision. Go and bring Absalom back."9)dbut only to show you the other side of this problem. You must be as wise as the angel of God to know everything that goes on in this country."88kdDavid asked, "Did Joab put you up to this?" The woman answered, "Your Majesty, I swear by your life that no one can hide the truth from you. Yes, Joab did tell me what to say,"7?dThen David said to the woman, "Now I'm going to ask you a question, and don't try to hide the truth!" The woman replied, "Please go ahead, Your Majesty.">6wdI can rest easy now that you have given your decision. You know the difference between right and wrong just like an angel of God, and I pray that the LORD your God will be with you.|5sdIn fact, I knew that you would listen and save my son and me from those who want to take the land that God gave us.14]dYour Majesty, I came here to tell you about my problem, because I was afraid of what someone might do to me. I decided to come to you, because I thought you could help./3YdWe each must die and disappear like water poured out on the ground. But God doesn't take our lives. Instead, he figures out ways of bringing us back when we run away.L2d The woman said: Haven't you been hurting God's people? Your own son had to leave the country. And when you judged in my favor, it was the same as admitting that you should have let him come back.Q1d Then she asked, "Your Majesty, may I say something?" "Yes," he answered.>0wd "Please," she replied, "swear by the LORD your God that no one will be allowed to kill my son!" He said, "I swear by the living LORD that no one will touch even a hair on his head!"a/=d He said, "If anyone gives you any trouble, bring them to me, and it won't happen again!"u.ed The woman said, "I hope your decision doesn't cause any problems for you. But if it does, you can blame me."O-d"Go on home," David told her. "I'll take care of this matter for you."V,'dNow all of my relatives have come to me and said, "Hand over your son! We're going to put him to death for killing his brother." But what they really want is to get rid of him, so they can take over our land. Please don't let them put out my only flame of hope! There won't be anyone left on this earth to carry on my husband's name.+dI had two sons, but they got into a fight out in a field where there was no one to pull them apart, and one of them killed the other.\*3dDavid asked, "What's the matter?" She replied: My husband is dead, and I'm a widow.i)MdThe woman from Tekoa went to David. She bowed very low and said, "Your Majesty, please help me!"(/d(SEE 14:2)'dand he sent someone to bring in the wise woman who lived in Tekoa. Joab told her, "Put on funeral clothes and don't use any makeup. Go to the king and pretend you have spent a long time mourning the death of a loved one." Then he told her what to say.B& dJoab knew that David couldn't stop thinking about Absalom,r%_d 'David still felt so sad over the loss of Amnon that he wanted to take his army there and capture Absalom.$1d &(SEE 13:37)##Ad %David was sad for a long time because Amnon was dead. Absalom had run away to Geshur, where he stayed for three years with King Talmai the son of Ammihud. 2~}} |C{{zLyyx^wwMv-u=<(SEE 2:10) M;n David was king of Israel forty years. He ruled seven years from Hebron and thirty-three years from Jerusalem. Then he died and was buried in Jerusalem.pL[n Now you must punish him. He's an old man, but you're wise enough to know that you must have him killed.wKinBe sure to do something about Shimei son of Gera from Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin. He cursed and insulted me the day I went to Mahanaim. But later, when he came to meet me at the Jordan River, I promised that I wouldn't kill him.JnThe sons of Barzillai from Gilead helped me when I was running from your brother Absalom. Be kind to them and let them eat at your table.aI=nin the way you think best. Whatever you do, don't let him die peacefully in his old age.H-nSolomon, don't forget what Joab did to me by killing Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of Israel's army. He killed them as if they were his enemies in a war, but he did it when there was no war. He is guilty, and now it's up to you to punish him on0and prayed, "I praise you, LORD God of Israel. You have made my son Solomon king and have let me live to see it.",= Un/And listen to this! David's officials told him, "We pray that your God will help Solomon to be an even greater king!" David was in his bed at the time, but he bowed< 5n.Solomon is now king.; /n-(SEE 1:44): -n,Solomon rode David's own mule to Gihon Spring, and Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and David's special bodyguards went with him. When they got there, Zadok and Nathan made Solomon king. Then everyone celebrated all the way back to Jerusalem. That's the noise you hear in the city.[9 3n+Jonathan answered: No, I don't! David has just announced that Solomon will be king. 8 n*Just then, Jonathan son of Abiathar came running up. "Come in," Adonijah said. "An important man like you must have some good news."'7 Kn)Adonijah and his guests had almost finished eating when they heard the noise. Joab also heard the trumpet and asked, "What's all that noise about in the city?" 6 n(Then they played flutes and celebrated as they followed Solomon back to Jerusalem. They made so much noise that the ground shook.F5  n'Zadok the priest brought some olive oil from the sacred tent and poured it on Solomon's head to show that he was now king. A trumpet was blown and everyone shouted, "Long live King Solomon!""4 An&Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah left and took along the two groups of David's special bodyguards. Solomon rode on David's mule as they led him to Gihon Spring.3 7n%The LORD has always watched over you, and I pray that he will now watch over Solomon. May the LORD help Solomon to be an even greater king than you."i2 On$Benaiah answered, "We will do it, Your Majesty. I pray that the LORD your God will let it happen.u1 gn#Bring him back here, and he will take my place as king. He is the one I have chosen to rule Israel and Judah.I0 n"When you get there, Zadok and Nathan will make Solomon the new king of Israel. Then after the ceremony is over, have someone blow a trumpet and tell everyone to shout, "Long live King Solomon!"h/ Mn!he told them: Take along some of my officials and have Solomon ride my own mule to Gihon Spring.[. 3n Then David said, "Tell Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to come here." When they arrived,t- enBathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I pray that you will live a long time!", /n(SEE 1:29)'+ KnThen he said, "The living LORD God of Israel has kept me safe. And so today, I will keep the promise I made to you in his name: Solomon will be the next king!"V* )nDavid said, "Tell Bathsheba to come here." She came and stood in front of him.a) ?nDid you say they could do this without telling the rest of us who would be the next king?J( nBut he didn't invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or Solomon.a' ?nEarlier today, he sacrificed a lot of cattle, calves, and sheep. He invited the army commanders, Abiathar, and all your sons to be there. Right now they are eating and drinking and shouting, "Long live King Adonijah!"H&  nand said: Your Majesty, did you say that Adonijah would be king?f% InSomeone told David that he was there, and Nathan came in. He bowed with his face to the ground-$ YnJust then, Nathan the prophet arrived.#  nIf you don't, they will say that Solomon and I have rebelled. They will treat us like criminals and kill us as soon as you die.b" AnYour Majesty, everyone in Israel is waiting for you to announce who will be the next king.:! qnHe sacrificed a lot of cattle, calves, and sheep. And he invited Abiathar the priest, Joab your army commander, and all your sons to be there, except Solomon, your loyal servant.W  +nBut Adonijah has already been made king, and you didn't know anything about it.  nBathsheba answered: Your Majesty, you promised me in the name of the LORD your God that my son Solomon would be the next king.< wnand bowed down. "What can I do for you?" David asked.y onMeanwhile, David was in his bedroom where Abishag was taking care of him because he was so old. Bathsheba went ini OnWhile you are still talking to David, I'll come in and tell him that everything you said is true.l Un Go say to David, "You promised me that Solomon would be the next king. So why is Adonijah now king?"O n You and your son Solomon will be killed, unless you do what I tell you.B n When Nathan heard what had happened, he asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother: Have you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has made himself king? But David doesn't know a thing about it.^ 9n But he did not invite Nathan, Benaiah, David's bodyguards, or his own brother Solomon.1 _n Adonijah invited his brothers and David's officials from Judah to go with him to Crawling Rock near Rogel Spring, where he sacrificed some sheep, cattle, and fat calves. {nBut Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's bodyguards all refused. /nAdonijah met with Joab the son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest and asked them if they would help him become king. Both of them agreed to help. -n(SEE 1:5)\ 5nAdonijah was the son of David and Haggith. He was Absalom's younger brother and was very handsome. One day, Adonijah started bragging, "I'm going to make myself king!" So he got some chariots and horses, and he hired fifty men as bodyguards. David did not want to hurt his feelings, so he never asked Adonijah why he was doing these things. -n(SEE 1:3)` =nThey looked everywhere in Israel until they found a very beautiful young woman named Abishag, who lived in the town of Shunem. They brought her to David, and she took care of him. But David did not have sex with her. nHis officials said, "Your Majesty, we will look for a young woman to take care of you. She can lie down beside you and keep you warm."\ 7nKing David was now an old man, and he always felt cold, even under a lot of blankets.>wdThen he built an altar for the LORD. He sacrificed animals and burned them on the altar. The LORD answered the prayers of the people, and no one else died from the terrible disease.W )dBut David answered, "No! I have to pay you what they're worth. I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing." So David bought the threshing place and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver.V 'dTake them--they're yours! I hope the LORD your God will be pleased with you."2 _dAraunah said, "Take whatever you want and offer your sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the sacrifice. You can use the threshing-boards and the wooden yokes for the fire.N dand said, "Your Majesty! Why have you come to see me?" David answered, "I've come to buy your threshing place. I have to build the LORD an altar here, so this disease will stop killing the people."s adAraunah looked and saw David and his soldiers coming up toward him. He went over to David, bowed down low,1d(SEE 24:18)%EdThat same day the prophet Gad came and told David, "Go to the threshing place that belongs to Araunah and build an altar there for the LORD." So David went.dCdDavid saw the angel killing everyone and told the LORD, "These people are like sheep with me as their shepherd. I have sinned terribly, but they have done nothing wrong. Please, punish me and my family instead of them!"1d(SEE 24:15)7dSo that morning, the LORD sent an angel to spread a horrible disease everywhere in Israel, from Dan to Beersheba. And before it was over, seventy thousand people had died. When the angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused and told the angel, "That's enough! Don't touch them." This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.'IdDavid was really frightened and said, "It's a terrible choice to make! But the LORD is kind, and I'd rather have him punish us than for anyone else to do it."1d (SEE 24:12)/Yd to take a message to David. Gad went to David and told him: You must choose one of three ways for the LORD to punish you: Will there be seven years when the land won't grow enough food for your people? Or will your enemies chase you and make you run from them for three months? Or will there be three days of horrible disease in your land? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God, who sent me.Y-d Before David even got up the next morning, the LORD had told David's prophet Gadd After David had everyone counted, he felt guilty and told the LORD, "What I did was stupid and terribly wrong. LORD, please forgive me."~+d Joab came and told David, "In Israel there are eight hundred thousand who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are five hundred thousand."}{dAfter they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them nine months and twenty days.,|SdThey came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beersheba in the Southern Desert of Judah.f{GdThey went to Gilead and to Kadesh in Syria. Then they went to Dan, Ijon, and on toward Sidon.#zAdThey crossed the Jordan River and began with Aroer and the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went toward Gad and on as far as Jazer.xykdBut when David refused to change his mind, Joab and the army officers went out and started counting the people.Hx dJoab answered, "I hope the LORD your God will give you a hundred times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?"dwCdSo David told Joab and the army officers, "Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are."v dThe LORD was angry at Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah.u1d'(SEE 23:24)t1d&(SEE 23:24)s1d%(SEE 23:24)r1d$(SEE 23:24)q1d#(SEE 23:24)p1d"(SEE 23:24)o1d!