# verses

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Then the man measured the room ·at the end of [or adjacent to] the ·Holy Place [outer sanctuary; main hall]. It was ·thirty-five feet [twenty cubits] long and ·thirty-five feet [twenty cubits] long wide. The man said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”


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Then the man measured the wall of the ·Temple [house], which was ·ten and one-half feet [six cubits] thick. There were side rooms ·seven feet [four cubits] wide all around the Temple.


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The side rooms were on three different stories, each above the other, with thirty rooms on each story. All around the Temple walls there were ledges for the side rooms. The upper rooms rested on the ledges but were not attached to the Temple walls.


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The side rooms around the Temple were wider on each higher story, so rooms were wider on the top story. ·A stairway went [or So one went] up from the lowest story to the highest through the middle story.


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I also saw that the Temple had a raised ·base [platform] all around. Its edge was the foundation for the side rooms, and it was ·ten and one-half feet thick [a full rod/stick of six cubits].


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The outer wall of the side rooms was ·about nine feet [five cubits] thick. There was an open area between the side rooms of the Temple


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The side rooms had doors which led to the open area around the outside of the Temple. One door faced north, and the other faced south. The open area was ·about nine feet [five cubits] wide all around.


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The building facing the ·private area [temple courtyard] at the west side was ·one hundred twenty-two and one-half feet [seventy cubits] wide. The wall around the building was ·about nine feet [five cubits] thick and ·one hundred fifty-seven and one-half feet [ninety cubits] long.


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Then the man measured the Temple. It was ·one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] long. The ·private area [temple courtyard], including the building and its walls, was in all ·one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] long.


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Also the front of the Temple and the ·private area [courtyard] on its east side were ·one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] wide.


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The man measured the length of the building facing the ·private area [courtyard] ·on the west side [or at the rear], and it was ·one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] ·from one wall to the other [or with its galleries on each side]. The ·Holy Place, the Most Holy Place [or interior of the outer sanctuary/main hall], and the outer porch


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had wood panels on the walls. By the ·doorway [thresholds], the Temple had wood panels on the walls. The wood covered all the walls from the floor up to the windows,


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up to the part of the wall above the entrance. All the walls inside the ·Most Holy Place and the Holy Place [inner and outer sanctuary], and on the outside, in the ·porch [portico],


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had carvings of ·creatures with wings [cherubim] and palm trees. A palm tree was between each ·carved creature [cherub], and every ·creature [cherub] had two faces.


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One was a human face looking toward the palm tree on one side. The other was a lion’s face looking toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved all around the Temple walls.


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From the floor to above the entrance, palm trees and ·creatures with wings [cherubim] were carved. The walls of the Holy Place


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an altar of wood. It was more than ·five feet [three cubits] high and ·three feet [two cubits] wide. Its corners, base, and sides were wood. The man said to me, “This is the table that is ·in the presence of [before] the Lord.”


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Both the ·Holy Place [main hall; outer sanctuary] and the ·Most Holy Place [inner sanctuary] had double doors.


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Each of the doors had two ·pieces [leaves] that would swing open. Two for one and two for the other.


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Carved on the doors of the ·Holy Place [main hall; outer sanctuary] were palm trees and ·creatures with wings [cherubim], like those carved on the walls. And there was a wood ·roof [canopy] over the front Temple ·porch [portico].


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There were narrow windows and palm trees on both side walls of the ·porch [portico]. The side rooms of the Temple were also covered by a ·roof [canopy] over the stairway.


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The Priests’ Rooms Then the man led me north out into the outer courtyard and to the rooms across from the ·private area [temple courtyard] and the building.


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These rooms on the north side were ·one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] long and ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [fifty cubits] wide.


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There was ·thirty-five feet [twenty cubits] of the inner courtyard between them and the Temple. On the other side, they faced the stone pavement of the outer courtyard. The rooms were built in three stories like steps ·and had balconies [with gallery facing gallery].


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There was a ·path [passageway; walkway] in front of the rooms on the inner side, which was ·seventeen and one-half feet [ten cubits] wide and ·one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] long. The entrances to the rooms were on the north.


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The ·top [upper] rooms were narrower, because the ·balconies [galleries] took more space from them. The rooms on the first and second stories of the building were wider.


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The rooms were on three stories. They did not have pillars like the pillars of the courtyards. So the ·top [upper] rooms were farther back than those on the first and second stories.


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There was a wall outside parallel to the rooms and to the outer courtyard. It ran in front of the rooms for ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [fifty cubits].


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The row of rooms along the outer courtyard was ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [fifty cubits] long, and the rooms that faced the ·Temple [main hall; sanctuary] were ·about one hundred seventy-five feet [one hundred cubits] long.


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The lower rooms had an entrance on the east side so a person could enter them from the outer courtyard,


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at the start of the wall beside the courtyard [some interpret this phrase as beginning the next sentence]. There were rooms on the south side, which were across from the ·private area [Temple courtyard] and the building.


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These rooms had a path in front of them. They were like the rooms on the north with the same length and width and the same exits, measurements and doors.


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The doors of the south rooms were like the doors of the north rooms. There was an entrance at the ·open end [or beginning] of a path beside the wall, so a person could enter at the east end.


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The man said to me, “The north and south rooms across from the ·private area [courtyard] are holy rooms. There the priests who ·go near [approach] the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings: the ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], ·sin [or purification] offerings [], and the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offerings [], because the place is holy.


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The priests who enter the Holy Place must leave ·their serving clothes [garments in which they minister] there before they go into the outer courtyard, because these ·clothes [garments] are holy. After they put on other ·clothes [garments], they may go to the part of the Temple area which is for the people.”


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Outside the Temple Area When the man finished measuring inside the Temple area, he brought me out through the east gateway. He measured the area all around.


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The man measured the east side with the measuring stick; it was ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [five hundred cubits] by the measuring ·stick [rod].


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He measured the north side; it was ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [five hundred cubits] by the measuring stick.


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He measured the south side; it was ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [five hundred cubits] by the measuring stick.


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He went around to the west side; it measured ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [five hundred cubits] by the measuring stick.


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So he measured the Temple area on all four sides. The Temple area had a wall all around it that was ·eight hundred seventy-five feet long [five hundred cubits] and ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [five hundred cubits] wide. It separated what was holy from ·that which was not holy [the common/profane; ritually].


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and [look; behold] I saw the glory of the God of Israel [his manifest presence] coming from the east. It sounded like the roar of rushing water, and ·its brightness made the earth shine [the earth radiated/shone with his glory].


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The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when the Lord came to destroy the city [] and also like the vision I had seen by the Kebar ·River [Canal; ]. I ·bowed [fell] facedown on the ground.


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Then ·the Spirit [or the spirit; or a wind; ; ] picked me up and brought me into the inner courtyard. ·There I saw [And look/behold] the Lord’s glory filling the ·Temple [house].


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The voice said to me, “·Human [Son of man; ], this is my throne and the place ·where my feet rest [for the soles of my feet]. I will live here among the ·Israelites [sons/children or Israel] forever. The ·people [house] of Israel will not make my holy name ·unclean [defiled; ritually] again. Neither the people nor their kings will ·make it unclean [defile my holy name; ritually] with their ·sexual sins [prostitution] or with the ·dead bodies [corpses in their death; or funeral monuments/pillars] of their kings.


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The kings ·made my name unclean [defiled my holy name; ritually] by putting their ·doorway [threshold] next to my ·doorway [threshold], and their doorpost next to my doorpost so only a wall separated me from them [kings erected monuments to themselves around the temple]. When they did their ·acts that I hate [detestable/abominable acts], they ·made my holy name unclean [defiled my holy name; ritually], and so I ·destroyed [consumed] them in my anger.


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Now let them stop their ·sexual sins [prostitution] and take the ·dead bodies [or funeral pillars; ] of their kings far away from me. Then I will live among them forever.


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“·Human [Son of man; ], tell the ·people [house] of Israel about the ·Temple [house] so they will be ashamed of their ·sins [iniquities]. Let them ·think about the plan of the Temple [study its plan; or consider its perfection].


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If they are ashamed of all they have done, let them know the design of the ·Temple [house] and how it is built. Show them its exits and entrances, all its designs, and also all its ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and ·teachings [laws; instructions]. Write it down ·as they watch [in their sight] so they will obey all its ·teachings [laws; instructions] and its ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements].


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This is the ·teaching about [law of] the ·Temple [house]: All the area around the top of the mountain is most holy. This is the ·teaching about [law/instruction of] the ·Temple [house].


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The Altar “These are the measurements of the altar, ·using the measuring stick [in long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth; ]. The altar’s ·gutter [base] is ·twenty-one inches [one cubit] high and ·twenty-one inches [one cubit] wide, and its rim is ·about nine inches [one span] around its edge. And the altar is this tall:


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From the base on the ground up to the lower ledge, it measures ·three and one-half feet [two cubits]. It is ·twenty-one inches [one cubit] wide. It measures ·seven feet [four cubits] from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge and is ·twenty-one inches [one cubit] wide.


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The ·place where the sacrifice is burned on the altar [altar hearth] is ·seven feet [four cubits] high, with its four ·corners shaped like horns and reaching up above it [horns projecting upward; ].


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The upper ledge is also square, ·twenty-four and one-half feet [fourteen cubits] long and ·twenty-four and one-half feet [fourteen cubits] wide. The rim around the altar is ·ten and one-half inches [one-half cubit] wide, and its ·gutter [base] is ·twenty-one inches [one cubit] wide all around. Its steps ·are on the east side [face east].”


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Then the man said to me, “·Human [Son of man; ], this is what the Lord God says: These are the ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] for the altar. ·When [On the day] it is built, use these rules to offer burnt offerings [] and to sprinkle blood on it [].


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You must give a young bull as a ·sin [or purification] offering [] to the priests, the Levites who are from the ·family [seed; offspring] of Zadok and who come near me to ·serve [minister to] me, says the Lord God.


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Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the four ·corners [horns; ] of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim. This is how you will ·make the altar pure [cleanse/purify the altar] and ·ready for God’s service [make atonement for it].


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Then take the bull for the ·sin [or purification] offering [] and burn it in the ·proper [appointed; designated] place ·in the Temple area [of the house], outside the ·Temple building [sanctuary].


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“On the second day offer a male goat ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect] for a sin offering. The priests will ·make the altar pure and ready for God’s service [cleanse/purify the altar] as they did with the young bull.


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When you finish ·making the altar pure and ready [purifying it], offer a young bull and a male sheep from the flock, ·which have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect].


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You must offer them ·in the presence of [before] the Lord, and the priests are to throw salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering [] to the Lord.


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“You must prepare a goat every day for seven days as a sin offering. Also, the priests must prepare a young bull and ·male sheep [ram] from the flock, ·which have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect].


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For seven days the priests are to make ·the altar pure and ready for God’s service [atonement for the altar and cleanse it]. Then they will ·give the altar to God [consecrate/dedicate it; fill its hands].


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·After these seven days [When these days are completed], on the eighth day, the priests must offer your burnt offerings [] and your ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [] on the altar. Then I will accept you, says the Lord God.”


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The Outer East Gate Then the man brought me back to the outer east gateway of the ·Temple area [sanctuary], but the gate was shut.


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The Lord said to me, “This gate will stay shut; it will not be opened. No one may enter through it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered through it. So it must stay shut.


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Only the ·ruler [prince] himself may sit in the gateway to eat ·a meal [bread; probably his portion of the fellowship offering; ; ] ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. He must enter through the porch of the gateway and go out the same way.”


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Then the man brought me through the outer north gate to the front of the ·Temple [house]. As I looked, ·I saw [look; behold] the glory of the Lord [his manifest presence] filling the Temple of the Lord, and I ·bowed [fell] facedown on the ground.


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The Lord said to me, “·Human [Son of man; ], pay attention. Use your eyes to see, and your ears to hear. See and hear everything I tell you about all the ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and ·teachings [laws; instructions] of the ·Temple [house] of the Lord. Pay attention to the entrance to the Temple and to all the exits from the ·Temple area [sanctuary].


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Then speak to ·those who refuse to obey [the rebellious]. Say to the ·people [house] of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: ·Stop doing all [Enough of] your ·acts that I hate [detestable/abominable acts], [house of] Israel!


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You brought foreigners into my ·Holy Place [sanctuary] who were not circumcised in the flesh and ·had not given themselves to serving me [uncircumcised in the heart; ; ]. You ·dishonored [defiled; profaned; ritually] my ·Temple [house] when you offered me food, fat, and blood. You broke my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] by all ·the things you did that I hate [your detestable/abominable acts].


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You did not take ·care [charge] of my holy things yourselves but put ·foreigners [or others] ·in charge of [to take care of] my ·Temple [sanctuary].


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This is what the Lord God says: Foreigners who ·do not give themselves to serving me [are uncircumcised in heart] and who are uncircumcised in flesh may not enter my ·Temple [sanctuary]. Not even a foreigner living among the ·people [sons/children] of Israel may enter.


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“‘But the Levites who ·stopped obeying [went far from] me when Israel ·left me [went astray] and who followed their idols must ·be punished [be responsible; bear the penalty] for their sin.


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These Levites are to be ·servants in [ministers of] my ·Holy Place [sanctuary]. They may guard the gates of the ·Temple [house] and serve in the ·Temple area [house]. They may ·kill the animals for [slaughter] the burnt offering [] and the sacrifices for the people. They may stand before the people to ·serve [minister to] them.


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But these Levites ·helped the people worship [ministered to them before] their idols and caused the ·people [house] of Israel to ·fall [stumble], so I ·make this promise [swear with uplifted hand]: They will ·be punished [be responsible; bear the penalty] for their sin, says the Lord God.


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They will not come near me to serve as priests, nor will they come near any of my holy things or the most holy offerings. But they will ·be made ashamed of [bear the shame for] ·the things they did that I hate [their detestable/abominable actions].


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Yet I will ·put them in charge of taking care [appoint them to guard/keep charge] of the ·Temple area [house], all the work that must be done in it.


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“‘But the priests who are Levites and descendants of Zadok took care of my ·Holy Place [sanctuary] when [the sons/children of] Israel ·left me [went astray], so they may come near to serve me. They may stand in my presence to offer me the fat and blood [of sacrificial animals], says the Lord God.


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They ·are the only ones who may [will] enter my ·Holy Place [sanctuary]. ·Only they [They] may come near my table to ·serve [minister to] me and ·take care of the things I gave them to do [keep my charge; or serve me as guards].


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“‘When they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, they must wear linen robes. They must not wear wool to ·serve [minister] at the gates of the inner courtyard or in the ·Temple [house].


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They will wear linen turbans on their heads and linen underclothes []. They will not ·wear [bind/gird themselves with] anything that makes them perspire.


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When they go out into the outer courtyard to the people, they must take off their serving ·clothes [garments] before they go. They must leave these clothes in the ·holy rooms [sacred chambers] and put on other ·clothes [garments]. Then they will not ·let their holy clothes hurt [or transmit holiness with their garments to] the people.


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“‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long but must keep the hair of their heads trimmed [].


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The priests must not marry widows or divorced women. They may marry only virgins from the ·people [offspring/seed of the house] of Israel or widows of priests [].


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They must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is ·not holy [common; profane; ritually]. They must help my people know what is unclean [ritually] and what is clean.


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“‘In ·court [a dispute/controversy] they will act as judges. When they judge, they will follow my ·teachings [judgments]. They must obey my ·laws [teachings; instructions] and my ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] at all my ·special feasts [appointed festivals] and keep my Sabbaths holy.


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“‘They must not go near a dead person, ·making themselves unclean [defiling themselves; ritually]. But they are allowed to ·make themselves unclean [defile themselves; ritually] if the dead person is their father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or a sister who has not married.


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Then he may go into the inner courtyard to serve in the ·Temple [sanctuary], but he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the Lord God [].


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“‘·These are the rules about the priests and their property [This will be their inheritance]: ·They will have me instead of property [I am their inheritance]. You will not give them any ·land to own [possessions] in Israel; I am ·what they will own [their possession].


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They will eat the ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], ·sin [or purification] offerings [], and ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offerings []. ·Everything Israel gives to me [Every devoted thing in Israel] will be theirs.


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The ·best [first] fruits of all the first harvests and all the special gifts offered to me will belong to the priests. You will also give to the priests the first part of your ·grain that you grind [dough] ·and so bring a blessing [that a blessing may rest] on your family.