(SEE 23:24)n1d (SEE 23:24)m1d(SEE 23:24)l1d(SEE 23:24)k1d(SEE 23:24)j1d(SEE 23:24)i1d(SEE 23:24)h1d(SEE 23:24)g1d(SEE 23:24)'fIdSome of the Thirty Warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem Shammah from Harod Elika from Harod Helez the Paltite Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa Abiezer from Anathoth Mebunnai the Hushathite Zalmon the Ahohite Maharai from Netophah Heleb the son of Baanah from Netophah Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the tribe of Benjamin Benaiah from Pirathon Hiddai from the streams on Mount Gaash Abialbon from Beth-Arabah Azmaveth from Bahurim Eliahba from Shaalbon Jashen Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai from Maacah Eliam the son of Ahithophel from Gilo Hezro from Carmel Paarai the Arbite Igal the son of Nathan from Zobah Bani the Gadite Zelek from Ammon Naharai from Beeroth, who carried the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah Ira the Ithrite Gareb the Ithrite Uriah the Hittite There were thirty-seven in all.e1d(SEE 23:22)ad=dBenaiah did these things. He never became one of the Three Warriors, but he was just as famous as they were and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. David made him the leader of his bodyguard.FcdAnother time, he killed an Egyptian, as big as a giant. The Egyptian was armed with a spear, but Benaiah only had a club. Benaiah grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it.CbdBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.-aUdand certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was the commander of the Thirty Warriors, but he still did not become one of the Three Warriors.+`QdJoab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors, and in one battle he killed three hundred men with his spear. He was as famous as the Three Warriors._Wdand said to the LORD, "I can't drink this water! It's like the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me." The Three Warriors did these brave deeds.e^EdThe Three Warriors sneaked into the Philistine camp and got some water from the well near Bethlehem's gate. But after they brought the water back to David, he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a sacrificei]Mdand he was very thirsty. He said, "I wish I had a drink from the well by the gate at Bethlehem."@\}dand had taken over Bethlehem. David was in his fortress,[d One year at harvest time, the Three Warriors went to meet David at Adullam Cave. The Philistine army had set up camp in Rephaim ValleyZd but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines. The crops were saved, and the LORD gave Israel a great victory.aY=d Next was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. One time the Philistines brought their army together to destroy a crop of peas growing in a field near Lehi. The rest of Israel's soldiers ran away from the Philistines,Xd except Eleazar. He killed Philistines until his hand was cramped, and he couldn't let go of his sword. When Eleazar finished, all the Israelite troops had to do was come back and take the enemies' weapons and armor. The LORD gave Israel a great victory that day.qW]d The next one of the Three Warriors was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. One time when the Philistines were at war with Israel, he and David dared the Philistines to fight them. Every one of the Israelite soldiers turned and ran,0V[dThese are the names of David's warriors: Ishbosheth the son of Hachmon was the leader of the Three Warriors. In one battle, he killed eight hundred men with his spear.:Uqdbut with a sharp spear and are burned on the spot.UT%dBut evil people are pulled up like thornbushes. They are not dug up by hand,)SMdI have ruled this way, and God will never break his promise to me. God's promise is complete and unchanging; he will always help me and give me what I hope for.ZR/dis like the sunrise on a cloudless day, or like rain that sparkles on the grass."ZQ/dOur Mighty Rock, the God of Jacob, told me, "A ruler who obeys God and does right7PkdThe Spirit of the LORD has told me what to say.?O {dThese are the last words of David the son of Jesse. The God of Jacob chose David and made him a great king. The Mighty God of Israel loved him. When God told him to speak, David said:~Nwd3You give glorious victories to your chosen king. Your faithful love for David and for his descendants will never end.IM d2I will praise you, LORD, and I will honor you among the nations.^L7d1You protected me from violent enemies, and you made me much greater than all of them.AKd0You took revenge for me, and you put nations in my power.qJ]d/You are the living LORD! I will praise you! You are a mighty rock. I will honor you for keeping me safe.RId.They have lost all courage and from their fortresses they come trembling.$HEd-They obey and come crawling.qG]d,You rescued me from my stubborn people and made me the leader of foreign nations, who are now my slaves.LFd+I ground them to dust, and I squashed them like mud in the streets.iEMd*They cried out for help, but no one saved them; they called out to you, but there was no answer.3Dcd)You made my enemies run, and I killed them.RCd(You helped me win victories and forced my attackers to fall victim to me.dBCd'I destroyed them! I stuck my sword through my enemies, and they were crushed under my feet.JAd&I kept chasing my enemies until I caught them and destroyed them.:@qd%You clear the way for me, and now I won't stumble.T?#d$You alone are my shield, and by coming to help me, you have made me famous.H> d#You teach my hands to fight and my arms to use a bow of bronze.a==d"You make my feet run as fast as those of a deer, and you help me stand on the mountains.8<md!You are my strong fortress, and you set me free.6;id You alone are God! Only you are a mighty rock.q:]dYour way is perfect, LORD, and your word is correct. You are a shield for those who run to you for help.59gdYou help me defeat armies and capture cities.G8 dOur LORD and God, you are my lamp. You turn darkness to light.L7dYou rescue the humble, but you look for ways to put down the proud.g6IdWith all who are sincere you are sincere, but you treat the unfaithful as their deeds deserve.Y5-dYou are always loyal to your loyal people, and you are faithful to the faithful.p4[dYou have been good to me because I do right; you have rewarded me for being innocent by your standards.43edI obey you completely and guard against sin.J2dI keep your laws in mind and never turn away from your teachings.51gdI do what you want and never turn to do evil._09dYou are good to me, LORD, because I do right, and you reward me because I am innocent.L/dWhen I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me because you love me.Q.dOn the day disaster struck, they came and attacked, but you defended me.N-dYou rescued me from enemies who were hateful and too powerful for me.P,dYou reached down from heaven, and you lifted me from deep in the ocean.|+sdYou roared at the sea, and its deepest channels could be seen. You snorted, and the earth shook to its foundations.<*udYou scattered your enemies with arrows of lightning.>)ydLORD Most High, your voice thundered from the heavens.3(cd Fiery coals lit up the sky in front of you.U'%d Darkness was your tent! Thunderclouds filled the sky, hiding you from sight.X&+d You rode on the backs of flying creatures. You appeared with the wind as wings.c%Ad You opened the heavens like curtains, and you came down with storm clouds under your feet.X$+d and breathed out smoke. Scorching heat and fiery flames spewed from your mouth.g#IdEarth shook and shivered! The columns supporting the sky rocked back and forth. You were angryv"gdI was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer.d!CdRopes from the world of the dead had coiled around me, and death had set a trap in my path.c AdDeath, like ocean waves, surrounded me, and I was almost swallowed by its flooding waters.U%dI praise you, our LORD! I prayed to you, and you rescued me from my enemies.%dYou are the rock where I am safe. You are my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter. You rescue me and keep me from being hurt.QdOur LORD and our God, you are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector.  dDavid sang a song to the LORD after the LORD had rescued him from his enemies, especially Saul. These are the words to David's song:dCdDavid and his soldiers killed these four men who were descendants of the Rephaim from Gath.|sdBut when he made fun of Israel, David's nephew Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of David's brother Shimei.BdThere was another war, this time in Gath. One of the enemy soldiers was a descendant of the Rephaim. He was as big as a giant and had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.LdThere was still another battle with the Philistines at Gob. A soldier named Elhanan killed Goliath from Gath, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam. Elhanan's father was Jari from Bethlehem. dThere was another battle with the Philistines at Gob, where Sibbecai from Hushah killed a descendant of the Rephaim named Saph.X+dBut Abishai came to the rescue and killed the Philistine. David's soldiers told him, "We can't let you risk your life in battle anymore! You give light to our nation, and we want that flame to keep burning."_9dOne of the Philistine warriors was Ishbibenob, who was a descendant of the Rephaim, and he tried to kill David. Ishbibenob was armed with a new sword, and his bronze spearhead alone weighed seven and a half pounds.^7dOne time David got very tired when he and his soldiers were fighting the Philistines.1d(SEE 21:13)d David had their bones taken to the land of Benjamin and buried in a side room in Saul's family burial place. Then he gave orders for the bones of the men who had been hanged to be buried there. It was done, and God answered prayers to bless the land.1d (SEE 21:11)U%d Earlier the Philistines had killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa and had hung their bodies in the town square at Beth-Shan. The people of Jabesh in Gilead had secretly taken the bodies away, but David found out what Saul's wife Rizpah had done, and he went to the leaders of Jabesh to get the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan.sad Rizpah spread out some sackcloth on a nearby rock. She wouldn't let the birds land on the bodies during the day, and she kept the wild animals away at night. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until it started to rain.Bd turned them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged all seven of them on the mountain near the place where the LORD was worshiped. This happened right at the beginning of the barley harvest.s adBut Saul and Rizpah the daughter of Aiah had two sons named Armoni and Mephibosheth. Saul's daughter Merab had five sons whose father was Adriel the son of Barzillai from Meholah. David took Rizpah's two sons and Merab's five sons and dDavid had made a promise to Jonathan with the LORD as his witness, so he spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.K dGive us seven of his descendants. We will hang these men near the place where the LORD is worshiped in Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, the LORD's chosen king." "I'll give them to you," David said.q ]dThey replied, "Saul tried to kill all our people so that none of us would be left in the land of Israel.N dThe Gibeonites answered, "Silver and gold from Saul and his family are not enough. On the other hand, we don't have the right to put any Israelite to death." David said, "I'll do whatever you ask."{qdHe said, "What can I do to make up for what Saul did, so that you'll ask the LORD to be kind to his people again?"1dThe Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were descendants of the Amorites. The people of Israel had promised not to kill them, but Saul had tried to kill them because he wanted Israel and Judah to control all the land. David had the Gibeonites come, and he talked with them.~ ydWhile David was king, there were three years in a row when the nation of Israel could not grow enough food. So David asked the LORD for help, and the LORD answered, "Saul and his family are guilty of murder, because he had the Gibeonites killed.")OdIra from Jair was David's priest.FdSheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.nWdAdoram was in charge of the slave-labor force. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept government records.ymdJoab was the commander of Israel's entire army. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of David's bodyguard.mUdShe went to the people of the town and talked them into doing it. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it to Joab. Joab blew a signal on his trumpet, and the soldiers returned to their homes. Joab went back to David in Jerusalem.3dThat's not it at all. There's a man in your town from the hill country of Ephraim. His name is Sheba, and he is the leader of a rebellion against King David. Turn him over to me, and we will leave your town alone." The woman told Joab, "We will throw his head over the wall."U%dJoab answered, "No, no! I'm not trying to wipe you out or destroy your town!5~edWe are Israelites, and we want peace! You can trust us. Why are you trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel? Why do you want to wipe out the LORD's people?"7}idShe said, "Long ago people used to say, 'If you want good advice, go to the town of Abel to get it.' The answers they got here were all that was needed to settle any problem.'|IdWhen he came, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" "Yes, I am," he answered. She said, "Please, listen to what I have to say." "All right," he said. "I'll listen."{dA wise woman shouted from the top of the wall, "Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!"Hz dJoab and his troops came and surrounded Abel, so that no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp up to the town wall and then started to use a battering ram to knock the wall down.0y[dSheba had gone through all of the tribes of Israel when he came to the town of Abel Beth-Maacah. All of his best soldiers met him there and followed him into the town.txcd After this, no one else stopped. They all walked straight past him on their way to help Joab capture Sheba.Yw-d Amasa was still rolling in his own blood in the middle of the road. The soldier who had shouted noticed that everyone who passed by would stop, so he dragged Amasa off the road and covered him with a blanket.vd One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa and shouted, "If any of you like Joab, and if you are for David, then follow Joab!"nuWd Amasa did not see the dagger in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck it in Amasa's stomach, and his insides spilled out on the ground. Joab only struck him once, but Amasa was dying. Joab and his brother Abishai went off to chase Sheba.t'd Joab said, "Amasa, my cousin, how are you?" Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss.JsdThey had gone as far as the big rock at Gibeon when Amasa caught up with them. Joab had a dagger strapped around his waist over his military uniform, but it fell out as he started toward Amasa. O~~t}}w}|{|{{zz[yy3xxYwwvuutt0ss:rtqqkqpponnRnmmlkksk#jii\hffffefJf/e}edd?cbaa~a``_`_e^]]}]\p[[=ZZmZY XXXWVVUUTSSWRQQ[PP(OO NNMML8KKzK0II|HH8GG.G FAF%EEtDD]CCB{B_BCAALA0A@@_??>>===?<"OOZn@On that day, Solomon dedicated the courtyard in front of the temple and made it acceptable for worship. He offered the sacrifices there because the bronze altar in front of the temple was too small.Y/n?(SEE 8:62)7Xin>Solomon and the people dedicated the temple to the LORD by offering twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing.hWKn=Obey the LORD our God and follow his commands with all your heart, just as you are doing today.HV n(SEE 8:47)J/n0(SEE 8:47)#IAn/Later, they may feel sorry for what they did and ask your forgiveness. Answer them when they pray toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, here in this land you gave their ancestors. From your home in heaven, listen to their sincere prayers and do what they ask.H#n.Everyone sins. But when your people sin against you, suppose you get angry enough to let their enemies drag them away to foreign countries.?G{n-Answer their prayers from heaven and give them victory.CFn,Our LORD, sometimes you will order your people to attack their enemies. Then your people will turn toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, and they will pray to you.HE n+listen from your home in heaven and answer their prayers. Then everyone on earth will worship you, just like your people Israel, and they will know that I have built this temple to honor you.D/n*(SEE 8:41)#CAn)Foreigners will hear about you and your mighty power, and some of them will come to live among your people Israel. If any of them pray toward this temple,rB_n(Then your people will worship and obey you for as long as they live in the land you gave their ancestors.A3n'You know what is in everyone's heart. So from your home in heaven answer their prayers, according to the way they live and what is in their hearts.p@[n&Listen when anyone in Israel truly feels sorry and sincerely prays with arms lifted toward your temple.Z?/n%Sometimes the crops may dry up or rot or be eaten by locusts or grasshoppers, and your people will be starving. Sometimes enemies may surround their towns, or your people will become sick with deadly diseases.;>qn$listen from your home in heaven and forgive them. The people of Israel are your servants, so teach them to live right. And please send rain on the land you promised them forever.#=An#Suppose your people sin against you, and you punish them by holding back the rain. If they turn toward this temple and pray in your name and stop sinning,p<[n"listen from your home in heaven. Forgive them and bring them back to the land you gave their ancestors. ; n!Suppose your people Israel sin against you, and then an enemy defeats them. If they come to this temple and beg for forgiveness,t:cn Listen from heaven and decide who is right. Then punish the guilty person and let the innocent one go free.9-nSuppose someone accuses a person of a crime, and the accused has to stand in front of the altar in your temple and say, "I swear I am innocent!"18]nI am your servant, and the people of Israel belong to you. So whenever any of us look toward this temple and pray, answer from your home in heaven and forgive our sins.7nThis is the temple where you have chosen to be worshiped. Please watch over it day and night and listen when I turn toward it and pray.*6QnBut I ask you to answer my prayer.5nThere's not enough room in all of heaven for you, LORD God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built?@4}nPlease keep this promise you made to your servant David.#3AnLORD God of Israel, you promised my father that someone from his family would always be king of Israel, if they do their best to obey you, just as he did.a2=nMy father David was your servant, and today you have kept every promise you made to him.S1!nand prayed: LORD God of Israel, no other god in heaven or on earth is like you! You never forget the agreement you made with your people, and you are loyal to anyone who faithfully obeys your teachings.p0[nSolomon stood facing the altar with everyone standing behind him. Then he lifted his arms toward heavenV/'nI've also made a place in the temple for the sacred chest. And in that chest are the two flat stones on which is written the solemn agreement the LORD made with our ancestors when he led them out of Egypt..nThe LORD has done what he promised. I am the king of Israel like my father, and I've built a temple for the LORD our God.T-#nBut you're not the one to do it. Your son will build a temple to honor me."\,3nthe LORD said, "It's good that you want to build a temple where I can be worshiped.K+nSo when David wanted to build a temple for the LORD God of Israel,*/n(SEE 8:15)x)knand said: Praise the LORD God of Israel! Long ago he brought his people out of Egypt. He later kept his promise to make my father David the king of Israel. The LORD also said that he had not chosen the city where his temple would be built.N(nSolomon turned toward the people standing there. Then he blessed themH' n Now I have built a glorious temple where you can live forever."V&'n Then Solomon prayed: "Our LORD, you said that you would live in a dark cloud.% n The LORD's glory was in the cloud, and the light from it was so bright that the priests could not stay inside to do their work.\$3n Suddenly a cloud filled the temple as the priests were leaving the most holy place.D#n The only things kept in the chest were the two flat stones Moses had put there when the LORD made his agreement with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, after bringing them out of Egypt."9nThe poles were so long that they could be seen from right outside the most holy place, but not from anywhere else. And they stayed there from then on.J!nwhose wings covered the chest and the poles used for carrying it.f GnThe priests carried the chest into the most holy place and put it under the winged creatures,!nSolomon and a crowd of people walked in front of the chest, and along the way they sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted.-n(SEE 8:3)nThen the priests and the Levites carried to the temple the sacred chest, the sacred tent, and the objects used for worship.-n(SEE 8:1)> ynThe sacred chest had been kept on Mount Zion, also known as the city of David. But Solomon decided to have the chest moved to the temple while everyone was in Jerusalem, celebrating the Festival of Shelters during Ethanim, the seventh month of the year. Solomon called together the important leaders of Israel.0[n3After the LORD's temple was finished, Solomon put into its storage rooms everything that his father David had dedicated to the LORD, including the gold and the silver.-Un2cups, lamp snuffers, and small sprinkling bowls; dishes for incense; fire pans; and the hinges for the doors to the most holy place and the main room of the temple.cAn1ten lampstands that went in front of the most holy place; flower designs; lamps and tongs; n0Solomon gave orders to make the following temple furnishings out of gold: the altar; the table that held the sacred loaves of bread;n/There were so many bronze things that Solomon never bothered to weigh them, and no one ever knew how much bronze was used.eEn.near the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan by pouring melted bronze into clay molds.nWn-pans for hot ashes, and also shovels and sprinkling bowls. Hiram made these bronze things for Solomon9on,a large bowl; twelve bulls that held up the bowl;;sn+ten movable stands; ten small bowls for the stands;8mn*four hundred pomegranates for the chain designs;fGn)two columns; two bowl-shaped caps for the tops of the columns; two chain designs on the caps;+n(Hiram made pans for hot ashes, and also shovels and sprinkling bowls. This is a list of the bronze items that Hiram made for the LORD's temple:%n'He put five stands on the south side of the temple, five stands on the north side, and the large bowl at the southeast corner of the temple. #n&Hiram also made ten small bronze bowls, one for each stand. The bowls were six feet across and could hold about two hundred thirty gallons.k Qn%Hiram made the ten bronze stands from the same mold, so they were exactly the same size and shape.r _n$and the stands were decorated with flower designs and figures of lions, palm trees, and winged creatures. /n#(SEE 7:34)7 in"Around the top of each stand was a nine-inch strip, and there were four braces attached to the corners of each stand. The panels and the supports were attached to the stands,cAn!and looked like chariot wheels. The axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were made out of bronze.fGn and the wheels and axles were underneath them. The wheels were about twenty-seven inches high/n(SEE 7:30),SnEach stand had four bronze wheels and axles and a round frame twenty-seven inches across, held up by four supports eighteen inches high. A small bowl rested in the frame. The supports were decorated with flower designs, and the frame with carvings. The side panels of the stands were square,/n(SEE 7:28)3anThe sides were made with panels attached to frames decorated with flower designs. The panels themselves were decorated with figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures.tcnHiram made ten movable bronze stands, each one four and a half feet high, six feet long, and six feet wide.&GnThe sides of the bowl were four inches thick, and its rim was like a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about eleven thousand gallons.vgnThe bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions.oYnTwo rows of bronze gourds were around the outer edge of the bowl, ten gourds to every eighteen inches.~nHiram also made a large bowl called the Sea. It was seven and a half feet deep, about fifteen feet across, and forty-five feet around.a}=nThe lily-shaped caps were on top of the columns. This completed the work on the columns.,|SnHiram placed the two columns on each side of the main door of the temple. The column on the south side was called Jachin, and the one on the north was called Boaz.{5nThe chain designs on the caps were right above the rounded tops of the two columns, and there were two hundred pomegranates in rows around each cap.^z7nThe caps for the columns of the porch were six feet high and were shaped like lilies.?y{nwith two rows of designs that looked like pomegranates.Tx#nThe caps were decorated with seven rows of designs that looked like chains,Zw/nFor the top of each column, he also made a bronze cap seven and a half feet high.Xv+nHiram made two bronze columns twenty-seven feet tall and about six feet across.u/n(SEE 7:13)Ht n Hiram was a skilled bronze worker from the city of Tyre. His father was now dead, but he also had been a bronze worker from Tyre, and his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali. King Solomon asked Hiram to come to Jerusalem and make the bronze furnishings to use for worship in the LORD's temple, and he agreed to do it.:son The walls around the palace courtyard were made out of three layers of cut stones with one layer of cedar beams, just like the front porch and the inner courtyard of the temple.krQn The cedar beams and other stones that had been cut to size were on top of these foundation stones.rq_n The foundation stones were huge, good stones--some of them fifteen feet long and others twelve feet long.5pen From the foundation all the way to the top, these buildings and the courtyard were made out of the best stones carefully cut to size, then smoothed on every side with saws.8oknThe section of the palace where Solomon lived was behind Justice Hall and looked exactly like it. He had a similar place built for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.pn[nSolomon's throne was in Justice Hall, where he judged cases. This hall was completely lined with cedar.m5nPillar Hall was seventy-five feet long and forty-five feet wide. A covered porch supported by pillars went all the way across the front of the hall.Llnand there were three doors on each side near the front of the hall.(SEE 7:2)7iinForest Hall was the largest room in the palace. It was one hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high, and was lined with cedar from Lebanon. It had four rows of cedar pillars, fifteen in a row, and they held up forty-five cedar beams. The ceiling was covered with cedar.5h inSolomon's palace took thirteen years to build.gn&Seven years later the workers finished building it during Bul, the eighth month of the year. It was built exactly as it had been planned.