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The priests must not eat any bird or animal that died a natural death or one that has been torn by wild animals.


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The Land Is Divided “‘When you divide the land for the Israelite tribes by throwing lots, you must give a part of the land to belong to the Lord. It will be ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·about six miles [twenty thousand cubits] wide; all of this land will be holy.


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From this land, an area ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [five hundred cubits] square will be for the ·Temple [sanctuary]. There will be an open space around the Temple that is ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [fifty cubits] wide.


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In the holy area you will measure a part ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [ten thousand cubits], and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.


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This ·holy part [sacred portion] of the land will be for the priests who ·serve [minister] in the ·Temple [sanctuary], who come near to the Lord to ·serve [minister to] him. It will be a place for the priests’ houses and ·for the Temple [a holy place for the sanctuary].


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Another area ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [ten thousand cubits] will be for the Levites, who ·serve [minister] in the Temple area. It will belong to them so they will have cities in which to live.


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“‘You must give the city an area that is ·about one and one-half miles [five thousand cubits] wide and ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long, along the side of the holy area. It will belong to all the ·people [house] of Israel.


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“‘The ·ruler [prince] will have land on both sides of the holy ·area [allotment; contribution] and the city. On the west of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [apparently the Mediterranean Sea]. On the east of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [of the country]. It will be as long as the land given to each tribe.


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Only this land will be the ruler’s ·property [possession] in Israel. So my rulers will not ·be cruel to [oppress] my people anymore [such a large portion would keep the king from wanting to seize land, as Ahab had done (); see ], but they will let each tribe in the ·nation [house] of Israel have its share of the land.


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“‘This is what the Lord God says: ·You have gone far enough [Enough!], you ·rulers [princes] of Israel! Stop ·being cruel and hurting people [your violence and oppression], and do what is right and ·fair [just]. Stop ·forcing my people out of their homes [evicting my people], says the Lord God.


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You must have ·honest [just] scales, an ·honest [just] ·dry measurement [ephah] and an ·honest [just] ·liquid measurement [bath].


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The dry measure [ephah] and the liquid measure [bath] will be the same: The ·liquid measure [bath] will always be a tenth of a homer [ the Hebrew means “donkey-load,” and was about five bushels of dry measure and 55 gallons of liquid measure], and the dry measure [ephah] will always be a tenth of a homer. The ·measurement they follow [standard measure] will be the homer.


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The shekel [coin weighing about two-fifths of an ounce] will be worth twenty gerahs, and a mina will be worth ·sixty shekels [twenty shekels and twenty-five shekels and fifteen shekels].


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Offerings and Holy Days “‘This is the ·gift [offering] you should offer: a sixth of an ephah [] from every homer [] of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from every homer of barley.


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The amount of oil you are to offer is a tenth of a bath [] from each cor. (Ten baths make a homer and also make a cor.)


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You should give one sheep from each flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel. All these are to be offered for the ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], burnt offerings [], and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [] to ·remove the sins of [make atonement for] the people, says the Lord God.


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It will be the ·ruler’s [prince’s] responsibility to supply the burnt offerings [], ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], and drink offerings. These offerings will be given at the ·feasts [appointed festivals], at the New Moons, on the Sabbaths, and at all the other feasts of [the house of] Israel. He will supply the ·sin [or purification] offerings [], ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings, and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [] to pay for the sins of [the house of] Israel.


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“‘This is what the Lord God says: On the first day of the first month take a young bull ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. Use it to ·make the Temple pure and ready for God’s service [purify the sanctuary].


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The priest will take some of the blood from this ·sin [or purification] offering [] and put it on the doorposts of the ·Temple [house], on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate to the inner courtyard.


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You will do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned ·by accident [unintentionally] or ·without knowing it [through ignorance]. This is how you make ·the Temple pure and ready for God’s service [atonement for the house].


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Passover Feast Offerings “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month you will celebrate the Feast of Passover [; ; ; ]. It will be a feast of seven days when you eat ·bread made without yeast [unleavened bread].


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On that day the ·ruler [prince] ·must offer [will provide] a bull for himself and for all the people of the land as a ·sin [or purification] offering [].


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During the seven days of the feast he ·must offer [will provide] seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams] ·that have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect]. They will be burnt offerings [] to the Lord, which the ruler will offer every day of the seven days of the feast. He must also offer a male goat every day as a ·sin [or purification] offering [].


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The ruler ·must give [will provide] as a ·grain [gift; tribute] offering [] ·one-half bushel [an ephah; ] for each bull and ·one-half bushel [an ephah] for each sheep. He must give a ·gallon [hin] of olive oil for each half bushel.


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“‘Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you celebrate the ·Feast of Shelters [Feast/Festival; ; ], the ruler will supply the same ·things [provisions] for seven days: the ·sin [or purification] offerings [], burnt offerings [], ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], and the olive oil.


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Rules for Worship “‘This is what the Lord God says: The east gate of the inner courtyard will stay shut on the six working days, but it will be opened on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon.


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The ·ruler [prince] will enter from outside through the ·porch [portico] of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests offer the ·ruler’s [prince’s] burnt offering [] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering []. The ruler will ·worship [bow down] at the ·entrance [threshold] of the gateway, and then he will go out. But the gate will not be shut until evening.


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The people of the land will worship at the entrance of that gateway ·in the presence of [before] the Lord on the Sabbaths and New Moons.


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This is the burnt offering [] the ruler will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day: six male lambs ·that have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect] and a ·male sheep [ram] ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect].


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He must give a ·half-bushel [ephah; ] ·grain [gift; tribute] offering with the male sheep, but he ·may [or will] give as much grain offering with the lambs as ·he pleases [or he is able; a gift of his hand]. He must also give a ·gallon [hin] of olive oil for each ·half bushel [ephah] of grain.


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On the day of the New Moon he must offer a young bull ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. He must also offer six lambs and a male sheep ·that have nothing wrong with them [all without blemish/defect].


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The ruler must give a ·half-bushel [ephah] ·grain [gift; tribute] offering [] with the bull and ·one-half bushel [an ephah] with the ·male sheep [ram]. With the lambs, he ·may [or will] give as much grain ·as he pleases [or as he is able; a gift of his hand]. But he must give a ·gallon [hin] of olive oil for each half bushel of grain.


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When the ·ruler [prince] enters, he must go in through the ·porch [portico] of the gateway, and he must go out the same way.


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“‘When the people of the land come ·into the Lord’s presence [before the Lord] at the ·special feasts [appointed festivals], those who enter through the north gate to worship must go out through the south gate. Those who enter through the south gate must go out through the north gate. They must not return the same way they entered; everyone must go out ·the opposite way [straight ahead].


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The ·ruler [prince] will go in with the people when they go in and go out with them when they go out.


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“‘At the feasts and ·regular times of worship [appointed festivals] ·one-half bushel [an ephah] of grain must be offered with a young bull, and ·one-half bushel [an ephah] of grain must be offered with a ·male sheep [ram]. But with an offering of lambs, the ruler may give as much grain as ·he pleases [or he is able; a gift of his hand]. He should give a ·gallon [hin] of olive oil for each ·half bushel [ephah] of grain.


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The ·ruler [prince] may give an ·offering as a special gift to the Lord [freewill offering]; it may be a burnt offering [] or ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering []. When he gives it to the Lord, the ·inner east gate [gate facing east] is to be opened for him. He must offer his burnt offering or his ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [] as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he will go out, and the gate will be shut after he has left.


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“‘Every day you will give a year-old lamb ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect] for a burnt offering [] to the Lord. Do it ·every morning [morning by morning].


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Also, you must offer a ·grain [gift; tribute] offering [] with the lamb ·every morning [morning by morning]. For this you will give ·three and one-third quarts [a sixth of an ephah] of grain and ·one and one-third quarts [a third of an ephah] of olive oil, to make the fine flour moist, as a ·grain [gift; tribute] offering [] to the Lord. This is a ·rule that must be kept from now on [perpetual statute; lasting ordinance].


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So you must always give the lamb, together with the ·grain [gift; tribute] offering [] and the olive oil, ·every morning [morning by morning] as a ·regular [perpetual] burnt offering [].


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Rules for the Ruler “‘This is what the Lord God says: If the ·ruler [prince] gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his sons, that land will belong to the son and then to the son’s children. It is their property ·passed down from their family [by inheritance].


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But if the ruler gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his servants, that land will belong to the servant only until the year of freedom [the year of Jubilee; ]. Then the land will go back to the ·ruler [prince]. ·Only the ruler’s sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler [His inheritance shall be only for his sons].


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The ·ruler [prince] must not take any of the people’s ·land [inheritance], forcing them out of their land. He must give his sons ·some of his own land [inheritance from his own property] so my people will not be scattered out of their own land.’”


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The Special Kitchens The man led me through the entrance at the side of the gateway to the priests’ ·holy rooms [sacred chambers] that face north. ·There I saw [And look/behold] a place at the far west end.


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The man said to me, “This is where the priests will boil the ·meat of the penalty [penalty; or guilt; reparation] offering [] and ·sin [or purification] offering [] and bake the ·grain [gift; tribute] offering []. Then they will not need to bring these holy offerings into the outer courtyard, ·because that would hurt [which would transmit holiness to] the people [the purity of God’s holiness would destroy sinful human beings; ].”


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Then the man brought me out into the outer courtyard and led me to its four corners. [And look/behold] In each corner of the courtyard was a smaller courtyard.


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Small courtyards were in the four corners of the courtyard. Each small courtyard was the same size, ·seventy feet [forty cubits] long and ·fifty-two and one-half feet [thirty cubits] wide.


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A ·stone wall [row] was around each of the four small courtyards, and ·places for cooking [fireplaces; boiling places] were built in each of the ·stone walls [rows].


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The man said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who ·work [minister] in the Temple will boil the sacrifices offered by the people.”


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The River from the Temple The man led me back to the door of the ·Temple [house], and ·I saw [look; behold] water coming out from under the ·doorway [threshold] and flowing east. (The Temple faced east.) The water flowed down from the south side wall of the Temple and then south of the altar.


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The man brought me out through the outer north gate and led me around outside to the outer east gate. ·I found [And look/behold] the water ·coming [trickling] out on the south side of the gate.


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The man went toward the east with a measuring line in his hand and measured ·about one-third of a mile [a thousand cubits]. Then he led me through water that came up to my ankles.


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The man measured ·about one-third of a mile [a thousand] again and led me through water that came up to my knees. Then he measured ·about one-third of a mile [a thousand] again and led me through water up to my waist.


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The man measured ·about one-third of a mile [a thousand] again, but it was now a river that I could not cross. The water had risen too high; it was deep enough for swimming; it was a river that no one could cross.


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The man asked me, “·Human [Son of man; ], do you see this?” Then the man led me back to the bank of the river.


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The man said to me, “This water will flow toward the eastern areas and go down into the ·Jordan Valley [Arabah]. When it enters the ·Dead Sea [Sea], it will ·become fresh [be healed; the Dead Sea has no fish or other living creatures due to its high mineral content].


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Everywhere the river goes, there will be many fish. Wherever this water goes the ·Dead Sea [Sea] will become fresh, and so where the river goes there will be ·many [swarms of] living things.


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Fishermen will stand by ·the Dead Sea [it]. From En Gedi [midway along the western side of the Dead Sea] all the way to En Eglaim [an unknown location, perhaps on the east bank of the Dead Sea] there will be places to spread fishing nets. There will be many kinds of fish there, as many as in the ·Mediterranean [Great] Sea.


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All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not ·dry and die [wither] and ·there will always be fruit on them [their fruit will not fail]. The trees will bear fruit every month, because the water for them comes from the ·Temple [sanctuary]. The fruit from the trees will be used for food, and their leaves for ·medicine [healing].”


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Borders of the Land This is what the Lord God says: “These are the borders of the land to be divided for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will have two parts of land [the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s two sons adopted by Jacob ()].


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You will divide the land equally. I ·promised [vowed; swore with uplifted hand] to give it to your ·ancestors [fathers], so this land will ·belong to you as family property [become your inheritance].


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“This will be the ·border line [boundary] of the land: “On the north side it will start at the ·Mediterranean [Great] Sea. It will go through Hethlon, toward ·Lebo Hamath [or Lebo of Hamath; often identified as the northern limit of Israel; ; ; ] and on to the towns of Zedad,


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Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus [capital of Aram (Syria)] and Hamath [city 120 miles north of Damascus]. Then it will go on to the town of Hazer Hatticon on the border of the country of Hauran.


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So the border line will go from the ·Mediterranean Sea [Sea] east to the town of Hazar Enan, where the land belonging to Damascus and Hamath lies on the north side. This will be the north side of the land.


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“On the east side the border runs south from a point between Hauran and Damascus. It will go along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel and will continue to the town of Tamar [probaby En-Gedi; ] on the ·Dead [eastern] Sea. This will be the east side of the land.


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“On the south side the border line will go west from Tamar all the way to the waters of Meribah Kadesh [likely Kadesh Barnea (), fifty miles south of Beersheba]. Then it will run along the brook of Egypt to the ·Mediterranean [Great] Sea. This will be the south side of the land.


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“On the west side the ·Mediterranean [Great] Sea will be the ·border line [boundary] up to a place across from Lebo Hamath []. This will be the west side of your land.


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You will divide it as ·family property [an inheritance] for yourselves and for the foreigners who live and have children among you. You are to treat these foreigners the same as people born in Israel; they are to ·share the land [be allotted an inheritance] with the tribes of Israel.


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In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will give him ·some land [his inheritance],” says the Lord God.


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Dividing the Land “These are the ·areas of the tribes named here [names of the tribes]: Dan will have one share at the northern border. It will go from the sea through Hethlon to Lebo Hamath [], all the way to Hazar Enan [], ·where Damascus lies to the north. It will stop there next to Hamath [or …which is located on the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath]. This will be Dan’s northern border from the east side to the ·Mediterranean Sea on the west side [west].


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“·South of [Beside] Dan’s border, Asher will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Asher’s border, Naphtali will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Naphtali’s border, Manasseh will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Manasseh’s border, Ephraim will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Ephraim’s border, Reuben will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Reuben’s border, Judah will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Judah’s border will be the ·holy area which you are to give [portion set apart]. It will be ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] wide and as long and wide as one of the tribes’ shares. It will run from the east side to the west side. The ·Temple [sanctuary] will be in the middle of this area.


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“The share which you will give the Lord will be ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles [ten thousand cubits] wide.


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The ·holy area [sacred allotment] will be divided among these people. The priests will have land ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long on the north and south sides, and ·three miles [ten thousand cubits] wide on the west and east sides. The ·Temple [sanctuary] of the Lord will be in the middle of it.


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This land is for the ·priests who are given the holy duty of serving the Lord [consecrated priests]. ·They […who] are the ·descendants [sons] of Zadok who ·did my work [were faithful to me; kept my charge] and did not ·leave me [go astray] when Israel and the Levites ·left me [went astray].


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They will have as their share a very holy part of the holy portion of the land. It will be next to the land of the Levites.


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“Alongside the land for the priests, the Levites will have a share ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles [ten thousand cubits] wide; its full length will be ·about seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] and its full width ·about three miles [ten thousand cubits].


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The Levites are not to sell or ·trade [exchange] any of this land. They are not to ·let anyone else own [transfer; alienate] any of this best part of the land, because it ·belongs [is set apart/holy] to the Lord.


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City Property “The rest of the area will be ·about one and one-half miles [five thousand cubits] wide and ·seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] long. It will ·not be holy but [be for common use and] will belong to the city and be used for homes and pastures. The city will be in the middle of it.


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These are the city’s measurements: the north side will be ·about one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits], the south side ·about one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits], the east side ·about one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits], and the west side ·about one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits].


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The city’s land for pastures will be ·about four hundred thirty-seven feet [two hundred fifty cubits] on the north, ·four hundred thirty-seven feet [two hundred fifty cubits] on the south, ·four hundred thirty-seven feet [two hundred fifty cubits] on the east, and ·four hundred thirty-seven feet [two hundred fifty cubits] on the west.


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Along the long side of the holy area there will be left ·three miles [ten thousand cubits] on the east and ·three miles [ten thousand cubits] on the west. It will be used to grow food for the city workers.