{fqn%Work began on the temple during Ziv, the second month of the year, four years after Solomon became king of Israel.zeon$The inner courtyard of the temple had walls made out of three layers of cut stones with one layer of cedar beams.xdkn#The doors were covered with gold and were decorated with carvings of palm trees, flowers, and winged creatures.c/n"(SEE 6:33)Nbn!The two doors to the main room of the temple were made out of pine, and each one had two sections so they could fold open. The door frame was shaped like a rectangle and was made out of olive wood.a/n (SEE 6:31)v`gnThe two doors to the most holy place were made out of olive wood and were decorated with carvings of palm trees, flowers, and winged creatures. The doors and the carvings were covered with gold. The door frame came to a point at the top.-_WnEven the floor was covered with gold.n^WnThe walls of the two rooms were decorated with carvings of palm trees, flowers, and winged creatures.2]anThe creatures were also covered with gold.}\unSolomon put them next to each other in the most holy place. Their wings were spread out and reached across the room.[/n(SEE 6:24)Z/n(SEE 6:24)dYCnand fifteen feet across. They had two wings, and the wings were seven and a half feet long. XnSolomon had two statues of winged creatures made from olive wood to put in the most holy place. Each creature was fifteen feet tallW/n(SEE 6:20)V/n(SEE 6:20)U/nThis room was thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and thirty feet high, and it was lined with pure gold. There were also gold chains across the front of the most holy place. The inside of the temple, as well as the cedar altar in the most holy place, was covered with gold.9TonThe sacred chest was kept in the most holy place.SnThe inside walls were lined with cedar to hide the stones, and the cedar was decorated with carvings of gourds and flowers.`R;nThe temple's main room was sixty feet long, and it was in front of the most holy place.0Q[nThe most holy place was in the back of the temple, and it was thirty feet square. Cedar boards standing from floor to ceiling separated it from the rest of the temple.qP]nThe floor of the temple was made out of pine, and the walls were lined with cedar from floor to ceiling.:OqnSo Solomon's workers finished building the temple.N/n (SEE 6:12)HM n If you obey my commands and do what I say, I will keep the promise I made to your father David. I will live among my people Israel in this temple you are building, and I will not desert them.L9n The LORD told Solomon:Kn Storage rooms seven and a half feet high were all around the temple, and they were attached to the temple by cedar beams.J{n The roof of the temple was made out of beams and cedar boards. The workers finished building the outside of the temple.I nThe entrance to the bottom storage rooms was on the south side of the building, and stairs to the other rooms were also there.5HenSolomon did not want the noise of hammers and axes to be heard at the place where the temple was being built. So he had the workers shape the blocks of stone at the quarry.G-n(SEE 6:5)F%nAlong the sides and back of the temple, there were three levels of storage rooms. The rooms on the bottom level were seven and a half feet wide, the rooms on the middle level were nine feet wide, and those on the top level were ten and a half feet wide. There were ledges on the outside of the temple that supported the beams of the storage rooms, so that nothing was built into the temple walls.GE nThe windows were narrow on the outside but wide on the inside.NDnA fifteen-foot porch went all the way across the front of the temple.jCOnThe inside of the LORD's temple was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high.`B =nSolomon's workers started building the temple during Ziv, the second month of the year. It had been four years since Solomon became king of Israel, and four hundred eighty years since the people of Israel left Egypt. AnSolomon's and Hiram's men worked with men from the city of Gebal, and together they got the stones and logs ready for the temple.m@UnHe ordered the workers to cut and shape large blocks of good stone for the foundation of the temple.c?Anand over three thousand assistants to keep track of the work and to supervise the workers.>nHe also had eighty thousand workers to cut stone in the hill country of Israel, seventy thousand workers to carry the stones,7=inand he put Adoniram in charge of these workers. Solomon divided them into three groups of ten thousand. Each group worked one month in Lebanon and had two months off at home.`<;n Solomon ordered thirty thousand people from all over Israel to cut logs for the temple,;n The LORD kept his promise and made Solomon wise. Hiram and Solomon signed a treaty and never went to war against each other.&:Gn In return, Solomon gave Hiram about one hundred twenty-five thousand bushels of wheat and about one thousand one hundred gallons of pure olive oil each year.A9n Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pine logs he needed.;8qn My workers will carry them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea. They will tie the logs together and float them along the coast to wherever you want them. Then they will untie the logs, and your workers can take them from there. To pay for the logs, you can provide the grain I need for my household.v7gnThen he sent back his answer: I received your message and will give you all the cedar and pine logs you need.#6AnHiram was so happy when he heard Solomon's request that he said, "I am grateful that the LORD gave David such a wise son to be king of that great nation!"t5cnI'd like you to have your workers cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. I will pay them whatever you say and will even have my workers help them. We both know that your workers are more experienced than anyone else at cutting lumber.4#nThe LORD God promised my father that when his son became king, he would build a temple for worshiping the LORD. So I've decided to do that.l3SnNow, thanks to the LORD God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere.62gnRemember how my father David wanted to build a temple where the LORD his God could be worshiped? But enemies kept attacking my father's kingdom, and he never had the chance.-1WnSolomon sent a message back to Hiram:-0 WnKing Hiram of Tyre had always been friends with Solomon's father David. When Hiram learned that Solomon was king, he sent some of his officials to meet with Solomon.f/Gn"Kings all over the world heard about Solomon's wisdom and sent people to listen to him teach. .n!He could talk about all kinds of plants, from large trees to small bushes, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.]-5n Solomon wrote three thousand wise sayings and composed more than one thousand songs.,/n(SEE 4:30)+ nHe was wiser than anyone else in the world, including the wisest people of the east and of Egypt. He was even wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Mahol's three sons, Heman, Calcol, and Darda. Solomon became famous in every country around Judah and Israel.S*!nSolomon was brilliant. God had blessed him with insight and understanding.3)cnas well as barley and straw for the horses.('nEach of the twelve regional officers brought food to Solomon and his household for one month of the year. They provided everything he needed,b'?nSolomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses and twelve thousand chariot soldiers.J&nEveryone living in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, was safe as long as Solomon lived. Each family sat undisturbed beneath its own grape vines and fig trees.%#nSolomon ruled the whole region west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and he was at peace with all of the countries around him.r$_nten grain-fed cattle, twenty pasture-fed cattle, one hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, and geese.{#qnEvery day, Solomon needed one hundred fifty bushels of fine flour, three hundred bushels of coarsely-ground flour,""?nSolomon ruled every kingdom between the Euphrates River and the land of the Philistines down to Egypt. These kingdoms paid him taxes as long as he lived.@!{nThere were so many people living in Judah and Israel while Solomon was king that they seemed like grains of sand on a beach. Everyone had enough to eat and drink, and they were happy.- UnGeber son of Uri was in charge of Gilead, where King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan had lived. And one officer was in charge of the territory of Judah.FnShimei son of Ela was in charge of the territory of Benjamin.NnJehoshaphat son of Paruah was in charge of the territory of Issachar.]5nBaana son of Hushai was in charge of the territory of Asher and the town of Bealoth.kQnAhimaaz was in charge of the territory of Naphtali and was married to Solomon's daughter Basemath.I nAhinadab son of Iddo was in charge of the territory of Mahanaim.!n The son of Geber was in charge of the town of Ramoth in Gilead and the villages in Gilead belonging to the family of Jair, a descendant of Manasseh. He was also in charge of the region of Argob in Bashan, which had sixty walled towns with bronze bars on their gates.oYn Baana son of Ahilud was in charge of the towns of Taanach and Megiddo. He was also in charge of the whole region of Beth-Shan near the town of Zarethan, south of Jezreel from Beth-Shan to Abel-Meholah to the other side of Jokmeam.hKn The son of Abinadab was in charge of Naphath-Dor and was married to Solomon's daughter Taphath.eEn The son of Hesed was in charge of the towns of Arubboth and Socoh, and the region of Hepher.kQn The son of Deker was in charge of the towns of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-Shemesh, and Elon-Beth-Hanan.eEnThese were the twelve officers: The son of Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim..WnSolomon chose twelve regional officers, who took turns bringing food for him and his household. Each officer provided food from his region for one month of the year.-n(SEE 4:1)-n(SEE 4:1)-n(SEE 4:1)-n(SEE 4:1)-n(SEE 4:1) nHere is a list of Solomon's highest officials while he was king of Israel: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah sons of Shisha were the secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud kept the government records; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the army commander; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the regional officers; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and the king's advisor; Ahishar was the prime minister; Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. 'nEveryone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly. }nSolomon said, "Don't kill the baby." Then he pointed to the first woman, "She is his real mother. Give the baby to her."p [n"Please don't kill my son," the baby's mother screamed. "Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don't kill him." The other woman shouted, "Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby."K n"Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him."M nSomeone bring me a sword." A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered,I nuntil finally he said, "Both of you say this live baby is yours.?yn"No!" the other woman shouted. "He was your son. My baby is alive!" "The dead baby is yours," the first woman yelled. "Mine is alive!" They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, nIn the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in the light, I knew he wasn't my son.nThen while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed. She put him in her bed, then she put her dead baby next to me.V'nOne night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died.Onand three days later her baby was born. Nobody else was there with us.|snand one of them said: Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home,/[nOne day two women came to King Solomon,nSolomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.hKnIf you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I'll let you live a long time.~n I'll also give you what you didn't ask for. You'll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you'll be greater than any other king.Q}n So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live.|/n (SEE 3:10)i{Mn God said: Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions.Bzn Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.ay=nAnd now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.xnLORD God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader.&wGnSolomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king."v?nOne night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the LORD God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you."xuknThe most important shrine was in Gibeon, and Solomon had offered more than a thousand sacrifices on that altar.t#nSolomon loved the LORD and followed his father David's instructions, but Solomon also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the shrines.ysmnAt that time, there was no temple for worshiping the LORD, and everyone offered sacrifices at the local shrines.Lr nSolomon signed a treaty with the king of Egypt and married his daughter. She lived in the older part of Jerusalem until the palace, the LORD's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem were completed.wqin."Benaiah," Solomon shouted, "kill Shimei." So Shimei died. Solomon was now in complete control of his kingdom.Ppn-But the LORD will bless me and make my father's kingdom strong forever.on,I know you remember all the cruel things you did to my father David. Now the LORD is going to punish you for what you did.Pnn+You have disobeyed me and have broken the promise you made to the LORD.Qmn*Solomon sent for him and said: Shimei, you promised in the name of the LORD that you would never leave Jerusalem. I warned you that you would die if you did. You agreed that this was fair, didn't you?Hl n)Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone to Gath and was back.ekEn(he saddled his donkey and went after them. He found them and brought them back to Jerusalem.j}n'About three years later, two of Shimei's servants ran off to King Achish in Gath. When Shimei found out where they were,qi]n&"That's fair, Your Majesty," Shimei answered. "I'll do that." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem from then on.qh]n%If you ever cross Kidron Valley and leave Jerusalem, you will be killed. And it will be your own fault."gn$Solomon sent for Shimei and said, "Build a house here in Jerusalem and live in it. But whatever you do, don't leave the city!ofYn#Solomon put Benaiah in Joab's place as army commander, and he put Zadok in Abiathar's place as priest.keQn"Benaiah went back and killed Joab. His body was taken away and buried near his home in the desert. dn!Joab's family will always suffer because of what he did, but the LORD will always bless David's family and his kingdom with peace.c/n (SEE 2:31)lbSnSolomon replied: Do what Joab said. Kill him and bury him! Then my family and I won't be responsible for what he did to Abner the commander of Israel's army and to Amasa the commander of Judah's army. He killed those innocent men without my father knowing about it. Both of them were better men than Joab. Now the LORD will make him pay for those murders. 3~r~}||k{{zyy1xx?ww[wv8uYtttrrhrLqqpepoUo9nmmlll8kk5jih"hggg5ff.edddcnc3bb]aaO`F`)^^]]]Y\\M[[ZZ;YYXWW{VVV9VUUTTRRQQfPPOONMM LL#KJJII}IDHHH GGFFEkDD~DCsC4BB?S?6?>>==(<<;;Z:f:I9Z88i7665+543332211~000=//?..--m-5,,++F** ))(|(,''m&&m&.$$$|##"U!! i&[Ul|9tno=GQlP|`Ip  ( V O Y!4* Jq&4XF+nNobody knew who you were until I, the LORD, chose you to be the leader of my people Israel. And now you're acting exactly like Jeroboam by causing the Israelites to sin. What you've done has made me so angry9E qnThe LORD sent Jehu son of Hanani to say to Baasha:fDGn"Baasha also disobeyed the LORD by acting like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.Cn!Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel in Asa's third year as king of Judah, and he ruled twenty-four years from Tirzah.HB n King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were always at war.fAGnEverything else Nadab did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.m@Unbecause Jeroboam had made the LORD God of Israel angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.??ynThe LORD's prophet Ahijah had earlier said, "Not one man or boy in Jeroboam's family will be left alive." And, as soon as Baasha became king, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family,>1n(SEE 15:27)=nBaasha son of Ahijah was from the tribe of Issachar, and he made plans to kill Nadab. When Nadab and his army went to attack the town of Gibbethon in Philistia, Baasha killed Nadab there. So in the third year of Asa's rule, Baasha became king of Israel.t<cnNadab disobeyed the LORD by following the evil example of his father, who had caused the Israelites to sin.s;anNadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Asa's second year as king of Judah, and he ruled two years.q:]nAsa died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Jehoshaphat then became king.@9{nEverything else Asa did while he was king, including his victories and the towns he rebuilt, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. When he got older, he had a foot disease.r8_nAsa ordered everyone in Judah to carry away the stones and wood Baasha had used to strengthen the town of Ramah. Then he used these same stones and wood to fortify the town of Geba in the territory of Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.K7nWhen Baasha heard about it, he left Ramah and went back to Tirzah.56enBenhadad did what Asa asked and sent the Syrian army into Israel. They captured the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel-Bethmaacah, and the territories of Chinneroth and Naphtali.N5n"Our fathers signed a peace treaty. Why don't we do the same thing? This silver and gold is a present for you. So, would you please break your treaty with Baasha and force him to leave my country?"W4)nWhen Asa heard about this, he took the silver and gold from his palace and from the LORD's temple. He gave it to some of his officials and sent them to Damascus with this message for King Benhadad of Syria:83knOne time, Baasha invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, so he could put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.92onAsa was always at war with King Baasha of Israel.r1_nHe placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to the LORD.x0knAs long as Asa lived, he was completely faithful to the LORD, even though he did not destroy the local shrines.*/On His own grandmother Maacah had made an idol of Asherah, and Asa took it and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother.{.qn He forced the prostitutes at the shrines to leave the country, and he got rid of the idols his ancestors had made./-[n Asa obeyed the LORD, as David had done.k,Qn and he ruled forty-one years from Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.U+%n Asa became king of Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's rule in Israel,N*nAbijam died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Asa became king.)/n(SEE 15:6)P(nThe war that had broken out between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued during the time that Abijam was king. Everything else Abijam did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.'/n(SEE 15:4)a&=nDavid had always obeyed the LORD's commands by doing right, except in the case of Uriah. And since Abijam was David's great-grandson, the LORD kept Jerusalem safe and let Abijam have a son who would be the next king. % nAbijam did not truly obey the LORD his God as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he was sinful just like his father Rehoboam.f$Gnand he ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.T# %nAbijam became king of Judah in Jeroboam's eighteenth year as king of Israel,"1nRehoboam's mother Naamah was from Ammon, but when Rehoboam died, he was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Abijam then became king./![nHe and Jeroboam were constantly at war.h KnEverything else Rehoboam did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.!=nWhenever Rehoboam went to the LORD's temple, the guards carried the shields. But they always took them back to the guardroom as soon as he was finished.nRehoboam had bronze shields made to replace the gold ones, and he ordered the guards at the city gates to keep them safe.fGnHe took everything of value from the temple and the palace, including Solomon's gold shields._9nAfter Rehoboam had been king for four years, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. ;nEven worse, they allowed prostitutes at the shrines, and followed the disgusting customs of the foreign nations that the LORD had forced out of Canaan.A}nThey also built their own local shrines and stone images of foreign gods, and they set up sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah on every hill and in the shade of large trees.cAnThe people of Judah disobeyed the LORD and made him even angrier than their ancestors had.Y-nRehoboam son of Solomon was forty-one years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled seventeen years from Jerusalem, the city where the LORD had chosen to be worshiped. His mother Naamah was from Ammon.a=nHe was king of Israel for twenty-two years, then he died, and his son Nadab became king. nEverything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including the battles he won, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.hKnEveryone in Israel came and mourned at his funeral, just as the LORD's servant Ahijah had said.{qnJeroboam's wife left and went back home to the town of Tirzah. As soon as she set foot in her house, her son died.[1nJeroboam sinned and caused the Israelites to sin. Now the LORD will desert Israel./YnThe people of Israel have made the LORD angry by setting up sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah. So the LORD will punish them until they shake like grass in a stream. He will take them out of the land he gave to their ancestors, then scatter them as far away as the Euphrates River.r_nThe LORD will soon choose a new king of Israel, who will destroy Jeroboam's family. And I mean very soon.G n Everyone in Israel will mourn at his funeral. But he will be the last one from Jeroboam's family to receive a proper burial, because he's the only one the LORD God of Israel is pleased with.yn That's the LORD's message to your husband. As for you, go back home, and right after you get there, your son will die.=un Dogs will eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country. I, the LORD, have spoken and will not change my mind!"* On "Because of this, I will destroy your family by killing every man and boy in it, whether slave or free. I will wipe out your family, just as fire burns up trash. 'n "You have made me very angry by rejecting me and making idols out of gold. Jeroboam, you have done more evil things than any king before you. ;nI even took David's kingdom away from his family and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David. He always obeyed me and did what was right.+ QnGive your husband this message from the LORD God of Israel: "Jeroboam, you know that I, the LORD, chose you over anyone else to be the leader of my people Israel.4 cnBut when Ahijah heard her walking up to the door, he said: Come in! I know you're Jeroboam's wife--why are you pretending to be someone else? I have some bad news for you.<snbut the LORD told him, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask about her son. I will tell you what to say to her." Jeroboam's wife came to Ahijah's house, pretending to be someone else.[1nShe got ready and left for Ahijah's house in Shiloh. Ahijah was now old and blind,/n(SEE 14:2)4cnJeroboam told his wife: Disguise yourself so no one will know you're my wife, then go to Shiloh, where the prophet Ahijah lives. Take him ten loaves of bread, some small cakes, and honey, and ask him what will happen to our son. He can tell you, because he's the one who told me I would become king.< wnAbout the same time, Abijah son of Jeroboam got sick.=wn "This sinful thing led to the downfall of his kingdom.<sn !But Jeroboam kept on doing evil things. He appointed men to be priests at the local shrines, even if they were not Levites. In fact, anyone who wanted to be a priest could be one.lSn I'm sure that everything he said about the altar in Bethel and the shrines in Samaria will happen."Mn He said to his sons, "When I die, bury my body next to this prophet.Mn He buried the body in his own family tomb and cried for the prophet.~3n The old prophet picked up the body, put it on his own donkey, and took it back to Bethel, so he could bury it and mourn for the prophet from Judah.})n he left. He found the body lying on the road, with the donkey and lion standing there. The lion had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey.S|!n The old prophet told his sons to saddle his donkey, and when it was ready,){Mn When the old prophet heard the news, he said, "That must be the prophet from Judah. The LORD warned him, but he disobeyed. So the LORD sent a lion to kill him."z n Some people walked by and saw the body with the lion standing there. They ran into Bethel, telling everyone what they had seen.y'n and the prophet from Judah left. Along the way, a lion attacked and killed him, and the donkey and the lion stood there beside his dead body.:xqn After the meal the old prophet got a donkey ready,w9n He told you not to eat or drink anything here, but you came home and ate with me. And so, when you die, your body won't be buried in your family tomb.rv_n a message for the prophet from Judah: Listen to the LORD's message. You have disobeyed the LORD your God.5ugn During the meal the LORD gave the old prophet3tcn so he went home with him and ate and drank.Ys-n The old prophet said, "I'm a prophet too. One of the LORD's angels told me to take you to my house and give you something to eat and drink." The prophet from Judah did not know that the old prophet was lying,Sr!n The LORD warned me not to eat or drink or to go home the same way I came."fqGn "I can't go back with you," the prophet replied, "and I can't eat or drink anything with you.Ppn "Come home with me," the old prophet said, "and have something to eat."'oIn and rode off to look for the prophet from Judah. The old prophet found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, "Are you the prophet from Judah?" "Yes, I am."Xn+n "Put a saddle on my donkey," he told them. After they did, he got on the donkey^m7n "Show me which way he went," the old prophet said, and his sons pointed out the road.l}n At that time an old prophet lived in Bethel, and one of his sons told him what the prophet from Judah had said and done.3kcn Then he started home down a different road.cjAn The LORD said I can't eat or drink anything and that I can't go home the same way I came."ticn "No, I wouldn't go with you, even if you offered me half of your kingdom. I won't eat or drink here either.rh_n "Come home with me and eat something," Jeroboam said. "I want to give you a gift for what you have done." gn "Please pray to the LORD your God and ask him to heal my hand," Jeroboam begged. The prophet prayed, and Jeroboam's hand was healed.cfAn The altar split in half, and the ashes fell to the ground, just as the prophet had warned. e n Jeroboam pointed at the prophet and shouted, "Grab him!" But right away, Jeroboam's hand became stiff, and he could not move it.d}n You will know that the LORD has said these things when the altar splits in half, and the ashes on it fall to the ground.c/n (SEE 13:1)lb Un One day, Jeroboam was standing at the altar in Bethel, ready to make an offering. Suddenly one of God's prophets arrived from Judah and shouted: The LORD sent me with a message about this altar. A child named Josiah will be born into David's family. He will sacrifice on this altar the priests who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on it.a1n !