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This whole area will be square, ·seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] by ·seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits]. You shall give to the Lord the holy share along with the city property.


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“Land that is left over on both sides of the holy area and city property will belong to the ·ruler [prince]. That land will extend eastward from the ·seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] of the holy area to the eastern border and westward from the ·seven miles [twenty-five thousand cubits] to the ·Mediterranean Sea [western border]. Both of these areas run the length of the lands of the tribes, and they belong to the ·ruler [prince]. The holy area with the ·Holy Place [sanctuary] of the ·Temple [house] will be in the middle.


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The Levites’ land and the city property will be in the middle of the lands belonging to the ·ruler [prince]. Those lands will be between Judah’s border and Benjamin’s border.


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The Other Tribes’ Land “Here is what the rest of the tribes will receive: Benjamin will have one share. It will go from the east side to the ·Mediterranean Sea on the west side [west side].


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“·South of [Beside] Benjamin’s land, Simeon will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Simeon’s land, Issachar will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Issachar’s land, Zebulun will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“·South of [Beside] Zebulun’s land, Gad will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.


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“The southern border of Gad’s land will go ·east from Tamar on the Dead Sea [from Tamar; ] to the waters of Meribah Kadesh []. Then it will run along the brook of Egypt to the ·Mediterranean [Great] Sea.


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“This is the land you will divide among the tribes of Israel to be their shares,” says the Lord God.


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The Gates of the City “These will be the ·outside borders [or exits] of the city: The north side will measure ·more than one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits].


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There will be three gates facing north: Reuben’s Gate, Judah’s Gate, and Levi’s Gate, named for the tribes of Israel.


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“The east side will measure ·more than one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits]. There will be three gates facing east: Joseph’s Gate, Benjamin’s Gate, and Dan’s Gate.


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“The south side will measure ·more than one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits]. There will be three gates facing south: Simeon’s Gate, Issachar’s Gate, and Zebulun’s Gate.


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“The west side will measure ·more than one mile [four thousand five hundred cubits]. There will be three gates facing west: Gad’s Gate, Asher’s Gate, and Naphtali’s Gate.


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“The city will measure ·about six miles around [eighteen thousand cubits]. From then on the name of the city will be The Lord Is There.”


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Daniel Taken to Babylon During the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah [605 bc], Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [ruled 605–562 bc] came to Jerusalem and ·surrounded it with his army [besieged/pressed it].


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The Lord ·allowed Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jehoiakim king of Judah [gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand; God was in control, not Nebuchadnezzar]. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the ·things [articles; utensils; cups, forks, and other items used in ritual; ; ; ; ; ] from the ·Temple [house] of God, which he carried to ·Babylonia [the land of Shinar] and put in the ·temple [house of the treasury] of his ·gods [or god; probably Marduk, the chief god of Babylon].


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Then King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, ·his chief officer [or the chief of his eunuchs], to bring some of the ·men of Judah into his palace. He wanted them to be from important families, including the family of the king of Judah […sons of Israel, from the royal family and from the nobility].


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King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only ·young Israelite men [children] who had ·nothing wrong with them [no blemish; ; ]. They were to be ·handsome [of good appearance] and ·well educated [skilled in all wisdom], ·capable of learning [knowing knowledge] and understanding, and able to ·serve [stand] in his palace []. Ashpenaz was to teach them the language and ·writings [literature] of the ·Babylonians [Chaldeans; probably Akkadian and Aramaic; the literature would include myths and legends as well as divination texts].


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The king ·gave the young men [allotted/assigned to them] ·a certain amount of food and wine every day, just like the food he ate [a daily ration of the royal food and wine he drank]. The young men were to be ·trained [educated] for three years, and then they would ·become servants of the king of Babylon [stand before the king].


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Among those young men were Daniel [“God is my judge”], Hananiah [“The Lord is gracious to me”], Mishael [“Who is like God”], and Azariah [“The Lord is my helper”] from the ·people [sons] of Judah.


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Ashpenaz, the chief ·officer [or of the eunuchs], gave them names [Babylonian, that is Akkadian, names]. Daniel’s new name was Belteshazzar, Hananiah’s was Shadrach, Mishael’s was Meshach, and Azariah’s was Abednego [the new names praised Babylonian gods].


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Daniel ·decided [set his heart] not to eat the king’s food or drink his wine because that would ·defile [contaminate] him [perhaps would make him ritually unclean, but more likely because he depended on God to sustain him]. So he ·asked [sought] ·Ashpenaz [the chief officer/or of the eunuchs] for permission not to ·defile [contaminate] himself in this way.


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God made Ashpenaz, the chief ·officer [or of the eunuchs], want to be ·kind [loving] and ·merciful [gracious] to Daniel,


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but ·Ashpenaz [the chief officer/or of the eunuchs] said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my master, the king. He ·ordered me to give you this [allotted/assigned your] food and drink. If you begin to look ·worse [thinner] than other ·young men [children; youth] your age, the king will see this. Then ·he will cut off my head because of you [you will forfeit my head to the king].”


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Daniel spoke to the ·guard [or attendant; steward] whom the chief ·officer [or of the eunuchs] had ·appointed [allotted/assigned] over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,


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“Please give us this test for ten days: Don’t give us anything but vegetables to eat and water to drink.


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Then compare how we look with how the other ·young men [children; youth] look who eat the king’s ·food [rations]. See for yourself and then decide how you want to treat us, your servants.”


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So the ·guard [or attendant; steward] ·agreed to test [listened to them on this matter and tested] them for ten days.


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After ten days they looked healthier and ·better fed [their flesh was fatter] than all the ·young men [children; youths] who ate the king’s ·food [rations].


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So the ·guard [or attendant; steward] took away the king’s special food and wine, feeding them vegetables instead.


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God gave these four ·young men [children; youths] ·wisdom [knowledge] and ·the ability to learn many things that people had written and studied [insight into wisdom and literature]. Daniel could also understand visions and dreams.


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At the end of the ·time [days] ·set for them by the king [which the king said to bring them; ], ·Ashpenaz [the chief officer/or of the eunuchs] brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.


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The king talked to them and found that none of the young men were ·as good as [like] Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So ·those four young men became the king’s servants [they stood before the king].


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Every time the king ·asked them about [sought from them] something important, they showed much wisdom and understanding. They were ten times better than all the ·magicians [enchanters] and ·fortune-tellers [diviners] in his kingdom!


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Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream During Nebuchadnezzar’s second year as king [603–602 bc], ·he had dreams that bothered [his spirit agitated] him and ·kept him awake at night [his sleep left him].


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So the king ·called for [summoned] his ·magicians [enchanters], ·fortune-tellers [diviners], ·wizards [sorcerers], and ·wise men [Chaldeans; a group of astrologers], because he wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king.


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Then the king said to them, “I had a dream ·that bothers me [and my spirit is agitated], and I want to know ·what it means [the dream].”


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The ·wise men [astrologers; Chaldeans] answered the king in the Aramaic language [the language of the text shifts to Aramaic until the end of ; Aramaic was the everyday language of Babylon at this time], “O king, live forever! Please tell us, your servants, your dream. Then we will ·tell you what it means [interpret it].”


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King Nebuchadnezzar said to ·them [the astrologers/Chaldeans], “·I meant what I said [The matter has been determined by me]. You must tell me the dream and what it means. If you don’t, I will have you torn ·apart [limb from limb], and I will turn your houses into piles of stones [].


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But if you tell me my dream and its ·meaning [interpretation], I will reward you with gifts, a reward, and great honor. So tell me the dream and ·what it means [its interpretation].”


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Again the wise men said to the king, “Tell us, your servants, the dream, and we will tell you ·what it means [its interpretation].”


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·King Nebuchadnezzar [The king] answered, “I know you are ·trying to get more [stalling for] time, because you know that ·I meant what I said [the matter has been determined by me].


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If you don’t tell me my dream, ·you will be punished [there is one ordinance/verdict for you]. You have all agreed to tell me lies and wicked things, hoping things will change. Now, tell me the dream so that I will know you can tell me ·what it really means [its interpretation]!”


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The ·wise men [astrologers; Chaldeans] answered the king, saying, “No one on earth can ·do [reveal] what the king asks! No great and powerful king has ever asked the ·magicians [enchanters], ·fortune tellers [diviners], or ·wise men [astrologers; Chaldeans] to do this [normally the dreamer would tell the dream, and the interpreter would interpret it using a dream commentary];


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the king is asking something that is too hard. Only the gods could tell the king this, but ·the gods do not live among people [their home/dwelling is not with flesh].”


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When the king heard their answer, he became very angry. He ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be killed.


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So King Nebuchadnezzar’s ·order [decree; edict] to kill the wise men was announced, and men ·were sent to look [searched] for Daniel and his friends to kill them [since they were also wise men].


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Arioch, the ·commander of the king’s guards [chief butcher], was going to kill the wise men of Babylon. But Daniel spoke to him with ·wisdom [prudence] and ·skill [deference],


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saying to Arioch, the royal official, “Why did the king order such a ·terrible [severe] punishment?” Then Arioch explained everything to Daniel.


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So Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and asked for ·an appointment [or some time] so that he could tell the king what his dream meant.


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Then Daniel went to his house and ·explained the whole story [made the matter known] to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.


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Daniel asked his friends to ·pray [ask] that the God of heaven would show them ·mercy [compassion] and help them understand this ·secret [mystery] so he and his friends would not ·be killed [perish] with the other wise men of Babylon.


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During the night God ·explained [revealed] the ·secret [mystery] to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel ·praised [blessed] the God of heaven.


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Daniel said: “·Praise [Blessed be] ·God [the name of God] forever and ever, because he has wisdom and ·power [might].


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He changes the times and seasons of the year. He ·takes away the power of [removes; deposes] kings and ·gives their power to new [sets up] kings. He gives wisdom to those who are wise and knowledge to those who understand.


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He ·makes known [reveals] ·secrets that are deep and hidden [deep and secret things]; he knows what is hidden in darkness, and light ·is all around [dwells with] him.


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I thank you and praise you, God of my ·ancestors [fathers], because you have given me wisdom and ·power [might]. You told me what we asked of you; you told us about the king’s ·dream [matter].”


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The Meaning of the Dream Then Daniel went to Arioch, the man King Nebuchadnezzar had ·chosen [assigned; delegated] to ·kill [put to death; destroy] the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t ·put the wise men of Babylon to death [kill/destroy the wise men of Babylon]. Take me to the king, and I will ·tell him what his dream means [give him its interpretation].”


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Very quickly Arioch took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found a man among the ·captives [sons of the exiles] from Judah who can tell the king ·what his dream means [its interpretation].”


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The king asked Daniel, ·who was also called [whose name was] Belteshazzar [], “Are you able to tell me what I dreamed and ·what it means [its interpretation]?”


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Daniel answered, “No wise man, magician [enchanter], ·fortune-teller [diviner], or exorcist can explain to the king the ·secret [mystery; ] he has asked about.


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But there is a God in heaven who ·explains [reveals] ·secret things [mysteries], and he has ·shown [made known to] King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen ·at a later time [in the future; in the latter days]. This is your dream, the vision ·you saw [of your head] while lying on your bed:


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O king, as you were lying ·there [on your bed], you thought about things to come. God, who can ·tell people about [reveal] ·secret things [mysteries], ·showed [made known to] you what is going to happen.


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God also ·told [revealed] this ·secret [mystery] to me, not because I have greater wisdom than any other living person, but so that you may know ·what it means [its interpretation]. In that way you will understand ·what went through your mind [the thoughts of your heart/mind].


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“O king, in your ·dream [vision] you saw a ·huge [great], ·shiny [extraordinarily bright], and frightening statue in front of you.


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The head of the statue was made of ·pure [fine] gold. Its chest and arms were made of silver. Its ·stomach [middle; torso] and ·the upper part of its legs [its thighs] were made of bronze.


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·The lower part of the [Its] legs were made of iron, while its feet were made partly of iron and partly of ·baked clay [pottery; terra cotta].


text:
While you were looking at the statue, you saw a rock cut free [from a mountain, perhaps “the mountain of the God’s temple”; ; ], but ·no human being touched the rock [not by hands; implying God did it]. It hit the statue on its feet of iron and ·clay [pottery; terra cotta; its weak point] and ·smashed them [broke them in pieces].


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Then the iron, ·clay [pottery; terra cotta], bronze, silver, and gold broke to pieces ·at the same time [or totally]. They became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summertime; the wind blew them away, and there was nothing left. Then the rock that hit the statue became a very large mountain that filled the whole earth.


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O king, you are the ·greatest king [king of kings]. God of heaven has given you a kingdom, ·power [sovereignty], strength, and ·glory [honor].


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Wherever people, wild animals, and birds live, God made you ruler over them. King Nebuchadnezzar, you are the head of gold.


text:
“Another kingdom will ·come [rise up] after you, but ·it will not be as great as [inferior to] yours [perhaps the Medes or the Medo-Persians]. Next a third kingdom, the bronze part, will rule over the earth [perhaps the Persians or the Greeks].


text:
Then there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron [perhaps the Greeks or the Romans]. In the same way that iron crushes and smashes things to pieces, the fourth kingdom will smash and crush all the other kingdoms [these kingdoms might not be specific kingdoms but symbolic of a series of unnamed oppressive nations].


text:
“You saw that the statue’s feet and toes were partly ·baked [pottery] clay and partly iron. That means the fourth kingdom will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of iron in it, just as you saw iron was mixed with ·clay [or pottery; or terra cotta].


text:
The toes of the statue were partly iron and partly ·clay [or pottery; or terra cotta]. So the fourth kingdom will be partly strong [like iron] and partly ·breakable [brittle; like baked clay].


text:
You saw the iron mixed with ·clay [pottery; terra cotta], but iron and ·clay [pottery; terra cotta] do not hold together. In the same way the people of the fourth kingdom will be a mixture, but they will not be united as one people.


text:
“During the ·time [days] of those kings, the God of heaven will set up another kingdom that will never be destroyed [the kingdom of God] or given to another group of people. This kingdom will crush all the other kingdoms and bring them to an end [], but it will ·continue [stand] forever.


text:
“King Nebuchadnezzar, you saw a rock cut from a mountain, but ·no human being touched it [not by hand]. The rock broke the iron, bronze, ·clay [or pottery; or terra cotta], silver, and gold to pieces. In this way the great God ·showed [made known to] you what will happen. The dream is ·true [certain], and you can trust this ·explanation [interpretation].”


text:
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell ·facedown on the ground [on his face] in front of Daniel. The king ·honored [or worshiped] him and commanded that an ·offering [or grain/gift/tribute offering] and incense be ·presented [offered] to him.


text:
Then the king said to Daniel, “Truly I know your God is the ·greatest of all [God of] gods, the Lord of all the kings. He ·tells people about things they cannot know [reveals mysteries]. I know this is true, because you were able to ·tell [reveal] these ·secret things [mysteries] to me.”


text:
Then the king gave Daniel many gifts plus an important position in his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar made him ruler over the ·whole area [province] of Babylon and put him in charge of all the wise men of Babylon.


text:
Daniel asked the king to ·make [appoint] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego leaders over the ·area [province] of Babylon, so the king did as Daniel asked. Daniel ·himself became one of the people who stayed [stayed] at the royal court.


text:
The Gold Idol and Blazing Furnace King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ·ninety feet [sixty cubits] high and ·nine feet [six cubits] wide [unclear whether the statue was of Nebuchadnezzar or a Babylonian god like Marduk] and set it up on the plain of Dura [from a Babylonian word meaning “wall” or “fortress”] in the ·area [province] of Babylon.


text:
Then he ·called for the leaders: […sent for] the ·governors [satraps], ·assistant governors [prefects], ·captains of the soldiers [governors], ·people who advised the king [counselors], ·keepers of the treasury [treasurers], ·judges [justices], ·rulers [magistrates], and all other officers ·in his kingdom [of the provinces]. He wanted them to ·come [assemble] ·to the special service for [for the dedication of] the statue he had set up.


text:
So ·they all [the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, justices, magistrates, and all other officers of the provinces] came for the ·special service [dedication] and stood in front of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.


text:
Then the herald [someone who made royal announcements] said in a loud voice, “People, nations, and those of every language, this is what you are commanded to do:


text:
When you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, zithers [a string instrument], harps, pipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must ·bow [fall] down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.