(SEE 12:32) `;n He also decided to start a new festival for the Israelites on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the one in Judah. On that day, Jeroboam went to Bethel and offered sacrifices on the altar to the gold calf he had put there. Then he assigned the priests their duties. _ n Jeroboam built small places of worship at the shrines and appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests.^1n (SEE 12:29)P]n Then he put one of the gold calves in the town of Bethel. He put the other one in the town of Dan, and the crowd walked out in front as the calf was taken there. What Jeroboam did was a terrible sin.k\Qn Jeroboam asked for advice and then made two gold statues of calves. He showed them to the people and said, "Listen everyone! You won't have to go to Jerusalem to worship anymore. Here are your gods who rescued you from Egypt."[1n (SEE 12:26)pZ[n One day, Jeroboam started thinking, "Everyone in Israel still goes to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD. What if they become loyal to David's family again? They will kill me and accept Rehoboam as their king."Yn Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Ephraim and made it a stronger town, then he moved there. He also fortified the town of Penuel.@X{n "Don't go to war against the people from Israel--they are your relatives. Go home! I am the LORD, and I made these things happen." Rehoboam and his army obeyed the LORD and went home.LWn to give Rehoboam and everyone from Judah and Benjamin this warning:0V]n Meanwhile, God told Shemaiah the prophetSU!n After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and take control of the whole country. So he called together one hundred eighty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.\T3n When the Israelites heard that Jeroboam was back, they called everyone together. Then they sent for Jeroboam and made him king of Israel. Only the people from the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's family.S1n (SEE 12:15)R1n (SEE 12:15)Q1n (SEE 12:15)P1n (SEE 12:15)9Omn When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: "We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people." Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem. So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All of this happened just as the LORD's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.cNAn He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested: "My father made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!":Mqn Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisors.In )Everything else Solomon did while he was king is written in the book about him and his wisdom.+=Qn (When Solomon learned what the LORD had told Jeroboam, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. But he escaped to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.C<n '"I will punish the descendants of David, but not forever."w;in &I'll help you if you obey me. And if you do what I say, as my servant David did, I will always let someone from your family rule in Israel, just as someone from David's family will always rule in Judah. The nation of Israel will be yours.I: n %"You will be king of Israel and will rule every nation you want.19]n $but Solomon's son will still rule one tribe. This way, my servant David will always have a descendant ruling in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to be worshiped.08]n #Then I will give you ten tribes to rule,7 n ""Solomon is David's son, and David was my chosen leader, who did what I commanded. So I will let Solomon be king until he dies.y6mn !"Solomon and the Israelites are not like their ancestor David. They will not listen to me, obey me, or do what is right. They have turned from me to worship Astarte the goddess of Sidon, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of Ammon.y5mn But Solomon will still rule one tribe, since he is the son of David my servant, and Jerusalem is my chosen city.e4En Then he said: Jeroboam, take ten pieces of this coat and listen to what the LORD God of Israel says to you. "Jeroboam, I am the LORD God, and I am about to take Solomon's kingdom from him and give you ten tribes to rule.31n (SEE 11:29)E2n One day when Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, he met Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh. No one else was anywhere around. Suddenly, Ahijah took off his new coat and ripped it into twelve pieces.1n Solomon noticed that Jeroboam was a hard worker. So he put Jeroboam in charge of the work force from Manasseh and Ephraim.0n Here is how it happened: While Solomon's workers were filling in the land on the east side of Jerusalem and repairing the city walls,K/n Jeroboam was from the town of Zeredah in Ephraim. His father Nebat had died, but his mother Zeruah was still alive. Jeroboam was one of Solomon's officials, but even he rebelled against Solomon..1n (SEE 11:24)7-in He formed his own small army and became its leader after David had defeated Hadadezer's troops. Then Rezon and his army went to Damascus, where he became the ruler of Syria and an enemy of Israel. Both Hadad and Rezon were enemies of Israel while Solomon was king, and they caused him a lot of trouble.,n Here is how God made Rezon son of Eliada an enemy of Solomon: Rezon had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah.j+On "Why?" asked the king. "Do you want something I haven't given you?" "No, I just want to go home."*n When Hadad heard that David and Joab were dead, he said to the king, "Your Majesty, please let me go back to my own country."|)sn Hadad and his wife had a son named Genubath, and the queen let the boy grow up in the palace with her own children.(1n (SEE 11:17)'1n (SEE 11:17)!&=n Hadad was a boy at the time, but he escaped to Midian with some of his father's officials. At Paran some other men joined them, and they went to the king of Egypt. The king liked Hadad and gave him food, some land, and a house, and even let him marry the sister of Queen Tahpenes.%1n (SEE 11:15)$n Some time earlier, when David conquered the nation of Edom, Joab his army commander went there to bury those who had died in battle. Joab and his soldiers stayed in Edom six months, and during that time they killed every man and boy who lived there.d#Cn Hadad was from the royal family of Edom, and here is how the LORD made him Solomon's enemy: " n When I do, I will still let him rule one tribe, because I have not forgotten that David was my servant and Jerusalem is my city.%!En But because David was your father, you will remain king as long as you live. I will wait until your son becomes king, then I will take the kingdom from him.) Mn and he said to Solomon: You did what you wanted and not what I told you to do. Now I'm going to take your kingdom from you and give it to one of your officials./n (SEE 11:9)5en The LORD God of Israel had appeared to Solomon two times and warned him not to worship foreign gods. But Solomon disobeyed and did it anyway. This made the LORD very angry, n In fact, he built a shrine for each of his foreign wives, so all of them could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own gods.n Solomon built shrines on a hill east of Jerusalem to worship Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Molech the disgusting god of Ammon.tcn Solomon's father had obeyed the LORD with all his heart, but Solomon disobeyed and did what the LORD hated.eEn Solomon also worshiped Astarte the goddess of Sidon, and Milcom the disgusting god of Ammon./n (SEE 11:3)xkn Seven hundred of his wives were daughters of kings, but he also married three hundred other women. As Solomon got older, some of his wives led him to worship their gods. He wasn't like his father David, who had worshiped only the LORD God./n (SEE 11:1)0 ]n The LORD did not want the Israelites to worship foreign gods, so he had warned them not to marry anyone who was not from Israel. Solomon loved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt. But he also loved some women from Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and others from Sidon and the land of the Hittites.1n (SEE 10:28)n Solomon's merchants bought his horses and chariots in the regions of Musri and Kue. They paid about fifteen pounds of silver for a chariot and almost four pounds of silver for a horse. They also sold horses and chariots to the Hittite and Syrian kings. n While he was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.}un Solomon had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.}n Year after year people came and brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, or mules.Nn People from every nation wanted to hear the wisdom God had given him.8mn He was the richest and wisest king in the world.+Qn Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships. Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks. n Since silver was almost worthless in those days, everything was made of gold, even the cups and dishes used in Forest Hall. 1n (SEE 10:19)% En The back of the throne was rounded at the top, and it had armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on both sides of the throne, and there was a statue of a lion at both ends of each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.@ }n His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. %n He also made three hundred smaller gold shields, using almost four pounds for each one, and he put the shields in his palace in Forest Hall.kQn Solomon made two hundred gold shields and used about seven and a half pounds of gold for each one.nWn The merchants and traders, as well as the kings of Arabia and rulers from Israel, also gave him gold.?{n Solomon received about twenty-five tons of gold a year.1n (SEE 10:11)1n (SEE 10:11)Ln In return, Solomon gave her the gifts he would have given any other ruler, but he also gave her everything else she wanted. Then she and her officials went back to their own country. King Hiram's ships brought gold, juniper wood, and jewels from the country of Ophir. Solomon used the wood to make steps for the temple and palace, and harps and other stringed instruments for the musicians. It was the best juniper wood anyone in Israel had ever seen.  n The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon almost five tons of gold, many jewels, and more spices than anyone had ever brought into Israel.2_n I praise the LORD your God. He is pleased with you and has made you king of Israel. The LORD loves Israel, so he has given them a king who will rule fairly and honestly.hKn Your wives and officials are lucky to be here where they can listen to the wise things you say.#n But I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! And there's so much I didn't hear about. You are wiser and richer than I was told.`~;n She said: Solomon, in my own country I had heard about your wisdom and all you've done.}/n (SEE 10:4)x|kn The Queen was amazed at Solomon's wisdom. She was breathless when she saw his palace, the food on his table, his officials, his servants in their uniforms, the people who served his food, and the sacrifices he offered at the LORD's temple.D{n He answered every question, no matter how difficult it was.Az}n She took along several of her officials, and she loaded her camels with gifts of spices, jewels, and gold. When she arrived, she and Solomon talked about everything she could think of.wy kn The Queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she went to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions.x/n (SEE 9:27),wSn King Hiram let some of his experienced sailors go to the country of Ophir with Solomon's own sailors, and they brought back about sixteen tons of gold for Solomon.]v5n He also had a lot of ships at Ezion-Geber, a town in Edom near Eloth on the Red Sea.&uGn Three times a year, Solomon burned incense and offered sacrifices to the LORD on the altar he had built. Solomon had now finished building the LORD's temple.8tkn Solomon's wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, moved from the older part of Jerusalem to her new palace. Then Solomon had the land on the east side of Jerusalem filled in.~swn Solomon appointed five hundred fifty officers to be in charge of his workers and to watch over his building projects.r/n (SEE 9:20)q/n (SEE 9:20)p{n Solomon did not force the Israelites to do his work. They were his soldiers, officials, leaders, commanders, chariot captains, and chariot drivers. But he did make slaves of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were living in Israel. These were the descendants of those foreigners the Israelites could not destroy, and they remained Israel's slaves.:oon They also built towns where he could keep his supplies and his chariots and horses. Solomon had them build whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and anywhere in his kingdom.2nan Baalath, and Tamar in the desert of Judah.[m1n So Solomon had the town rebuilt. Solomon had his workers rebuild Lower Beth-Horon,[l1n Earlier, the king of Egypt had captured the town of Gezer; he burned it to the ground and killed the Canaanite people living there. Then he gave it to his daughter as a wedding present when she married Solomon.ckAn After Solomon's workers had finished the temple and the palace, he ordered them to fill in the land on the east side of Jerusalem, to build a wall around the city, and to rebuild the towns of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.9jon He sent Solomon only five tons of gold in return.i7n He said, "Solomon, my friend, are these the kind of towns you want to give me?" So Hiram called the region Cabul because he thought it was worthless.?h{n When Hiram went to see the towns, he did not like them.g'n Later, Solomon gave King Hiram of Tyre twenty towns in the region of Galilee to repay him for the cedar, pine, and gold he had given Solomon.Uf%n It took twenty years for the LORD's temple and Solomon's palace to be built.Ben Then they will answer, "We know why the LORD did this. The people of Israel rejected the LORD their God, who rescued their ancestors from Egypt, and they started worshiping other gods."9dmn This temple will become a pile of rocks! Everyone who walks by will be shocked, and they will ask, "Why did the LORD do such a terrible thing to his people and to this temple?"`c;n I will no longer let my people Israel live in this land I gave them. I will desert this temple where I said I would be worshiped. Then people everywhere will think this nation is only a joke and will make fun of it.dbCn But if you or any of your descendants disobey my commands or start worshiping foreign gods,iaMn and I will keep my promise to David that someone from your family will always be king of Israel.h`Kn You must obey me, as your father David did, and be honest and fair. Obey my laws and teachings,C_n The LORD said: I heard your prayer and what you asked me to do. This temple you have built is where I will be worshiped forever. It belongs to me, and I will never stop watching over it.b^?n Some time later the LORD appeared to him again in a dream, just as he had done at Gibeon.m] Wn The LORD's temple and Solomon's palace were now finished, and Solomon had built everything he wanted.=\unBThen on the eighth day, he sent everyone home. They said good-by and left, very happy, because of all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.I[ nASolomon and the huge crowd celebrated the Festival of Shelters at the temple for seven days. There were people from as far away as the Egyptian Gorge in the south and Lebo-Hamath in the north. }`}D}(|{{pzziyyx^xAwwmvvcuutt?ts|rrrqq?qpbo&n+nmmHmll`l@kk-jihhWgg^ffemdd_d cc"bSb7a1a`S__u_M^]]\\R\[[,ZZ@YfYXBWVV)UTSS3RRQvQYPwP*ONNoMM1LfL KJIIHHGGKFwFEhDDKCBAAG@?? >==<;::E:99Y88 7G66&5W443;2d100w0// .-,,x++4*J)e(''&)%$#""" s c):B&j Gl p G Z;d/B:C&nAhab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead.%!nMicaiah said, "If you do come back, I was wrong about what the LORD wanted me to say." Then he told the crowd, "Don't forget what I said!"n$WnTell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely."^#7nAhab shouted, "Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria.h"KnMicaiah answered, "You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house."!!nZedekiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him on the face. Then he asked, "Do you really think the LORD would speak to you and not to me?" nThis is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The LORD made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.^7n"I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him." "Good!" the LORD replied. "Now go and do it."lSnthen finally a spirit came forward and said to the LORD, "I can trick Ahab." "How?" the LORD asked.nThe LORD asked, "Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?" They talked about it for a while,nMicaiah replied: Listen to this! I also saw the LORD seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him.S!nAhab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "I told you he would bring bad news!"S!nHe answered, "In a vision I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The LORD said, 'This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight.' "tcn"Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!" Ahab shouted. "What does the LORD really say?"$CnThen Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, "Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?" "Yes!" Micaiah answered. "The LORD will help you defeat them."Nn"I'll say whatever the living LORD tells me to say," Micaiah replied.+n Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, "Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing." n All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the LORD would help him defeat them.Ln Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, "Ahab, the LORD says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!"fGn All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. They were listening to the prophets tell them what the LORD had said.En Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.#n"We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah," Ahab said. "But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me." "Don't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied.gInBut Jehoshaphat said, "Just to make sure, is there another of the LORD's prophets we can ask?"*OnAhab sent for about four hundred prophets and asked, "Should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?" "Yes!" the prophets answered. "The Lord will help you defeat them."'KnBut first, let's ask the LORD."6 gnThen he asked Jehoshaphat, "Would you go to Ramoth with me and attack the Syrians?" "Just tell me what to do," Jehoshaphat answered. "My army and horses are at your command.z onAhab asked his officials, "Why haven't we tried to get Ramoth in Gilead back from the Syrians? It belongs to us."[ 1nDuring the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.J  nFor the next three years there was peace between Israel and Syria. 1n(SEE 21:25)1n(SEE 21:25)1n(SEE 21:25)1n(SEE 21:25)nWhen Ahab heard this, he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth day and night. He was depressed and refused to eat. Some time later, the LORD said, "Elijah, do you see how sorry Ahab is for what he did? I won't punish his family while he is still alive. I'll wait until his son is king." No one was more determined than Ahab to disobey the LORD. And Jezebel encouraged him. Worst of all, he had worshiped idols, just as the Amorites had done before the LORD forced them out of the land and gave it to Israel. nDogs will also eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country.EnAnd as for Jezebel, dogs will eat her body there in Jezreel.4cnYour whole family will be wiped out, just like the families of King Jeroboam and King Baasha. You've made the LORD very angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.lSnNow you will be punished. You and every man and boy in your family will die, whether slave or free.nAhab said, "So, my enemy, you found me at last." Elijah answered: Yes, I did! Ahab, you have managed to do everything the LORD hates.H nGo tell him that I say, 'Ahab, you murdered Naboth and took his property. And so, in the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, they will lick up your blood.' " When Elijah found him,P~n"King Ahab of Israel is in Naboth's vineyard right now, taking it over.,}UnThe LORD said to Elijah the prophet,7|knAhab got up and went to take over the vineyard.{{nAs soon as Jezebel got their message, she told Ahab, "Now you can have the vineyard Naboth refused to sell. He's dead."[z1nThe leaders of Jezreel sent a message back to Jezebel that said, "Naboth is dead."+yQn The two liars came in and sat across from Naboth. Then they accused him of cursing God and the king, so the people dragged Naboth outside and stoned him to death.x n They told the people that it was a day to go without eating, and when they all came together, they seated Naboth at the front.Jwn After receiving her letters, they did exactly what she had asked.v/n (SEE 21:8)u/n (SEE 21:8)^t7nJezebel wrote a letter to each of the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In the letters she said: Call everyone together and tell them to go without eating today. When they come together, give Naboth a seat at the front. Have two liars sit across from him and swear that Naboth has cursed God and the king. Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death! She signed Ahab's name to the letters and sealed them with his seal. Then she sent them to the town leaders. sn"Aren't you the king of Israel?" Jezebel asked. "Get out of bed and eat something! Don't worry, I'll get Naboth's vineyard for you."r n"I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or to let me give him a better one," Ahab replied. "And he told me I couldn't have it."OqnJezebel his wife came in and asked, "What's wrong? Why won't you eat?"p5nSo Ahab went home, angry and depressed because of what Naboth had told him. He lay on his bed, just staring at the wall and refusing to eat a thing.`o;nNaboth answered, "This vineyard has always been in my family. I won't let you have it."CnnOne day, Ahab said, "Naboth, your vineyard is near my palace. Give it to me so I can turn it into a vegetable garden. I'll give you a better vineyard or pay whatever you want for yours."Cm nNaboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel near King Ahab's palace.7lkn+Ahab went back to Samaria, angry and depressed.$kCn*The prophet said, "The LORD told you to kill Benhadad, but you let him go. Now you will die in his place, and your people will die in place of his people."ejEn)The man quickly tore the bandage off his face, and Ahab saw that he was one of the prophets.in(But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped." Ahab answered, "You will be punished just as you have said."hn'When Ahab went by, the prophet shouted, "Your Majesty, right in the heat of battle, someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him. He said if the prisoner got away, I would either be killed or forced to pay seventy-five pounds of silver.g!n&The prophet left and put a bandage over his face to disguise himself. Then he went and stood beside the road, waiting for Ahab to pass by.Tf#n%The prophet found someone else and said, "Hit me!" So this man beat him up.!e=n$and the prophet told him, "You disobeyed the LORD, and as soon as you walk away, a lion will kill you." The friend left, and suddenly a lion killed him.kdQn#About this time the LORD commanded a prophet to say to a friend, "Hit me!" But the friend refused,cn"Benhadad said, "I'll give back the towns my father took from your father. And you can have shops in Damascus, just as my father had in Samaria." Ahab replied, "If you do these things, I'll let you go free." Then they signed a peace treaty, and Ahab let Benhadad go.bn!Benhadad's officials were trying to figure out what Ahab was thinking, and when he said "brother," they quickly replied, "You're right! You and Benhadad are like brothers." "Go get him," Ahab said. When Benhadad came out, Ahab had him climb up into his chariot.Xa+n They dressed in sackcloth and put ropes on their heads, then they went to Ahab and said, "Your servant Benhadad asks you to let him live." "Is he still alive?" Ahab asked. "Benhadad is like a brother to me."G` nHis officials said, "Your Majesty, we've heard that Israel's kings keep their agreements. We will wrap sackcloth around our waists, put ropes around our heads, and ask Ahab to let you live."=_unThe rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed twenty-seven thousand of them. Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house.P^nFor seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed one hundred thousand Syrian troops.a]=nThe prophet went to Ahab and said, "The Syrians think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the LORD is in control."f\GnThe Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.o[YnIn the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel.NZnThen get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We'll fight Israel's army on flat land and wipe them out. Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested.uYenHere's what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places.jXOnMeanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained: Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose.!W=nLater, the prophet went back and warned Ahab, "Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans."Vnbut Ahab and his soldiers followed them and captured their horses and chariots. Ahab and Israel's army crushed the Syrians.;Uqnand each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses,;TsnThe young soldiers led Israel's troops into battle,lSSn"Take them alive!" Benhadad ordered. "I don't care if they have come out to fight or to surrender."R1n(SEE 20:16)"Q?nAt noon, King Ahab and his Israelite army marched out of Samaria, with the young soldiers in front. King Benhadad of Syria and the thirty-two kings with him were drunk when the scouts he had sent out ran up to his tent, shouting, "We just now saw soldiers marching out of Samaria!"&PGnSo Ahab called together the two hundred thirty-two young soldiers and the seven thousand troops in Israel's army, and he got them ready to fight the Syrians.SO!n"Who will fight the battle?" Ahab asked. The prophet answered, "The young bodyguards who serve the district officials." "But who will lead them into battle?" Ahab asked. "You will!" the prophet replied.\N3n At that very moment, a prophet ran up to Ahab and said, "You can see that Benhadad's army is very strong. But the LORD has promised to help you defeat them today. Then you will know that the LORD is in control."CynBenhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel,3B cnKing Benhadad of Syria called his army together. He was joined by thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots, and together they marched to Samaria and attacked.zAonElisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.6@gnElisha stopped plowing and ran after him. "Let me kiss my parents good-by, then I'll go with you," he said. "You can go," Elijah said. "But remember what I've done for you."[?1nElijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.X>+nBut seven thousand Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.=5nHazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.z<onThen appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat to take your place as my prophet.; nThe LORD said: Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint Hazael to be king of Syria.:nElijah answered, "LORD God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!"