text:
Now people, nations, and those who spoke every language were there. When they heard the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, zithers [], pipes, and all the other musical instruments, they ·bowed [fell] down and worshiped the gold statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.


text:
Then some ·Babylonians [Chaldeans] came up to the king and ·began speaking against [denounced; ate pieces of] the men of Judah.


text:
O king, you ·gave a command [set a decree] that everyone who heard the horns, lyres, zithers [], harps, pipes, and all the other musical instruments would have to ·bow [fall] down and worship the gold statue.


text:
O king, there are some men of Judah whom you ·made officers in [appointed/delegated over] the ·area [province] of Babylon that did not pay attention to your order. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They do not serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”


text:
Nebuchadnezzar ·became very angry [flew into a rage] and called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were brought to the king,


text:
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods nor worship the gold statue I have set up?


text:
In a moment you will again hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, zithers [], harps, pipes, and all the other musical instruments. If you ·bow [fall] down and worship the statue I made, that will be good. But if you do not worship it, you will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to ·save [rescue; deliver] you from my ·power [hands] then?”


text:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, saying, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves to you.


text:
If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we ·serve [fear; ] is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your ·power [hand], O king.


text:
But even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up [].”


text:
Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and ·he changed his mind [or his appearance changed; his image/visage of his face changed]. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual.


text:
Then he commanded some of the ·strongest soldiers in his army [men mighty in strength] to ·tie up [bind] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.


text:
So ·Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego [the men] were ·tied up [bound] and thrown into the blazing furnace while still wearing their ·robes [tunics], trousers, turbans, and other clothes.


text:
The king’s command was ·very strict [urgent], and the furnace was made so hot that the flames killed the strong soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace.


text:
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was so surprised that he ·jumped to his feet [rose up in haste]. He asked the men who advised him, “Didn’t we tie up only three men and throw them into the fire?” They answered, “·Yes [True], O king.”


text:
The king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They are not ·tied [bound] up, and they are not ·burned [hurt]. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods [a divine figure].”


text:
Then Nebuchadnezzar ·went to [approached] the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out! Servants of the Most High God, come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.


text:
When they came out, the ·governors [satraps], ·assistant governors [prefects], ·captains of the soldiers [governors], and ·royal advisers [counselors] crowded around them and saw that the fire had ·not harmed [no power over] their bodies. Their hair was not ·burned [singed], their ·robes [tunics] were not burned, and they didn’t even smell like smoke!


text:
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their God has sent his ·angel [or messenger] and ·saved [rescued; delivered] his servants from the fire! These three men trusted their God and ·refused to obey [defied] ·my [the king’s] command. They were willing to ·die [forfeit/yield up their bodies] rather than serve or worship any god other than their own God.


text:
So I now give this ·command [decree]: Anyone from any nation or ·language [tongue] who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn ·apart [limb from limb] and have his house turned into a pile of stones [; ]. No other god can ·save [rescue; deliver] his people like this.”


text:
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree King Nebuchadnezzar to the people, nations, and ·those who speak every language [tongues that live] in all the world [a typical letter opening]: ·I wish you peace and great wealth [May your peace/prosperity increase]!


text:
The Most High God has done ·miracles [signs] and wonderful things for me that I am happy to tell you about.


text:
His wonderful acts are great, and his ·miracles [signs] are mighty. His kingdom ·goes on forever [is an eternal kingdom], and his ·rule [sovereignty] continues from ·now on [generation to generation].


text:
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was ·happy [at ease] in my house and ·successful [living luxuriously] at my palace,


text:
but I ·had [saw] a dream that ·made me afraid [disturbed me]. As I was lying on my bed, I saw ·pictures [fantasies] and visions in my ·mind [head] that ·alarmed [scared; terrified] me.


text:
So I ·ordered [set a decree for] all the wise men of Babylon to ·come [be presented] to me and tell me ·what my dream meant [its interpretation].


text:
The ·fortune-tellers [diviners], ·magicians [enchanters], ·wise men [Chaldeans; ], and exorcists came, and I told them about the dream. But they could not tell me ·what it meant [its interpretation].


text:
Finally, Daniel came to me. (I called him Belteshazzar ·to honor [after the name of] my god [], because ·the spirit of the holy gods [or a holy, divine spirit] is in him.) I told my dream to him.


text:
I said, “Belteshazzar, you are the ·most important of all [chief of] the ·fortune-tellers [diviners]. I know that ·the spirit of the holy gods [or a holy, divine spirit] is in you, so there is no ·secret [mystery] that is too ·hard for you to understand [difficult for you]. ·This was what I dreamed [The dream I saw]; tell me ·what it means [its interpretation].


text:
These are the visions [of my head] I saw while I was lying in my bed: I looked, and there in front of me was a tree standing in the ·middle [center] of the earth. And it was very tall.


text:
The tree grew large and strong. The top ·touched [reached] the ·sky [heavens] and could be seen ·from anywhere on [to the ends of the] earth.


text:
The leaves of the tree were beautiful. It had plenty of good fruit on it, enough food for everyone. The ·wild animals [animals of the field] found shelter under the tree, and the birds of the ·sky [heavens] lived in its branches. Every animal ate from it.


text:
“As I was looking ·at those things in the vision while lying [at the visions of my head] on my bed, I saw an ·observer, a holy angel [holy watcher] coming down from heaven.


text:
He spoke very loudly and said, ‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals under the tree ·run away [flee], and ·let the birds in its branches fly away [the birds from its branches].


text:
But leave the stump and its roots in the ground with a band of iron and bronze around it; let it stay in the field with the grass around it. “‘Let the man become wet with dew of ·the sky [heaven], and let him live among the animals [of the field] and ·plants [grass] of the earth.


text:
Let ·him not think like a human any longer [his heart/mind be changed from human; he will be deranged], but let him have the ·mind [heart] of an animal for seven ·years [periods; times].


text:
“‘The ·observers [watchers; ] gave this ·command [decree]; the holy ones declared the ·sentence [decision]. This is so all people may know that the Most High God ·rules [is sovereign] over every kingdom ·on earth [of humans]. God gives those kingdoms to anyone he wants, and he chooses people to rule them who are ·not proud [low].’


text:
“That is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed. Now Belteshazzar [another name for Daniel; ], tell me ·what the dream means [its interpretation]. None of the wise men in my kingdom can explain ·it to me [its interpretation], but you can, because ·the spirit of the holy gods [or a holy, divine spirit] is in you.”


text:
Daniel Explains the Dream Then Daniel, ·who was called [whose name is] Belteshazzar [], was very quiet for a while, because his understanding of the dream ·frightened [scared; terrified] him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its ·meaning [interpretation] ·make you afraid [terrify you].” Then Belteshazzar answered, “My master, I wish the dream were about your enemies, and I wish its ·meaning [interpretation] were for those who are against you!


text:
You saw a tree in your dream that grew large and strong. Its top ·touched [reached] the ·sky [heavens], and it could be seen from all over the earth.


text:
Its leaves were beautiful, and it had plenty of fruit for everyone to eat. It was a home for the ·wild animals [animals of the field], and its branches were nesting places for the birds of the ·sky [heavens].


text:
O king, you are that tree! You have become great and powerful, like the tall tree that ·touched [reached] the ·sky [heavens]. Your ·power [sovereignty] reaches to the ·far parts [ends] of the earth.


text:
“O king, you saw an ·observer, a holy angel [holy watcher], coming down from heaven who said, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and its roots in the ground with a band of iron and bronze around it; leave it in the field with the grass. Let him become wet with dew and live like a ·wild animal [animal of the field] for seven ·years [periods; times].’


text:
“This is the ·meaning of the dream [interpretation], O king. The Most High God has ·commanded [decreed] these things to happen to my master the king:


text:
You will be ·forced [driven] away from people to live among the ·wild animals [animals of the field]. People will feed you grass like an ox, and dew from the ·sky [heavens] will make you wet. Seven ·years [periods; times] will pass, and then you will learn this lesson: The Most High God is ·ruler [sovereign] over every kingdom on earth, and he gives those kingdoms to anyone he chooses.


text:
“Since the stump of the tree and its roots were left in the ground, your kingdom will be given back to you when you learn that ·one in heaven rules your kingdom [heaven is sovereign].


text:
So, O king, please accept my advice. ·Stop sinning [Atone for/Break off your sins] and ·do what is right [be righteous]. Stop doing wicked things and be kind to the ·poor [oppressed]. Then you might continue to be ·successful [prosperous].”


text:
Twelve months later as he was walking on the roof [the flat roofs of ancient Near Eastern houses were used as living space] of his palace in Babylon,


text:
he said, “·I have built this great Babylon as [Is this not Babylon the great which I built as…?] my royal home. I built it by my power to show my glory and my majesty.”


text:
The words were still in his mouth when a voice from heaven said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, ·these things will happen to you [to you it is declared]: ·Your royal power [The kingdom] has been taken away from you.


text:
You will be ·forced [driven] away from people. You will live with the ·wild animals [animals of the field] and will be fed grass like an ox. Seven ·years [periods; times] will pass before you learn this lesson: The Most High God ·rules [is sovereign] over every kingdom on earth and gives those kingdoms to anyone he chooses [].”


text:
Immediately the ·words [sentence] came true. Nebuchadnezzar was ·forced to go [driven] away from people, and he began eating grass like an ox. He became wet from dew. His hair grew long like the feathers of an eagle, and his nails grew like the claws of a bird.


text:
“At the end of ·that time [the days], I, Nebuchadnezzar, ·looked up [lifted my eyes] toward heaven [acknowledging God’s supremacy], and ·I could think normally again [my reason was restored to me]! Then I ·gave praise to [blessed] the Most High God; I gave honor and glory to him who lives forever. “God’s ·rule is forever [sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty], and his kingdom continues for ·all time [all generations].


text:
People on earth are ·not truly important [counted as nothing]. God does what he ·wants [wills] with the ·powers [hosts; armies] of heaven [angelic powers] and the people on earth. No one can stop his powerful hand or ·question what he does [say, ‘What are you doing?’].


text:
“At that time ·I could think normally again [my reason returned to me], and God gave back my great honor and power and returned the glory to my kingdom. ·The people who advised me [My counselors] and the royal family came to me for help again. I became king again and was even greater and more powerful than before.


text:
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and ·honor [extol] and glorify the King of heaven. ·Everything he does [All his works] is ·right [truth] and ·fair [his ways are just], and he is able to ·make proud people humble [bring low those who walk in pride].”


text:
The Writing on the Wall King Belshazzar [along with his father, Nabonidus, the last ruler of Babylon] ·gave a big banquet [served a large meal] for a thousand ·royal [noble; important] guests and drank wine with ·them [the thousand].


text:
As Belshazzar ·was drinking his wine [tasted the wine; he was under the influence of the wine], he gave orders to bring the gold and silver cups that his ·ancestor Nebuchadnezzar [father; predecessor; not his literal father; ] had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem []. This was so the king, his ·royal [noble; important] guests, his wives, and his ·slave women [concubines; secondary wives] could drink from those cups.


text:
So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his ·royal [noble; important] guests, his wives, and his ·slave women [concubines; ] drank from them.


text:
As they were drinking, they praised their gods, which were made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.


text:
Suddenly the fingers of a person’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.


text:
·King Belshazzar was very frightened [The king’s thoughts terrified him]. His face turned ·white [pale], his knees knocked together, and ·he could not stand up because his legs were too weak [the strength left his legs; his hips went loose; the idiom may mean he wet himself].


text:
The king called loudly for the ·magicians [enchanters], ·wise men [Chaldeans; a group of astrologers], and ·wizards [exorcists] of Babylon and said to ·them [the wise men of Babylon], “Anyone who can read this writing and explain ·it [its interpretation] will be clothed in purple [befitting a king] and have a gold chain around his neck. And I will make that person the third highest ruler in the kingdom [after Nabonidus and Belshazzar; ; ; ].”


text:
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king ·what it meant [its interpretation].


text:
King Belshazzar became even more ·afraid [terrified], and his face became even ·whiter [paler]. His ·royal [important; noble] guests were ·confused [agitated].


text:
Then the queen [the queen mother, since the king’s wives were already present], who had heard the ·voices [discussion] of the king and his ·royal [noble; important] guests, came into the banquet room. She said, “O king, live forever! Don’t ·be afraid [let your thoughts terrify you] or let your face ·be white with fear [turn pale]!


text:
There is a man in your kingdom who has ·the spirit of the holy gods [or a holy, divine spirit in him]. In the days of your father [], this man showed understanding, knowledge, and wisdom like the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, put this man in charge of all the ·wise men [Chaldeans; a group of astrologers], ·fortune-tellers [enchanters], ·magicians [diviners], and ·wizards [exorcists].


text:
The man I am talking about is named Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar []. He ·was very wise [has an excellent spirit] and had knowledge and understanding. He could ·explain [interpret] dreams and ·secrets [riddles] and ·could answer very hard [unravel] problems. Call for Daniel. He will tell you ·what the writing on the wall means [its interpretation].”


text:
So they brought Daniel to the king, and the king asked, “Are you Daniel one of the ·captives [exiles] my father the king brought from Judah [trying to put Daniel in his place]?


text:
I have heard that ·the spirit of the gods [or a divine spirit] is in you, and that you are very wise and have knowledge and ·extraordinary [excellent] understanding.


text:
The wise men and ·magicians [enchanters] were brought to me to read this writing and to explain ·what it means [its interpretation], but they could not ·explain it [give me its interpretation].


text:
I have heard that you are able to ·explain what things mean [give interpretations] and can ·find the answers to hard [unravel] problems. Read this writing on the wall and ·explain it to me [give me its interpretation]. If you can, I will clothe you in purple [befitting a king] and give you a gold chain to wear around your neck. And you will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom [].”


text:
Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself, or you may give those rewards to someone else. But I will read the writing [on the wall] for you and will explain to you ·what it means [its interpretation].


text:
“O king, the Most High God ·made your father Nebuchadnezzar a great, important, and powerful king [gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, splendor, and glory].


text:
Because God made him ·important [great], all the people, nations, and ·those who spoke every language [tongues] ·were very frightened [trembled with fear in front] of Nebuchadnezzar. If he wanted someone to die, he killed that person. If he wanted someone to live, he let that person live. Those he wanted to ·promote [honor], he ·promoted [honored]. Those he wanted to ·be less important [abase; degrade], he ·made less important [abased; degraded].


text:
“But ·Nebuchadnezzar became too proud [his heart was exalted/lifted up] and ·stubborn [his spirit became hard with insolence], so he was taken off his royal throne. His glory was ·taken [stripped] away.


text:
He was ·forced away [driven] from people, and his mind became like the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys and was fed grass like an ox and became wet with dew. These things happened to him until he learned: The Most High God ·rules [is sovereign] over every kingdom ·on earth [of humans], and he sets anyone he chooses over those kingdoms.


text:
“Belshazzar, you, his [Nebuchadnezzar’s] ·son [descendant; or successor; not his literal son; ], already knew these things. Still you have not ·been sorry for what you have done [humbled your heart].


text:
Instead, you have ·set yourself [exalted yourself] against the Lord of heaven. You ordered the drinking cups from the Temple of the Lord to be brought to you. Then you and your ·royal [important; noble] guests, your wives, and your ·slave women [concubines; secondary wives] drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone that cannot see or hear or understand anything [they are not really gods]. You did not honor God, who has power over your ·life [very breath] and ·everything you do [all your ways].


text:
“This is ·what the words mean [the interpretation of the matter]: Mene [“Numbered”]: God has ·counted [numbered] the days until your kingdom will end.


text:
Tekel [“Weighed”]: You have been weighed on the scales and found ·not good enough [deficient; lacking; wanting].


text:
Parsin [“Divided”]: Your kingdom is being divided and will be given to the Medes and the Persians [from the Iranian plateau].”


text:
Then Belshazzar gave an order for Daniel to be dressed in purple clothes [befitting a king] and to have a gold chain put around his neck. And it was announced that Daniel was the third highest ruler in the kingdom [].


text:
So Darius the Mede ·became the new king [received the kingdom] when he was sixty-two years old [when the Persians defeated the Babylonians; 539 bc].


text:
Daniel and the Lions ·Darius thought it would be a good idea [It pleased Darius; ] to ·choose [set over the kingdom] one hundred twenty ·governors [satraps] who would ·rule his [be over the] kingdom.


text:
He chose three men as ·supervisors [presidents; heads] over those ·governors [satraps], and Daniel was one of the ·supervisors [presidents; heads]. The ·supervisors [presidents; heads] were to ensure that the ·governors did not try to cheat the king [king would not be troubled/disturbed].


text:
Daniel ·showed that he could do the work better than [distinguished himself above] the other ·supervisors [presidents; heads] and ·governors [satraps] because an ·excellent [extraordinary] spirit was in him, so the king planned to put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.


text:
Because of this, the other ·supervisors [presidents; heads] and ·governors [satraps] tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel ·about his work in the government [in regard to the kingdom]. But they could not find anything ·wrong with him or any reason to accuse him [in regard to complaint or corruption], because he was trustworthy and not lazy or ·dishonest [corrupt].


text:
Finally these men said, “We will never find any reason to accuse Daniel unless it is about the law of his God.”


text:
So the ·supervisors [presidents; heads] and ·governors [satraps] ·went as a group to [or conspired against] the king and said: “King Darius, live forever!


text:
The ·supervisors [presidents; heads], ·assistant governors [prefects], ·governors [satraps], ·the people who advise you [counselors], and the ·captains of the soldiers [governors] have ·all agreed [taken counsel] that you should ·make a new law [issue a decree] ·for everyone to obey [and enforce an edict]: For the next thirty days no one should pray to any god or human except to you, O king. Anyone who doesn’t obey will be thrown into the lions’ den.


text:
Now, O king, ·make the law [enforce the edict] and sign ·your name to it [the document] so that it cannot be changed, because then it will be a law of the Medes and Persians and cannot be canceled.”


text:
Even though Daniel knew that the ·new law [document] had been ·written [signed], he went to pray in an upstairs room in his house, which had windows that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day Daniel would kneel down to pray and ·thank [praise] God, just as he always had done [; ].


text:
Then those men ·went as a group [conspired] and found Daniel praying and ·asking God for help [seeking mercy from God].


text:
So they ·went to [approached] the king and talked to him about the ·law he had made [edict]. They said, “Didn’t you sign a ·law [edict] that says no one may pray to any god or human except you, O king? Doesn’t it say that anyone who disobeys during the next thirty days will be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “Yes, ·that is the law [the thing is certain], and the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled.”


text:
Then they said to the king, “Daniel, one of the ·captives [exiles] from Judah, ·is not paying attention to [disregards] you, O king, or to the ·law [edict] you signed. Daniel still prays three times every day.”


text:
The king ·became very upset [was displeased] when he heard ·this [the word]. He ·wanted [set his mind] to ·save [rescue] Daniel, and he worked hard until sunset trying to think of a way to ·save [rescue] him.


text:
Then those men ·went as a group to [or conspired against] the king. They said, “·Remember [Know], O king, the law of the Medes and Persians says that no ·law [edict] or command given by the king can be changed.”


text:
So King Darius gave the order, and Daniel was brought in and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you ·serve [fear; ] all the time ·save [rescue] you!”


text:
A stone was brought and placed over the ·opening [mouth] of the lions’ den. Then the king used his signet ring and the rings of his ·royal [noble; important] officers to put special seals on the rock [rings with personal identification symbols that could be pressed into soft clay]. This ensured that ·no one would move the rock and bring Daniel out [nothing would be changed with Daniel].


text:
Then King Darius went back to his palace. He ·did not eat [fasted] that night, ·he did not have any entertainment [nothing was; referring to food and/or women] brought to him, and he could not sleep.


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As he came near the den, he was worried. He called out to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God that you always ·worship [fear; serve; ] been able to ·save [rescue] you from the lions?”


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My God sent his ·angel [or messenger] to close the lions’ mouths []. They have not ·hurt [injured] me, because my God knows I am ·innocent [blameless]. I never did anything ·wrong to [to injure] you, O king.”


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King Darius was very happy and told his servants to lift Daniel out of the lions’ den. So they lifted him out and did not find any injury on him, because Daniel had trusted in his God.


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Then the king commanded that the men who had ·accused [conspired against; eaten pieces of] Daniel be brought to the lions’ den. They, their wives, and their children were thrown into the den. The lions ·grabbed [overpowered] them before they ·hit [reached] the floor of the den and ·crushed their bones [or tore their bodies into pieces; ].


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Then King Darius wrote a letter to all people and all nations, ·to those who spoke every language [and tongues] in the world: I wish you great ·peace and wealth [prosperity].


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I ·am making a new law [set a decree] for people in every part of my ·kingdom [kingly dominion]. All of you must ·fear [tremble] and ·respect [fear] the God of Daniel. For he is the living God; he ·lives [endures] forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his ·rule [sovereignty] will never end.


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God rescues and ·saves [delivers] people and does ·mighty miracles [signs and wonders] in heaven and on earth. He is the one who ·saved [rescued] Daniel from the ·power [hand] of the lions.


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So Daniel was ·successful [prosperous] during the time Darius was king ·and [or even] when Cyrus the Persian was king [may be two different names for the same king].


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Daniel’s Dream About Four Animals In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon [perhaps 550 bc], Daniel had a dream. He saw visions [in his head] as he was lying on his bed, and he wrote ·down what he had dreamed [the beginning of the words/matter].


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Daniel said: “I saw my vision at night. In the vision the ·wind was blowing from all four directions, which made the sea very rough [four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea; a picture of chaos].


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I saw four huge ·animals [beasts] come up from the sea, and each ·animal [beast] was different from the others.


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“The first ·animal [beast] looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. I watched this ·animal [beast] until its wings were torn off. It was lifted from the ground so that it stood up on two feet like a human, and it was given the ·mind [heart] of a human [perhaps representing Babylon].


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“Then I saw a ·second [another] ·animal [beast] before me that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides and had three ·ribs [or tusks] in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat ·all the meat you want [much flesh; many bodies; perhaps representing the Medes or the Medes and Persians]!’


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“After that, I looked, and there before me was another ·animal [beast]. This ·animal [beast] looked like a leopard with four wings on its back that looked like a bird’s wings. This ·animal [beast] had four heads and was given ·power to rule [authority; perhaps representing the Persians or the Greeks].


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“After that, in my vision at night I saw in front of me a fourth ·animal [beast] that was ·cruel [fearsome], ·terrible [terrifying], and very strong [perhaps the Greeks or Romans]. It had large iron teeth. It crushed and ate what it killed, and then it ·walked on [stamped with its feet] whatever was left. This fourth ·animal [beast] was different from any ·animal [beast] I had seen before, and it had ten horns [representing strength and power].


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“While I was ·thinking about [reflecting on] the horns, another horn grew up among them. It was a little horn with eyes like a human’s eyes. It also had a mouth, and the mouth was bragging. The little horn ·pulled out [uprooted] three of the other horns.


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“As I looked, thrones were put in their places, and ·God, the Eternal One, [the Ancient of Days] sat on his throne. His clothes were white like snow, and the hair on his head was like wool [white]. His throne was made from fire, and the wheels of his throne were blazing with fire.


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A river of fire was flowing from in front of him. ·Many [A thousand] thousands of angels were serving him, and ·millions [ten thousand times ten thousand; angels] stood before him. Court ·was ready to begin [sat in judgment], and the books were opened.


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“I kept on looking because the horn [the little one] was bragging. I kept watching until finally the ·animal [beast; the fourth] was killed. Its body was destroyed, and it was ·thrown [given over] into the burning fire.


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(The ·power and rule [authority; dominion; sovereignty] of the ·other animals [rest of the beasts] had been taken from them, but they were permitted to live for a ·certain period of time [season and a time].)


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“In my vision at night I saw in front of me someone ·who looked like a human being [like a son of man] coming on the clouds in the ·sky [heavens; God’s heavenly chariot; ; ; ; ; ; ]. He came near ·God, who has been alive forever [the Ancient of Days], and he was ·led to God [presented to him].


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He was given ·authority [dominion; sovereignty], glory, and ·the strength of a king [kingship]. People of every tribe, nation, and ·language [tongue] will ·serve [fear; ] him. His ·rule will last forever [dominion/sovereignty is an everlasting dominion/sovereignty], and his ·kingdom [kingship] will never be destroyed.


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The Meaning of the Dream “I, Daniel, was ·worried [troubled/disturbed in spirit]. The visions that went through my ·mind [head] ·frightened [terrified] me.


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I came near one of those standing there [an angel, perhaps Gabriel who interprets visions; ; ] and asked ·what all this meant [the truth of all this]. “So he told me and explained to me ·what these things meant [the interpretation of the matter]:


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But the holy ·people [ones; either the saints or angels or both] who belong to the Most High God will receive the ·power to rule [kingdom] and will have the ·power to rule [kingdom] forever, from now on.’


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“Then I wanted to know what the fourth ·animal [beast] meant, because it was different from all the others. It was very ·terrible [fearsome] and had iron teeth and bronze claws. It was the ·animal [beast] that crushed and ate what it killed and then ·walked on [stamped with its feet] whatever was left [].


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I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn [the little one] that grew there. It had ·pulled out [uprooted] three of the other ten horns and looked greater than the others. It had eyes and a mouth that kept bragging.


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As I watched, the horn [the little one] began making war against ·God’s holy people [the holy ones; ] and was defeating them


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until ·God, who has been alive forever, [the Ancient of Days; ] came. He judged in favor of the holy ·people [ones; ] who belong to the Most High God; then the time came for them to receive the ·power to rule [kingdom].


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“And he explained this to me: ‘The fourth ·animal [beast] is a fourth kingdom that will come on the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will ·destroy [consume] ·people all over the world [the whole earth]. It will ·walk on [trample] and crush the whole earth.


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The ten horns are ten kings who will ·come [arise] from this fourth kingdom. After ·those ten kings are gone [them], another king will ·come [arise]. He will be different from the ·kings who ruled before him [former ones], and he will ·defeat [cause to fall] three of the other kings.


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This king will speak against the Most High God, and he will ·hurt and kill [wear out] ·God’s holy people [the holy ones of Most High God; ]. He will try to change ·times [holy times] and laws that have already been set. ·The holy people that belong to God will be in that king’s [They will be given into his] power for ·three and one-half years [a time, times, and half a time; he will seem to grow but then be cut back].


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“‘But the court will ·decide what should happen [sit in judgment]. ·The power of the king [His dominion/sovereignty] will be taken away, and his kingdom will be completely destroyed.


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Then the holy ·people [ones] who belong to the Most High God [] will have the power to rule. They will rule over all the kingdoms under heaven with power and greatness, and their power to rule will last forever. People from all the other kingdoms will ·respect [fear] and ·serve [obey] them.’


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“That was the end of the ·dream [matter]. I, Daniel, was ·very afraid [terrified]. My face became ·white from fear [pale], but I kept everything ·to myself [in my own heart/mind].”


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Daniel’s Vision ·During [In] the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule [perhaps 547 bc], I, Daniel, saw another vision, ·which was like the first one [after the one that appeared to me in the beginning/previously; ].


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In this vision I saw myself in the ·capital city [or fortress city] of Susa, in the ·area [province] of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate]


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when I ·looked up and [lifted my eyes I] saw a ·male sheep [ram] standing beside the ·canal [or gate]. It had two long horns, but one horn was longer and ·newer than the other [came up second].


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I watched the ·sheep [ram] charge to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand before him, and none could ·save [protect] another animal from his ·power [hand]. He did whatever he ·wanted [pleased] and became very ·powerful [great; strong].


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While I was ·watching this [or reflecting; pondering], I saw a male goat come from the west. This goat had ·one large horn between his eyes that was easy to see [a horn of vision; or a conspicuous horn between its eyes]. He crossed over the whole earth without touching the ground [because of its speed].


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·In his anger [or With angry power] the goat ·charged [came up to] the ·sheep [ram] with the two horns that I had seen standing by the ·canal [or gate].


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I watched the angry goat ·attack [approach] the ·sheep [ram] and break the ·sheep’s [ram’s] two horns. The ·sheep [ram] ·was not strong enough to stop him [did not have the power/strength to stand before him]. The goat ·knocked [threw] the ·sheep [ram] to the ground and then ·walked all over him [trampled him]. No one was able to ·save [protect] the ·sheep [ram] from ·the goat [its power/hand],


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so the male goat became very ·great [powerful; strong]. But when he was strong, his ·big [or conspicuous] horn broke off and four horns grew in place of the one big horn. Those four horns ·pointed in four different directions [were toward the four winds of heaven] and were ·easy to see [conspicuous].


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Then ·a little horn grew from one of those four horns [from one of them came out another horn, a little one; ], and it became very ·big [great]. It grew to the south, the east, and toward the beautiful land [Judah; , ].


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That ·little horn [it] grew ·until it reached to the sky [to the hosts of heaven; the angels and the stars]. It even threw some of the ·army of heaven [hosts and the stars] to the ground and ·walked on [trampled] them!


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·That little horn [It] set itself up as equal to the prince of ·heaven’s armies [the hosts; God]. It ·stopped [abolished] the ·daily [regular] sacrifices [; ] that were offered to him, and the ·Temple, the place where people worshiped him, [place of the sanctuary] was ·pulled down [overthrown].


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Because there was a ·turning away from God [rebellion; transgression], the people stopped the ·daily [regular] sacrifices. Truth was thrown down to the ground, and ·the horn [it] was successful in everything it did.


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Then I heard ·a holy angel [one of the holy ones] speaking. Another ·holy angel [holy one] asked the first one, “How long will the things in this vision last—the ·daily [regular] sacrifices [], the ·turning away from God [rebellion; transgression] that brings ·destruction [desolation], the ·Temple [sanctuary] being pulled down, and the ·army of heaven [host] being ·walked on [trampled]?”


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The angel said to me, “This will happen for twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings [either 2,300 or 1,150 days]. Then the ·holy place [sanctuary] will be ·repaired [restored; made right again].”


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I, Daniel, saw this vision and ·tried to understand what it meant [sought understanding]. I saw someone who looked like a man standing near me.


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And I heard a man’s voice calling from the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate]: “Gabriel [an angel], explain the vision to this man.”


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·Gabriel [He] came to where I was standing. When he came close to me, I was ·very afraid [terrified; or overwhelmed] and ·bowed facedown on the ground [fell on my face]. But ·Gabriel [he] said to me, “·Human being [Son of man], understand that this vision is about the time of the end.”


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While ·Gabriel [he] was speaking, I fell into a ·deep sleep [trance] with my face on the ground. Then he touched me [strengthening him] and ·lifted me to my feet [made me stand in my place].


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He said, “Now, I will ·explain [make known; reveal] to you what will happen in the time of anger. Your vision was about the ·set [appointed] time of the end.


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The male goat is the king of ·Greece [Javan], and the big horn between its eyes is the first king [Alexander the Great, who defeated Persia around 330 bc].


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The four horns that grew in the place of the broken horn are four kingdoms [Alexander died in 323 bc and his four most powerful generals carved up his empire between them]. Those four kingdoms will come from ·the nation of the first king [his nation], but ·they will not be as strong as the first king [not with his power/strength].


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“When the end comes near for those kingdoms, a ·bold and cruel [fierce/stern-faced] king who ·tells lies will come [understands riddles/enigmas; Antiochus Epiphanes, who terrorized the Jews in the mid-second century bc]. This will happen when ·many people have turned against God [rebellions/transgressions will reach their height].


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·This king will be very powerful [His power will be strong], but ·his power will not come from himself [not his own power]. He will cause ·terrible [fearful] destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy powerful people and even ·God’s holy people [the people of the holy ones].


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This king will succeed by using ·lies and force [the deceit in his hand/power]. He will ·think that he is very important [be great in his heart]. He will destroy many people ·without warning [or with ease]; he will ·try to fight [stand against] even the Prince of princes! But ·that cruel king [he] will be ·destroyed [broken], and not by human ·power [hand].


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“The vision that has been shown to you about these evenings and mornings is true. But seal up the vision, because ·those things won’t happen for a long time [it concerns many days from now].”


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I, Daniel, became very weak and was sick for ·several days after that vision [some days]. Then I got up and went back to work for the king, but I was very ·upset [dismayed; perplexed] about the vision. I didn’t understand what it meant.


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Daniel’s Prayer These things happened during the first year Darius son of Ahasuerus was king over ·Babylon [the Chaldeans; 539 bc]. He was ·a descendant [from the seed] of the Medes [a people group within the Persian empire].