$9Cn and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. The LORD asked, "Elijah, why are you here?"e8En Then there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. Finally, there was a gentle breeze,7%n "Go out and stand on the mountain," the LORD replied. "I want you to see me when I pass by." All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the LORD was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.6yn He answered, "LORD God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!"}5un and he spent the night there in a cave. While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the LORD asked, "Elijah, why are you here?"%4EnSo Elijah sat up and ate and drank. The food and water made him strong enough to walk forty more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai, the mountain of God,q3]nSoon the LORD's angel woke him again and said, "Get up and eat, or else you'll get too tired to travel."2)nElijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.q1]nThen he lay down in the shade and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, "Get up and eat."P0nthen walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the LORD, "I've had enough. Just let me die! I'm no better off than my ancestors."|/snElijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there,:.onShe sent a message to Elijah: "You killed my prophets. Now I'm going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don't do it by this time tomorrow."\- 5nAhab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets.,1n.(SEE 18:45)V+'n-A few minutes later, it got very cloudy and windy, and rain started pouring down. So Elijah wrapped his coat around himself, and the LORD gave him strength to run all the way to Jezreel. Ahab followed him.h*Kn,After the seventh time the servant replied, "I see a small cloud coming this way. But it's no bigger than a fist." Elijah told him, "Tell Ahab to get his chariot ready and start home now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him.";)qn+and said to his servant, "Look toward the sea." The servant left. And when he came back, he said, "I looked, but I didn't see anything." Elijah told him to look seven more times.(yn*Ahab left, but Elijah climbed back to the top of Mount Carmel. Then he stooped down with his face almost to the groundX'+n)Elijah told Ahab, "Get something to eat and drink. I hear a heavy rain coming."G& n(Just then, Elijah said, "Grab the prophets of Baal! Don't let any of them get away." So the people captured the prophets and took them to Kishon River, where Elijah killed every one of them.s%an'When the crowd saw what had happened, they all bowed down and shouted, "The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"D$n&The LORD immediately sent fire, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. It scorched the ground everywhere around the altar and dried up every drop of water in the ditch.#{n%Please answer me, so these people will know that you are the LORD God, and that you will turn their hearts back to you.f"Gn$When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed: Our LORD, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Now, prove that you are the God of this nation, and that I, your servant, have done this at your command.J!n#until finally, the water ran down the altar and filled the ditch.J n"he told them to do it two more times. They did exactly as he said^7n!He placed the wood on the altar, then they cut the bull into pieces and laid the meat on the wood. He told the people, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it over the meat and the wood." After they did this,1n (SEE 18:31) nThen he used twelve stones to build an altar in honor of the LORD. Each stone stood for one of the tribes of Israel, which was the name the LORD had given to their ancestor Jacob. Elijah dug a ditch around the altar, large enough to hold about thirteen quarts.V'nElijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the LORD's altar.Pnand they kept it up all afternoon. But there was no answer of any kind. ;nThe prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped,W)nAt noon, Elijah began making fun of them. "Pray louder!" he said. "Baal must be a god. Maybe he's day-dreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he's asleep, and you have to wake him up."JnThey chose their bull, then they got it ready and prayed to Baal all morning, asking him to start the fire. They danced around the altar and shouted, "Answer us, Baal!" But there was no answer.%EnElijah said to Baal's prophets, "There are more of you, so you go first. Pick out a bull and get it ready, but don't light the fire. Then pray to your god."*OnThe prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the LORD. The one who answers by starting the fire is God. "That's a good idea," everyone agreed.}unBring us two bulls. Baal's prophets can take one of them, kill it, and cut it into pieces. Then they can put the meat on the wood without lighting the fire. I will do the same thing with the other bull, and I won't light a fire under it either.gInThen Elijah continued: I am the LORD's only prophet, but Baal has four hundred fifty prophets.JnElijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!" The people did not say a word.S!nAhab got everyone together, then they went to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel.V'nCall together everyone from Israel and have them meet me on Mount Carmel. Be sure to bring along the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.nElijah answered: You're the troublemaker--not me! You and your family have disobeyed the LORD's commands by worshiping Baal.`;nand when he saw him, Ahab shouted, "There you are, the biggest troublemaker in Israel!"S!nObadiah left and told Ahab where to find Elijah. Ahab went to meet Elijah, {nElijah said, "I'm a servant of the living LORD All-Powerful, and I swear in his name that I will meet with Ahab today."I  nDo you really want me to tell Ahab you're here? He will kill me! n I even hid one hundred of the LORD's prophets in caves when Jezebel was trying to kill them. I also gave them food and water.> wn What if the LORD's Spirit takes you away as soon as I leave? When Ahab comes to get you, he won't find you. Then he will surely kill me. I have worshiped the LORD since I was a boy.6 in Do you really want me to tell him you're here?n I swear to you in the name of the living LORD your God that the king has looked everywhere for you. He sent people to look in every country, and when they couldn't find you, he made the leader of each country swear that you were not in that country.mUn Obadiah replied: King Ahab would kill me if I told him that. And I haven't even done anything wrong.%Gn"Yes. Go tell Ahab I'm here."{nAs Obadiah was walking along, he met Elijah. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down, and asked, "Elijah, is it really you?"W)nYou go one way, and I'll go the other." Then they left in separate directions.>wnand said, "We have to find something for our horses and mules to eat. If we don't, we will have to kill them. Let's look around every creek and spring in the country for some grass./n(SEE 18:3)nAt that time Obadiah was in charge of Ahab's palace, but he faithfully worshiped the LORD. In fact, when Jezebel was trying to kill the LORD's prophets, Obadiah hid one hundred of them in two caves and gave them food and water. Ahab sent for Obadiah/n(SEE 18:1)K nFor three years no rain fell in Samaria, and there was almost nothing to eat anywhere. The LORD said to Elijah, "Go and meet with King Ahab. I will soon make it rain." So Elijah went to see Ahab.h~Kn"You are God's prophet!" the woman replied. "Now I know that you really do speak for the LORD."|}snElijah picked him up and carried him downstairs. He gave the boy to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive."P|nThe LORD answered Elijah's prayer, and the boy started breathing again.w{inElijah stretched himself out over the boy three times, while praying, "LORD God, bring this boy back to life!"znand prayed, "LORD God, why did you do such a terrible thing to this woman? She's letting me stay here, and now you've let her son die."'yIn"Bring me your son," Elijah said. Then he took the boy from her arms and carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying. Elijah laid the boy on his bed=xunThe woman shouted at Elijah, "What have I done to you? I thought you were God's prophet. Did you come here to cause the death of my son as a reminder that I've sinned against God?"w}nSeveral days later, the son of the woman who owned the house got sick, and he kept getting worse, until finally he died.mvUnThe LORD kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil.unThe widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time.t/nThe LORD God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops."3san Elijah said, "Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me.r7n The widow answered, "In the name of the living LORD your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death."\q3n As she left to get it, he asked, "Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?"p3n When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. "Would you please bring me a cup of water?" he asked.po[n "Go to the town of Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've told a widow in that town to give you food."n7nThe LORD told Elijah,AmnBut after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.Zl/nRavens brought him bread and meat twice a day, and he drank water from the creek.DknElijah obeyed the LORD and went to live near Cherith Creek.aj=nYou can drink water from the creek, and eat the food I've told the ravens to bring you."Rin"Leave and go across the Jordan River so you can hide near Cherith Creek.'hKnLater, the LORD said to Elijah,wg knElijah was a prophet from Tishbe in Gilead. One day he went to King Ahab and said, "I'm a servant of the living LORD, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won't rain until I say so. There won't even be any dew on the ground."8fkn"While Ahab was king, a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt the town of Jericho. But while Hiel was laying the foundation for the town wall, his oldest son Abiram died. And while he was finishing the gates, his youngest son Segub died. This happened just as the LORD had told Joshua to say many years ago.e3n!and set up a sacred pole for worshiping the goddess Asherah. Ahab did more to make the LORD God of Israel angry than any king of Israel before him.:dqn Ahab built an altar and temple for Baal in Samariac nHe acted just like Jeroboam. Even worse, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon and started worshiping Baal.KbnAhab did more things to disobey the LORD than any king before him. anAhab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa's rule in Judah, and he ruled twenty-two years from Samaria.K`nOmri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab became king._}nEverything else Omri did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.^}nHe acted just like Jeroboam and made the LORD God of Israel angry by causing the Israelites to sin and to worship idols.;]snOmri did more evil things than any king before him.6\gnthen he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about one hundred fifty pounds of silver. He built a town there and named it Samaria, after Shemer who had owned the hill.[ nin the thirty-first year of Asa's rule in Judah. Omri ruled Israel for twelve years. The first six years he ruled from Tirzah,iZMnOmri's followers were stronger than Tibni's, so Tibni was killed, and Omri became king of IsraelpY[nAfter Zimri died, some of the Israelites wanted Tibni son of Ginath to be king, but others wanted Omri. XnEverything else Zimri did while he was king, including his rebellion against Elah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.vWgnZimri had disobeyed the LORD by following the evil example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin. VnWhen Zimri saw that the town was captured, he ran into the strongest part of the palace and killed himself by setting it on fire.CUnAt once, Omri and his army marched to Tirzah and attacked.T1n(SEE 16:15))SMnZimri became king of Israel in Asa's twenty-seventh year as king of Judah, but he ruled only seven days from Tirzah. Israel's army was camped near Gibbethon in Philistia under the command of Omri. The soldiers heard that Zimri had killed Elah, and they made Omri their king that same day.eREnEverything else Elah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.sQan Baasha and Elah sinned and caused the Israelites to sin, and they made the LORD angry by worshiping idols.^P7n Baasha's family was completely wiped out, just as the LORD's prophet Jehu had warned."O?n As soon as Zimri became king, he killed everyone in Baasha's family. Not one man or boy in his family was left alive--even his close friends were killed.wNin when Zimri went there and killed Elah. So Zimri became king in the twenty-seventh year of Asa's rule in Judah.%MEn Zimri commanded half of Elah's chariots, and he made plans to kill Elah. One day, Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk at the home of Arza, his prime minister,LnElah son of Baasha became king of Israel after Asa had been king of Judah for twenty-five years, and he ruled from Tirzah for two years.K/n(SEE 16:5)J/n(SEE 16:5)8IknBaasha made the LORD very angry, and that's why the LORD gave Jehu this message for Baasha and his family. Baasha constantly disobeyed the LORD by following Jeroboam's sinful example--but even worse, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family! Everything else Baasha did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah became king.HnDogs will eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country.WG)nthat I will destroy you and your family, just as I did the family of Jeroboam. 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