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During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was ·reading in [pondering/reflecting on] the Scriptures. I saw ·that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years [the number of years which were according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill the ruin of Jerusalem was seventy years; ; ; ].


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Then I turned [my face] to the Lord God and ·prayed [sought in prayer] and ·asked him for help [supplication]. ·To show my sadness, I fasted, put on rough cloth, and sat in […with fasting, and sackcloth, and] ashes.


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I prayed to the Lord my God and ·told him about all of our sins [made confession]. I said, “Lord, you are a great ·God who causes fear and wonder [and awesome God]. You ·keep [guard] ·your agreement of love [covenant and loyalty] with all who love you and ·obey [keep; guard] your commands.


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“But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and ·turned [rebelled] against you, your commands, and your ·laws [judgments].


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We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke ·for you [in your name] to our kings, our ·leaders [princes], our ·ancestors [fathers], and all the people of the land.


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“Lord, ·you are good and right [to you is righteousness], but ·we are full of shame [to us is shame of face] today—the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you ·scattered [drove away] among many nations because they were ·not loyal [treacherous] to you.


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Lord, ·we are all ashamed [to us is shame of face]. Our kings and ·leaders [princes] and our ·fathers [ancestors] are ·ashamed [shame-faced], because we have ·sinned against [or failed] you.


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“But, Lord our God, you ·show us mercy [have compassion] and forgive us even though we have ·turned [rebelled] against you.


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We have not ·obeyed [listened to the voice of] the Lord our God or the ·teachings [instructions; laws] he gave us through his servants, the prophets.


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All the people of Israel have ·disobeyed [transgressed] your ·teachings [instructions; laws] and have turned away, refusing to ·obey you [listen to your voice]. So you ·brought [poured] on us the curses and ·promises of punishment [oaths] written in the ·Teachings [Instructions; Laws] of Moses [], the servant of God, because we ·sinned against [failed] you.


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“·You said these things would happen to us and our ·leaders [judges], and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done ·on earth [under all the heavens] like what was done to Jerusalem.


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All this disaster came to us just as it is written in the ·Teachings [Instructions; Laws] of Moses []. But we have not ·pleaded [entreated] with the Lord our God. We have not ·stopped [turned from] ·sinning [iniquity]. We have not ·paid attention to [considered; pondered; reflected on] your ·truth [faithfulness].


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The Lord ·was ready to bring [kept watch on and brought] the disaster on us, and he did it because the Lord our God is ·right [righteous] in everything he does. But we still did not ·obey him [listen to his voice].


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“Lord our God, ·you used your power and [by your strong hand you] brought us out of Egypt []. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have sinned and ·have done wrong [acted wickedly].


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Lord, ·you do what is right, but [according to all your righteousness,] ·please do not be angry with [turn aside your anger and your wrath from] Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill [Zion, the location of the Temple]. Because of our sins and the ·evil things [iniquity] done by our ·ancestors [fathers], people all around ·insult and make fun of [scorn; reproach] Jerusalem and your people.


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“Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my ·prayer for help [supplication], and for ·your [the Lord’s] sake ·do good things for [make your face shine on] your ·holy place [sanctuary] that is in ruins.


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My God, ·pay attention [extend/incline your ear] and hear me. Open your eyes and see all ·the terrible things that have happened to us [our desolation/destruction] and the city that is called by your name. We do not ·ask these things [present our supplication] because ·we are good [of our righteousness]; instead, we ask because of your ·mercy [compassion].


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Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, ·hear us [pay attention] and do something! For your sake, don’t ·wait [delay], because your city and your people are called by your name.”


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Gabriel’s Explanation While I was ·saying these things in my prayer [speaking and praying] to the Lord, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel and ·praying [laying down my supplication] for God’s holy hill [Zion, the location of the Temple],


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Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my ·last vision [vision in the beginning; ].) ·He came flying quickly to me [or…when I was tired and weary] about the time of the evening sacrifice, while I was still praying.


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He ·taught me [made me understand] and said to me, “Daniel, I have come [out now] to give you wisdom and to help you understand.


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·When you first started praying [At the beginning of your supplication], an ·answer [word] ·was given [went out], and I came to tell you, because ·God loves you very much [you are favored/coveted/desired]. So ·think about [consider; reflect; ponder] the ·message [word] and ·understand [consider; reflect; ponder] the vision.


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“·God has ordered four hundred ninety years [Seventy sevens/weeks are given] for your people and your holy city [for the following reasons]: to ·stop [finish] ·people from turning against God [transgression]; to put an end to sin; to ·take away [atone for] ·evil [iniquity]; to bring in ·goodness that continues forever [everlasting righteousness]; to ·bring about [seal] the vision and prophecy; and to ·appoint [anoint] a most holy place.


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“Learn and understand these things. A command will come to ·rebuild [restore and build] Jerusalem. The time from this command until the ·appointed leader [anointed prince] comes will be ·forty-nine years [seven sevens/weeks] and ·four hundred thirty-four years [sixty-two sevens/weeks]. Jerusalem will be ·rebuilt [restored and built] with ·streets [or public squares] and a ·trench filled with water around it [moat; or conduits], but it will be built in times of ·trouble [oppression].


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After the ·four hundred thirty-four years [sixty-two sevens/weeks] the ·appointed leader [anointed one] will be ·killed [cut off]; he will have nothing. The ·people [or troops] of the ·leader [prince] who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of ·the city [it/or him] will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. ·God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed [Desolation/Destruction is decreed].


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·That leader [He] will make firm an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with many people for ·seven years [one seven/week]. He will ·stop [make cease] the offerings and sacrifices after ·three and one-half years [a half a seven/week]. ·A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city […and upon a wing will be the horrible abominations until the decreed end overwhelms the desolator].”


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Daniel’s Vision of a Man During Cyrus’ third year as king of Persia [536 bc], a ·message [word] was revealed to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar []. The ·message [word] was true and concerned a great ·war [conflict]. He understood the ·message [word] and understood the vision.


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·At that time [In those days] I, Daniel, had been ·very sad [mourning] for three ·weeks [sevens of days].


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I did not eat any ·fancy [rich] food or meat, or drink any wine, or ·use any perfumed oil [anoint myself] ·for three weeks [until the completion of the three weeks/sevens of days].


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On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was standing beside the great Tigris River [along with the Euphrates, one of the major rivers in Babylon, present-day Iraq].


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I ·looked up [lifted up my eyes] and saw a man dressed in linen clothes with a belt of gold of Uphaz [signifying high quality] wrapped around his waist.


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His body was like ·shiny yellow quartz [beryl; or chrysolite]. His face was like lightning [bright], and his eyes were like ·fire [flaming torches]. His arms and legs were ·shiny [gleaming] like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a crowd [, , , , ; ; ].


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I, Daniel, was the only person who saw the vision. The men with me did not see it, because ·they were so frightened [great trembling fell on them] that they ·ran away [fled] and hid.


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So I was left alone, watching this great vision. ·I lost my strength [No strength was left in me], my ·face turned white like a dead person [splendor was spoiled], and I ·was helpless [retained no strength].


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Then I heard the ·man in the vision speaking [sound of his words]. As I ·listened [heard the sound of his words], I fell into a ·deep sleep [trance] with my face on the ground.


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Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. I was so afraid that I was ·shaking [trembling].


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·The man in the vision [He] said to me, “Daniel, ·God loves you very much [you are favored/coveted/desired]. Think carefully about the words I will speak to you, and stand up, because I have been sent to you.” When he said this, I stood up, but I was still ·shaking [trembling].


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Then the man said to me, “Daniel, do not be afraid. ·Some time ago [From the first day] you ·decided [gave your heart/mind] to get understanding and to humble yourself before your God. ·Since that time God has listened to you […your words have been heard], and I have come because of your ·prayers [words].


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But the prince of the kingdom of Persia [a spiritual being; nations have their presiding angels; ] ·has been fighting [stood] against me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the most important ·angels [princes], came to help me, because I had been left there with the king of Persia.


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Now I have come to ·explain to you [help you understand] what will happen to your people, because the vision is about a time in the future.”


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Then one ·who looked like a man [according to the likeness of a son of man] touched my lips, so I opened my mouth and started to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “Master, ·I am upset and afraid [pangs/anguish/pain came over me] because of what I saw in the vision. I ·feel helpless [could not retain strength].


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Master, how can I, your servant, talk with ·you [my master]? ·My strength is gone [From now strength does not remain in me], and ·it is hard for me to breathe [breath does not remain in me].”


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He said, “Daniel, don’t be afraid. ·God loves you very much [You are favored/coveted/desired]. Peace be with you. Be strong now; be courageous.” When he spoke to me, I became stronger and said, “Master, speak, since you have given me strength.”


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Then he said, “Daniel, do you know why I have come to you? Soon I must go back to fight against the prince of Persia []. When I go, the prince of ·Greece [Javan] will come,


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but I must first tell you what is ·written [inscribed] in the ·Book of Truth [or dependable writings]. No one stands with me against these enemies except Michael, ·the angel ruling over your people [your prince].


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“In the first year that Darius the Mede was king [539 bc; ], I [the unnamed angel speaking to Daniel; ] stood up to support and strengthen him [Michael, in his fight against the prince of Persia].


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Kingdoms of the South and North “Now then, Daniel, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will ·rule [arise] in Persia, and then a fourth king will come. He will be much richer than all ·the kings of Persia before him [of them] and will use his riches to get power [perhaps Darius III, the last king of Persia]. He will stir up everyone against the kingdom of ·Greece [Javan].


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Then a ·mighty [or warrior] king will ·come [arise], who will rule with great power and will do anything he wants [Alexander the Great, who defeats Persia].


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After that king ·has come [arises], his kingdom will be broken up and divided out toward the four ·parts of the world [winds of heaven]. His kingdom will not go to his ·descendants [posterity], and ·it will not have the power that he had [not according to the dominion of his dominion], because his kingdom will be pulled up and given to other people [Alexander’s kingdom was divided among his four most powerful generals, the Diadochoi].


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“The king of the South [Ptolemy I; the South is the Ptolemaic kingdom with its chief city in Alexandria, Egypt] will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger [Seleucus, the founding king of the Seleucid kingdom with its chief city in Antioch, Syria]. He will begin to rule his own kingdom with great power.


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Then ·after a few [at the end of] years, ·a new friendship will develop [they will enter an alliance]. The daughter of the king of the South will ·marry [come to] the king of the North ·in order to bring peace [to establish an agreement; a marriage alliance between Berenice, daughter of the Ptolemaic king, and Antiochus II Theos of the Seleucid kingdom]. But she will not ·keep [retain] her power, and his ·family [seed; or power] will not last. She, her husband, her child, and those who ·brought her to that country [supported her] will be ·killed [given up; they were poisoned in a political intrigue].


text:
“But a ·person from her family [branch of her roots] will ·become king of the South [arise in his place] and will ·attack [come against] the armies of the king of the North [Ptolemy III waged war against Seleucus II]. He will go into that king’s ·strong, walled city [fortress] and will ·fight [act] and win.


text:
He will take their gods, their metal idols, and their ·valuable [favored; coveted; desired] things made of silver and gold back to Egypt as plunder. Then he will not bother the king of the North for a few years.


text:
Next, ·the king of the North [he] will ·attack [come against] the king of the South, but he will ·be beaten back [return] to his own ·country [land; the battles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies would continue].


text:
“His [the king of the North] sons [Seleucus III and Antiochus III the Great] will prepare for war. They will get a large ·army [multitude; horde] together that will move through the land, like a flood [powerfully and quickly]. Later, that army will come back and fight all the way to the ·strong, walled city [fortress; of the king of the South, Ptolemy IV; the fortress may refer to Gaza].


text:
Then the king of the South will become very angry and will march out to fight against the king of the North [the battle of Raphia between Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III in 217 bc]. The king of the North will ·have [raise] a large ·army [multitude; horde], but he will ·lose the battle [be delivered into his hand],


text:
and the ·soldiers [multitude; horde] will be carried away. ·The king of the South will then be very proud [His heart will be lifted up] and will ·kill [fell] ·thousands of soldiers [myriads; tens of thousands] from the northern army, but he will not ·continue to be successful [prevail; be victorious].


text:
The king of the North will gather another ·army [multitude; horde], larger than the first one. After ·several [a period of] years he will attack with a large ·army [force] and many ·weapons [or supplies].


text:
“In those times many people will ·be [rise up] against the king of the South. ·Some of your own people who love to fight [Wild/Violent men; Sons who make breaches among your people; Jewish men] will ·turn [lift themselves up] against the king of the South, ·thinking it is time for God’s promises to come true [to fulfill the vision]. But they will ·fail [stumble; falter].


text:
Then the king of the North will come. He will ·build [throw up] ·ramps to the tops of the city walls [siege engines] and will capture a ·strong, walled [fortified] city. The southern ·army [forces] will not ·have the power to fight back [endure; last]; even their best soldiers will not be strong enough to ·stop the northern army [endure; last].


text:
So the ·king of the North [one who invades him] will do whatever he ·wants [pleases]; no one will be able to ·stand [endure; last] against him. He will gain power and control in the beautiful land [of Judah; ] and ·will have the power to destroy it [all of it will be in his hand/power].


text:
The king of the North will ·decide [set his face] to ·use [bring] all his power to fight against the king of the South, but he will make a peace agreement with the king of the South. The king of the North will give one of his daughters as a wife to the king of the South so that he can ·defeat [destroy] him [Cleopatra was given to Ptolemy V in marriage to serve as a spy]. But those plans will not ·succeed [stand; endure; last] or help him [Cleopatra changed loyalties].


text:
Then the king of the North will turn his attention to the coastlines [cities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea; Antiochus was able to take some cities in Asia Minor] and will capture ·them [many]. But a commander [the Roman consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio commanded him to cease warfare] will put an end to ·the pride of the king of the North [his scorn], turning his ·pride [scorn] back on him.


text:
After that happens the king of the North will go back to the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of his own country, but he will ·lose his power [stumble and fall]. ·That will be the end of him […and not be found; Antiochus III died in 187 bc].


text:
“·The next king of the North will send out a tax collector so he will have plenty of money [Then one will arise in his place who will send out a tax collector/despot/oppressor for/or to enhance the splendor of the kingdom]. In ·a few years [later/after days] that ruler will be ·killed [broken], ·although he will not die in [not by] anger or in a battle [Seleucus IV died in mysterious circumstances, perhaps killed by his brother Antiochus IV also known as Epiphanes].


text:
“·That ruler will be followed by [Then one will arise in his place who is] ·a very cruel and hated man [despised], who had not yet been given the honor of royalty [Antiochus Epiphanes, who will be the focus of much of the rest of the chapter]. He will attack ·the kingdom when the people feel safe [without warning], and he will take power by ·lying to the people [intrigue].


text:
He will sweep away in defeat ·large and powerful [floodlike] ·armies [forces] and even a prince who made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty].


text:
Many nations will make ·agreements [alliances] with ·that cruel and hated ruler [him], but he will lie to them. He will gain much power, but only a few people will support him.


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The richest ·areas [or people of a province] will feel safe, but ·that cruel and hated ruler [he] will attack them. He will succeed where his ·ancestors [fathers and father’s fathers] did not. He will ·rob the countries he defeats and will give those things to his followers [scatter spoil, plunder, and goods to them]. He will plan ·to defeat and destroy strong cities [against strongholds], ·but he will be successful for only a short time [until a time].


text:
“·That very cruel and hated ruler [He] will have a large army that he will use to stir up his strength and ·courage [heart]. He will attack the king of the South [the Seleucid king Ptolemy VI]. The king of the South will gather a large and very powerful army and prepare for war. But ·the people who are against him will make secret plans, and the king of the South will be defeated [he will not stand/endure because of the plans they planned against him].


text:
People who ·were supposed to be his good friends [eat his royal rations; Ptolemy VI’s advisors Eulaeus and Lenaeus] will try to ·destroy [break] him. His army will be swept away in defeat; many ·of his soldiers will be killed in battle [corpses will fall].


text:
Those two kings will ·want to hurt each other [have their hearts/minds toward evil/harm]. They will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but it will not ·do either one any good [succeed], because ·God has set a time for their end to come [the appointed time of the end has been set].


text:
·The king of the North [He; Antiochus] will go back to his own country with much wealth. Then he will decide to go against the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty; as Antiochus returned to Syria from Egypt, he took aggressive action against the Jews in Jerusalem]. He will take action and then return to his own country.


text:
“At the ·right [appointed] time ·the king of the North [he] will attack the king of the South again, but this time ·he will not be successful as he was before [it will not be as before].


text:
Ships from ·the west [Kittim; Rome, which made Antiochus stand down from his attack on the South] will come and fight against ·the king of the North [him], so he will be ·afraid [startled; or dismayed]. Then he will return and show his anger against the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. He will be good to those who have ·stopped obeying [abandoned; forsaken] the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty; the pro-Antiochus party among the Jewish people].


text:
“·The king of the North will send his army [Forces from him will arise] to ·make the Temple in Jerusalem unclean [profane the Holy Place and fortress]. They will ·stop the people from offering [turn aside] the ·daily [regular] sacrifice [], and then they will set up a ·blasphemous object that brings destruction [abomination of desolation; a pagan object, perhaps a meteorite dedicated to Zeus, would be placed in the holy place; ; ; also , in the Apocrypha].


text:
·The king of the North [He] will tell lies and cause those who have ·not obeyed God [transgressed the agreement/covenant/treaty] to ·be ruined [become godless]. But those who know God and obey him will be strong and fight back.


text:
“Those who are ·wise [insightful among the people] will help ·the others [many] understand what is happening. But they will ·be killed [stumble] with swords, or ·burned [with flame], or ·taken captive [by exile], or ·robbed of their homes and possessions [by spoil]. These things will continue for many days.


text:
When ·the wise ones are suffering [they stumble], they will get a little help, but many who join ·the wise ones [them] will ·not help them in their time of need [be insincere].


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Some of the ·wise [insightful] ones will ·be killed [stumble]. ·But the hard times must come so they can be made stronger and purer and without faults […in order to refine, to purify, and to cleanse them] until the time of the end comes. Then, at the right time, the end will come.


text:
The King Who Praises Himself “·The king of the North [The king] will do whatever he ·wants [pleases; desires]. He will ·brag about [exalt] himself and praise himself and think he is even better than a god. He will say ·things [fantastic/horrendous things] against the God of gods that no one has ever heard. And he will be successful until ·all the bad things have happened [rage is completed]. Then what ·God has planned to happen [is determined] will happen.


text:
·The king of the North [He] will ·not care about [pay no attention to] the gods ·his ancestors worshiped [of his ancestors/fathers; he replaced the worship of Apollos with that of Zeus] or the god ·that women worship [desired/coveted/favored by women; perhaps Adonis or Dionysius]. He won’t ·care about [pay attention to] any god. Instead, he will ·make himself more important than any god [exalt himself above all].


text:
·The king of the North [He] will ·worship [glorify] ·power and strength [a god of fortresses in his place], ·which his ancestors did not worship [a god his ancestors/fathers did not know]. He will ·honor [glorify] the god of power with gold and silver, ·expensive jewels [precious stones] and ·gifts [desired/coveted/favored things].


text:
That king will attack ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] with the help of a foreign god. He will give much ·honor [glory; or wealth] to the people who ·join [acknowledge; recognize] him, making them rulers in charge of many other people. And he will ·make them pay him for the land they rule [distribute the land for a price].


text:
“At the time of the end, the king of the South will ·fight a battle [butt] against ·the king of the North [him]. The king of the North will ·attack [rush in on him] with chariots, soldiers on horses, and many large ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through their lands like a flood.


text:
The king of the North will attack the beautiful land [Judah; ]. He will ·defeat many countries [cause many to stumble], but Edom, Moab, and the ·leaders [heads; or main part] of Ammon will be saved from ·him [his hand].


text:
·The king of the North [He] will ·show his power in [send his hand against] many countries; Egypt will not escape.


text:
·The king [He] will ·get [rule over the] treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt. The Libyan and ·Nubian [or Ethiopian; Cushite] people will ·obey him [follow in his tracks].


text:
But the king of the North will hear ·news [reports] from the east and the north that will make him ·afraid [terrified] and angry. He will go to [devastate and] destroy completely many.


text:
He will ·set up [pitch] his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain [Zion, the location of the Temple]. But, finally, his end will come, and no one will help him.


text:
The Time of the End “At that time Michael, the great prince [angel] who ·protects [stands by] your people [, ], will ·stand up [arise]. There will be a time of ·much trouble [distress], the worst time since nations have been on earth, but at that time your people will be ·saved [rescued]. ·Everyone whose name is written in God’s book will be saved [All who are found written in the book; of life; ; ; ].


text:
Many people who ·have already died [are sleeping in the land of the dust] will ·live again [wake up]. Some will wake up to life forever, but some will wake up to ·shame [reproach] and ·disgrace [abhorrence] forever [].


text:
The ·wise [insightful; , ] people will shine like the ·brightness of the sky [firmament; dome; expanse; ]. Those who teach ·others [the many] ·to live right [righteousness] will shine like stars forever and ever.


text:
“But you, Daniel, ·close up the book and seal it [keep the words secret and seal the book]. ·These things will happen at the time of the end […until the time of the end]. Many people will go here and there to ·find true [increase] knowledge [].”


text:
Then I, Daniel, looked, and saw two other men. One was standing on ·my side [one bank] of the river, and the other was standing on the ·far side [other bank].


text:
The man who was dressed in linen was standing ·over the water in the river [or upstream]. One of the two men spoke to him and asked, “How long will it be before these ·amazing things [wonders] come ·true [to an end]?”


text:
The man dressed in linen, who stood ·over the water [or upstream], raised his ·hands [right hand and his left; a solemn vow] toward heaven. And I heard him swear by the ·name of God who lives forever [life of the Eternal One], “It will be for ·three and one-half years [a time; two times, and half]. The ·power [hand] of the holy people will finally be ·broken [shattered], and then all these things will ·come true [be completed].”


text:
I ·heard the answer [listened], but I did not really understand, so I asked, “Master, what will ·happen after all these things come true [be the outcome of these things]?”


text:
He answered, “Go your way, Daniel. The ·message [word] is ·closed up [secret] and sealed until the time of the end.


text:
Many people will be made clean, pure, and ·spotless [refined], but the wicked will continue to be wicked. Those wicked people will not understand these things, but the ·wise [insightful] will understand them.


text:
“The ·daily [regular] sacrifice [] will be ·stopped [turned away]. Then, after 1,290 days from that time, ·a blasphemous object that brings destruction [the abomination of desolation; ] will be set up.


text:
“As for you, Daniel, go your way until the end. You will get your rest, and at the end you will rise to receive your reward.”


text:
The ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord that was] to Hosea son of Beeri ·during the time [in the days] that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel [Hosea prophesied about 760–722 bc].


text:
Hosea’s Wife and Children When the Lord began speaking through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, and ·marry [take for yourself] an ·unfaithful woman [or prostitute; woman/wife of prostitution/harlotries] and have ·unfaithful children [children of prostitution/harlotries], because ·the people in this country [this land] have ·been completely unfaithful to [practiced prostitution/harlotry against] the Lord [they have been spiritually unfaithful; Gomer may have been a prostitute or promiscuous woman before the marriage, or only afterward].”


text:
So Hosea ·married [went and took] Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to Hosea’s son.


text:
The Lord said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel [Hebrew: “God sows”], because soon I will punish the ·family [house] of Jehu for the ·people they killed at [blood of] Jezreel [Jehu slaughtered the family of king Ahab; ]. In ·the future [that day] I will put an end to the kingdom of [the house of] Israel


text:
Gomer ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah [Hebrew: “no pity/mercy” or “not loved”], because I will not ·pity [have mercy on; show love to] Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them.


text:
But I will show ·pity [mercy; love] to the people of Judah. I will save them, but not by using bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or ·weapons of war [or battle; war]. I, the Lord their God, will save them.”


text:
After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son.


text:
The Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi [“not my people”], because you are not my people, and I am not your God.


text:
God’s Promise to Israel “But the number of the Israelites will become like the grains of sand of the sea, which no one can measure or count [; ]. ·They were called [or Although it was said to them; or In the place where it was said to them], ‘You are not my people,’ but later ·they will be called [it will be said to them] ‘children of the living God.’


text:
The people of Judah and Israel will ·join [come; be gathered] together again and will ·choose [appoint] one leader for themselves. They will come up from the land, because the day of Jezreel [“God plants/sows,” alluding here to the rebirth of the once desolate nation; see ; ] will be truly great.


text:
“You are to call your brothers, ‘my people [Ammi; ],’ and your sisters, ‘you have been shown pity [Ruhama; ].’


text:
God Speaks About Israel “·Plead with [or Rebuke; or Accuse; Bring charges against] your mother [the nation Israel]. ·Plead with [or Rebuke; or Accuse; Bring charges against] her, because she is ·no longer [not] my wife, and I am ·no longer [not] her husband. Tell her to ·stop acting like a prostitute [or take off her prostitute’s make-up; set aside her harlotries from her presence/face], ·to stop behaving like an unfaithful wife [and set aside unfaithfulness from between her breasts].


text:
If she refuses, I will strip her naked and ·leave her bare [expose her] like the day she was born. I will make her dry like a desert, like a ·land without water [parched land], and I will kill her with thirst.


text:
I will not ·take pity [have mercy/compassion] on her children, because they are the children of ·a prostitute [or adultery; harlotry].


text:
Their mother has ·acted like a prostitute [been unfaithful; committed adultery]; the one who ·became pregnant with [conceived] them has acted ·disgracefully [shamefully]. She said, ‘I will ·chase [seek; go] after my lovers [the idol-worshiping nations around Israel], who give me my ·food [bread] and water, wool and flax, ·wine [drinks] and olive oil.’


text:
So I will ·block her road [or fence/hedge her in] with thornbushes; I will ·build a wall around her [wall her in] so she cannot find her way.


text:
She will ·run after [pursue] her lovers, but she won’t catch them. She will look for them, but she won’t find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband [God], because life was better then for me than it is now.’


text:
But she does not ·know [acknowledge] that I was the one who gave her grain, new wine, and oil. I ·gave her much [lavished on her] silver and gold, but ·she [they; the nation] used it for Baal.


text:
“So I will come back and take away my grain ·at harvest time [in its time] and my new wine ·when it is ready [in its season/appointed time]. I will take back my wool and ·linen [flax] that covered her nakedness.


text:
So I will ·show her nakedness [uncover her lewdness/shamelessness] to her lovers, and no one will ·save [rescue] her from ·me [my hand].


text:
I will put an end to all her ·celebrations [merrymaking]: her yearly festivals, her New Moon festivals, and her Sabbaths. I will stop all of her ·special [appointed] feasts.


text:
I will destroy her vines and fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers. I will turn them into a ·forest [overgrown thicket], and ·wild animals [beasts of the field] will eat them.


text:
I will punish her for all the ·times [days; pagan feast days] she burned incense to the Baals [the local gods of the Canaanites worshiped by the Israelites]. She ·put on her [adorned herself with] ·rings [or earrings] and jewelry and went ·chasing after [out to] her lovers, but she forgot me!” says the Lord.


text:
“So I am going to ·attract [allure; woo] her; I will lead her into the ·desert [wilderness; as in the Exodus, when God rescued Israel from slavery and cared for her; ] and speak tenderly to her.


text:
There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will make the Valley of ·Trouble [Achor; see ] a door of hope. There she will ·respond [or sing] as ·when she was young [in the days of her youth], as when she came out of Egypt.”


text:
The Lord says, “In the future she will call me ‘my husband’; no longer will she call me ‘my baal [“baal” can mean “husband,” “master,” or “Baal” (the Canaanite god); in this wordplay, Israel has replaced one husband (the Lord) with another (Baal)].’


text:
I will ·never let her say [remove from her lips] the names of Baal again; people won’t ·use [utter; invoke; or remember] their names anymore.


text:
At that time I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] for them with the ·wild animals [beasts of the field], the ·birds [birds of the sky/heavens], and the ·crawling things [creeping things of the ground]. I will ·smash [shatter; abolish] from the land the bow and the sword and ·the weapons of war [or war; battle], so my people will ·live [lie down] in safety.


text:
And I will ·make you my promised bride [betroth you to me] forever. I will ·be good and fair [betroth you in righteousness and justice]; I will show you my ·love [loyalty; unfailing love; lovingkindness] and mercy.


text:
I will ·be true to you as my promised bride [betroth you in faithfulness], and you will ·know [or acknowledge me as] the Lord.


text:
“At that time I will ·speak to you [answer; respond],” says the Lord. “I will ·speak to [answer; respond to] the ·skies [or heavens], and they will ·give rain to [answer; respond to] the earth.


text:
The earth will ·produce [answer/respond with] grain, new wine, and oil; ·much will grow because my people are called [and they will answer/respond to] Jezreel [“God plants”; , ].


text:
I will plant ·my people [her for myself] in the land, and I will show pity to the one I had called ‘·not shown pity [Lo-Ruhamah; ].’ I will say, ‘You are my people’ to those I had called ‘·not my people [Lo-Ammi; ].’ And they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’”


text:
Hosea Redeems His Wife The Lord said to me again, “Go, show your love to a woman [probably Gomer (), who has since deserted him] ·loved by [or who loves] someone else, who ·has been unfaithful to you [is committing adultery]. In the same way the Lord loves the ·people [sons; children] of Israel, even though they ·worship [turn to] other gods and love to eat the raisin cakes [food eaten at pagan temples].”


text:
So I bought her for six ·ounces of silver [shekels] and ·ten bushels [a homer and a lethek; a homer was 5–6 bushels; a lethek was about half that] of barley.


text:
Then I told her, “You must ·wait for [or live with] me for many days. You must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sexual relations with any other man. I will act the same way toward you.”


text:
In the same way the ·people [sons; children] of Israel will live many days without a king or ·leader [prince], without sacrifices or holy stone pillars [used in pagan worship; ; ; ], and without ·the holy vest [ephod; ; ] or ·an idol [household idols; teraphim; ].


text:
After this, the people of Israel will return and ·follow [seek] the Lord their God and ·the king from David’s family [David their king; an heir from David’s line]. In the last days they will ·turn in fear [come in reverence/awe] to the Lord, and he will bless them.


text:
The Lord’s Word Against Israel ·People [Sons; Children] of Israel, ·listen to the Lord’s message [hear the word of the Lord]. The Lord has a ·charge [case; lawsuit; or dispute] to bring against you who live in the land: “·The people are not true, not loyal to God [There is no truth/faithfulness, there is no mercy/lovingkindness], nor do those who live in the land even know him [there is no knowledge of God in the land].


text:
[There is only] Cursing, lying, ·killing [murder], stealing and adultery are everywhere. ·One murder follows another [They break out and blood touches blood].


text:
Because of this the land ·dries up [or mourns], and all its ·people [inhabitants] ·are dying [languish; waste away]. Even the ·wild animals [beasts of the field] and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are ·dying [gathered; taken/swept away].


text:
God’s Case Against the Priests “·No one should [Let no one] ·accuse [bring a charge] or ·blame [contend against] another person. ·Don’t blame the people, you priests, when they quarrel with you [or For my case is against you, the priests].


text:
You will ·be ruined [stumble] in the day, and your prophets will ·be ruined [stumble] with you in the night. I will also destroy your mother [Israel].


text:
My people ·will be [or are being] destroyed, because they ·have no [lack] knowledge. You have ·refused to learn [rejected knowledge; or failed to acknowledge me], so I will ·refuse to let you be [reject you as] priests to me. You have forgotten the ·teachings [law; Hebrew: Torah] of your God, so I will forget your children.


text:
The more priests ·there are [increase], the more they sin against me. ·I will take away their honor and give them shame [or They have exchanged the glory of God for the shamefulness (of idols); ].


text:
Since the priests ·live off [eat; feed on] the ·sin offerings [or sin] of the people, they ·want the people to sin more and more [relish/long for their iniquity].


text:
·The priests are as wrong as the people [And it will be: like people, like priest], and I will punish them both for ·what they have done [their ways]. I will repay them for the ·wrong [acts; deeds] they have done.


text:
“They will eat but not have enough; they will ·have sexual relations with the prostitutes [or behave like prostitutes], but they will not ·have children [or gain anything; multiply; increase], because they have ·left [deserted; abandoned] the Lord to give themselves to


text:
·prostitution [immorality], to old and new wine, which take away ·their ability to understand [the heart].


text:
God’s Case Against the People “My people ask wooden idols for ·advice [counsel]; they ask ·those sticks of wood [or divining rods/staffs] to advise them! ·Like prostitutes, they have chased after other gods [A spirit/wind of prostitution leads/blows them astray] ·and have left [committing adultery against; being unfaithful to] their own God.


text:
They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains [places of pagan worship]. They burn offerings on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and ·other trees [terebinths], because their shade is ·nice [pleasant]. So your daughters become prostitutes [cultic prostitutes in pagan temples], and your daughters-in-law are guilty of adultery.


text:
“But I will not punish your daughters for becoming prostitutes, nor your daughters-in-law for their sins of adultery. I will not punish them, because the men ·have sexual relations [go off] with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with the ·temple [cult; shrine] prostitutes. A ·foolish people [people without knowledge/discernment] will be ·ruined [destroyed].


text:
“Israel, you ·act like a prostitute [or commit adultery], but do not let Judah be guilty toward the Lord. Don’t go to Gilgal [a city where false worship was taking place] or go up to Beth Aven [“house of wickedness,” a derogatory name for Bethel, “house of God”]. Don’t ·make promises [swear], saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives…’


text:
The people of Israel are stubborn like a stubborn ·young cow [heifer]. ·Now the Lord will [or Should the Lord now…?] feed them like lambs in ·the open country [a broad meadow].


text:
·The Israelites [Ephraim; the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] ·have chosen to worship [is joined to] idols, so leave ·them [him] alone.


text:
When they finish their drinking, they ·completely [or constantly] ·give themselves to being prostitutes [engage in prostitution; or go off with prostitutes]; ·they [or their rulers; their shields] love these ·disgraceful [shameful] ways.


text:
They will be ·swept away as if by [wrapped up in] a whirlwind, and their sacrifices will bring them only shame.


text:
God’s Word Against the Leaders “·Listen [Hear this], you priests. Pay attention, ·people [house] of Israel. Listen, ·royal family [house of the king], because you will all be judged. You have been like a ·trap [snare] at Mizpah and like a net spread out at Mount Tabor [hunting places in Israel].


text:
·You have done many evil things [The rebels are deep into slaughter; or You have dug a deep pit at Shittim/Acacia], so I will ·punish [discipline] you all.


text:
I know all about Ephraim [Israel; ]; what Israel has done is not hidden from me. Now Ephraim acts like a prostitute, and Israel has ·made itself unclean [defiled himself].


text:
“·They will not give up their deeds and [or Their deeds won’t let them] return to their God. ·They are determined to be unfaithful to me [For a spirit of prostitution is within them]; they do not know the Lord.


text:
Israel’s ·pride [arrogance] testifies against them. ·The people of Israel [Israel and Ephraim; ] will stumble because of their ·sin [iniquity], and ·the people of Judah [Judah] will stumble with them.


text:
They will come to ·worship [seek] the Lord, bringing their flocks and herds, but they will not be able to find him, because he has ·left [withdrawn from] them.


text:
They have ·not been true to [been unfaithful to; dealt treacherously with] the Lord; they ·are children who do not belong to him [or bear illegitimate/alien children]. So ·their false worship [a new moon; a festival] will ·destroy [devour] them and their ·land [wealth; portion].


text:
“Blow the ·horn [trumpet; ram’s horn] in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah [used to sound a warning or call to battle]. ·Give the warning [Sound the alarm; Raise the battle cry] at Beth Aven [], ·and be first into battle [or lead on; or we are with you], ·people of Benjamin [Benjamin].


text:
·Israel [Ephraim; ] will be ·ruined [laid waste; desolate] on the day of ·punishment [rebuke; reckoning]. To the tribes of Israel I ·tell the truth [make known what is certain].


text:
The ·leaders [princes] of Judah are like those who ·steal other people’s land [move boundary markers; a serious crime in the ancient world; ; ; ]. I will pour my ·punishment over [wrath on] them like ·a flood of water [water].


text:
·Israel [Ephraim; ] is ·beaten down [oppressed] and crushed by the ·punishment [judgment], because it ·decided [was determined] to follow ·idols [or worthless things; or human precepts].


text:
I am like a moth to ·Israel [Ephraim; ], like ·a rot [wood rot; decay] to the ·people [house] of Judah.


text:
“When ·Israel [Ephraim; ] saw its illness and Judah saw its ·wounds [or sores], ·Israel [Ephraim] went to Assyria for help and sent to the great ·king of Assyria [king]. But he cannot heal you or cure your wounds.


text:
I will be like a lion to ·Israel [Ephraim; ], like a young lion to ·Judah [the house of Judah]. ·I will attack them and tear them to pieces [I, even I, will tear them and go away]. I will drag them off, and no one will be able to ·save [rescue] them.


text:
Then I will go back to my ·place [lair; dwelling place] until they ·suffer for [or admit] their guilt and ·turn back to me [seek my face]. In their ·trouble [distress; affliction] they will look for me.”


text:
The People Are Not Faithful “Come, let’s ·go back [return] to the Lord. He has ·hurt us [torn us to pieces], but he will heal us. He has wounded us, but he will ·bandage [bind up] our wounds.


text:
·In [After] two days he will ·put new life in [revive; restore] us; on the third day he will raise us up [in a short time] so that we may live in his presence


text:
and know him. Let’s ·try [press on] to ·learn about [know] the Lord; he will come to us as surely as the dawn comes. He will come to us ·like rain [or as sure as the winter rains come], like the ·spring [latter] rain that waters the ·ground [earth].”


text:
The Lord says, “·Israel [Ephraim; ], what should I do with you? Judah, what should I do with you? Your faithfulness is like a morning mist, like the dew that goes away early in the day.


text:
I have ·warned you [cut you into pieces; hewn you] by my prophets that I will kill you with ·my words [the words of my mouth]. My ·justice [judgment] comes out like ·bright light [or the morning dawn].


text:
I ·want [desire; delight in] ·faithful love [mercy; lovingkindness] ·more than I want animal sacrifices [and not sacrifice]. I want ·people to know me [the knowledge of God] more than I want burnt offerings [].


text:
But they ·have broken [transgressed] the ·agreement [covenant] as ·Adam did [or human beings did; or they did at Adamah; ]; they have ·been unfaithful to [dealt treacherously with] me.


text:
Gilead is a city of ·people who do evil [sinners; evildoers]; ·their footprints are bloody [tracked with bloody footprints].


text:
The ·priests [company of priests] are like robbers ·waiting [lying in ambush] to attack people; they murder people on the road to Shechem [a city of refuge for someone who committed involuntary manslaughter; ; ; ] and do wicked things.


text:
I have seen horrible things in ·Israel [or the temple of Israel; the house of Israel]. Look at ·Israel’s [Ephraim’s; ] prostitution; Israel has become ·unclean [defiled].


text:
“Judah, I have ·set [appointed] a harvest time for you when I will ·make the lives of my people good again [restore the fortunes of my people; or return my people from captivity].


text:
When I heal Israel, Israel’s sin will ·go away [or be revealed/exposed], and so will Samaria’s evil. “They ·cheat a lot [practice deceit; commit fraud]! Thieves ·break into houses [come in], and ·robbers [gangs] ·are in the streets [raid/pillage outside].


text:
·It never enters their minds [They never say in their hearts] that I remember all their evil deeds. The bad things they do ·are all around [engulf; surround] them; they are ·right in front of me [always before my face].


text:
Israel’s Evil Kings “They make the king happy with their wickedness; their ·rulers [princes] are glad with their lies.


text:
But all of them are ·traitors [adulterers]. They are like an oven heated by a baker. ·While he mixes the dough [From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened], he does not need to stir up the fire.


text:
The kings get so drunk they get sick ·every day [or on the festival day; on the day]. The ·rulers [princes] become ·crazy [inflamed] with wine; they ·make agreements [conspire; stretch out their hands] with ·those who do not know the true God [mockers; scoffers].


text:
Their hearts burn like an oven; as they plot [an assassination] against him. All night long their anger ·is low [smolders], but when morning comes, it becomes a roaring fire.


text:
All ·these people [of them] are as hot as an oven; they ·burn up [consume; devour] their rulers. All their kings fall, and no one calls on me.


text:
Israel and the Other Nations “·Israel [Ephraim; ] mixes with other nations; he is like a ·pancake [cake; flat loaf] ·cooked only on one side [or burned on one side; not turned].


text:
·Foreign nations [Strangers; Foreigners] have ·eaten up [devoured; sapped] his strength, but he doesn’t know it. ·Israel is weak and feeble, like an old man [Grey hair is scattered on him], but he doesn’t know it.


text:
Israel’s ·pride [arrogance] ·will cause their defeat [or testifies against him; answers in his face]; they will not ·turn back [return] to the Lord their God or ·look to him for help [seek him] in all this.


text:
Israel has become like a ·pigeon [dove]— ·easy to fool [silly] and ·stupid [senseless]. First they call to Egypt for help. Then they ·run [turn; go] to Assyria.


text:
When they go, I will ·catch them in a net [throw my net over them], I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will ·punish [discipline] them ·countless times for their evil [or when I hear them flocking together; or according to the report given to the congregation].


text:
·How terrible for [Woe to] them because they ·left [fled/strayed from] me! They will be destroyed, because they ·turned [rebelled] against me. I want to ·save [redeem] them, but they have spoken lies against me.


text:
They do not ·call [cry out] to me from their hearts. They just lie on their beds and ·cry [wail]. They ·come together [assemble themselves; or gash/slash themselves; a ritual practiced by pagan Canaanite priests (; ; )] to ask for grain and new wine, but they really ·turn away from [rebel against] me.


text:
Though I trained them and ·gave them strength [strengthened their arms], they have ·made evil plans [plotted evil] against me.


text:
They ·did not turn to [or turn, but not to] the Most High God. They are like a ·loose bow that can’t shoot [faulty bow]. Because ·their leaders brag about their strength [of their indignant/insolent tongue], they will ·be killed with swords [fall by the sword], and the people in Egypt will ·laugh at [ridicule; deride] them.


text:
Israel Has Trusted Wrong Things “Put the trumpet to your lips [to warn of danger or call to battle]! The enemy ·swoops down on [or circles over] the Lord’s ·people [or temple; house] like an eagle. The Israelites have broken my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] and have ·turned [rebelled] against my ·teachings [law; Torah].


text:
They ·chose their own [appointed; enthroned] kings ·without asking my permission [but not from me]. They chose their own ·leaders [princes], people I did not ·know [acknowledge; approve]. They made their silver and gold into idols, and for all this they will be destroyed.


text:
I ·hate [have rejected] ·the calf-shaped idol of Israel [your calf, Samaria; ; ]! ·I am very angry with the people [My anger burns against them]. How long will they remain ·unclean [impure; guilty]?


text:
The idol is something a craftsman made; it is not God. ·Israel’s calf-shaped idol [The calf of Samaria; ] will surely be smashed to pieces.


text:
“·Israel’s foolish plans are like planting the wind [They sow the wind], ·but they will harvest a storm [and reap the whirlwind]. Like a stalk with no head of grain, it produces ·nothing [no flour]. Even if it produced something, ·other nations [foreigners] would ·eat [devour] it.


text:
Israel is ·eaten [swallowed] up; the people are ·mixed among [among] the other nations and have become ·useless to me [a useless pot/utensil/vessel].


text:
Israel is like a wild donkey ·all by itself [wandering alone]. They have ·run [gone up] to Assyria; ·They have hired other nations to protect them [Ephraim has hired lovers; or Ephraim has sold herself to lovers].


text:
Although Israel ·is mixed [or hired; or hired herself out] among the nations, I will gather them together. They will ·become weaker and weaker [begin to waste away] ·as they suffer under [from the burden/oppression of] the ·great king of Assyria [king of princes].


text:
I have written many ·teachings [laws; instructions] for them, but they think the teachings are ·strange and foreign [alien; irrelevant].


text:
The Israelites offer sacrifices to me as gifts and eat the meat, but the Lord ·is not pleased with [does not accept] them. He remembers ·the evil they have done [their wickedness/iniquity], and he will punish them for their sins. They will ·be slaves again as they were in [return to] Egypt.


text:
Israel has forgotten its Maker and has built palaces; Judah has built many ·strong, walled [fortified] cities. But I will send fire on their cities and ·destroy [it will devour/consume] their ·strong buildings [strongholds; citadels].”


text:
Israel’s Punishment Israel, do not rejoice; don’t shout for joy as the other nations do. You have been ·like a prostitute against [unfaithful to] your God. You love the pay of prostitutes on every threshing floor.


text:
But the threshing floor and the winepress will not feed the people, and ·there won’t be enough new wine [or the new wine will deceive them].


text:
The people will not stay in the Lord’s land. ·Israel [Ephraim] will return ·to being captives as they were in [to] Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat ·food that they are not allowed to eat [unclean food; food forbidden by the law; ].


text:
The Israelites will not ·give [pour out] offerings of wine to the Lord; and their sacrifices will not please him. Their sacrifices will be like ·food that is eaten at a funeral [mourners bread; ]; it is unclean, and everyone who eats it becomes unclean [because touched by someone who has touched a dead body; ]. Their food will only satisfy their hunger; ·they cannot sacrifice it in [it will not come into] the Temple.


text:
What will you do then on the day of ·feasts [your appointed festivals] and on the day of the Lord’s festival?


text:
[Look; Behold] Even if the people ·are not destroyed [escape destruction], Egypt will ·capture [or receive; gather] them; Memphis [a city in Egypt famous for its tombs] will bury them. ·Weeds [Briers; Nettles] will grow over their silver treasures, and thorns will ·drive them out of [possess; inherit] their tents.


text:
The time of punishment has come, the ·time to pay for sins [days of recompense/vengeance]. Let Israel know this: ·You think the [The] prophet is a fool, and ·you say the [the] ·spiritual person [Spirit-inspired person] is crazy. ·You [or This is because you] have sinned very much, and your hatred is great.


text:
·Is Israel a watchman? Are God’s people prophets? [or The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on God’s behalf] ·Everywhere Israel goes, traps are set for him [or …yet traps/snares await him on all his paths]. ·He is an enemy [or …and hatred even] in God’s house.


text:
·The people of Israel [They] have gone deep into ·sin [depravity; corruption] as ·the people of Gibeah did [in the days of Gibeah; ]. The Lord will remember ·the evil things they have done [their wickedness/iniquity], and he will punish their sins.


text:
“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the ·desert [wilderness]. Your ·ancestors [fathers; forefathers] were like finding the first figs on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they ·began worshiping an idol [consecrated/dedicated themselves to a shameful thing; ], and they became as ·hateful [detestable] as the thing they ·worshiped [loved].


text:
·Israel’s [Ephraim’s; ] glory will fly away like a bird; there will be no more pregnancy, no more births, no more conception.


text:
But even if ·the Israelites [they] bring up children, I will take them all away. ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] them when I ·go away [turn away; depart] from them!


text:
I have seen Israel, like ·Tyre [or a young palm], ·given [planted in] a pleasant place. But ·the people of Israel [Ephraim; ] will soon bring out their children to ·be killed [slaughter; or the slayer].”


text:
Lord, ·give them what they should have [give them]. What will you give them? ·Make their women unable to have children [Give them wombs that miscarry]; give them ·dried-up breasts that cannot feed their babies [dry breasts].


text:
“The Israelites were very wicked in Gilgal [a center of false worship in Israel; ], so I have hated them there. Because of the sinful things they have done, I will ·force them to leave [drive them out of] my land. I will no longer love them; their ·leaders [princes] ·have turned against me [are rebels/rebellious].


text:
·Israel [Ephraim] is ·beaten down [struck down; or blighted]; its root is ·dying [withered; dried up], and it ·has [bears] no fruit. If they have more children, I will kill the ·children they love [cherished offspring of their womb].”


text:
My God will reject them, because they have not obeyed him; they will ·wander [be wanderers/fugitives] among the nations.


text:
Israel Will Pay for Sin Israel is like a ·large [spreading; lush; luxuriant] vine that produced plenty of fruit. As ·the people became richer [his fruit increased], they built more altars [for idols]. As their land ·became better [prospered; improved], they ·put up better [or adorned their] ·stone pillars to honor gods [sacred pillars].


text:
Their heart was ·false [or divided; fickle], and now they must ·pay for [bear] their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars; he will destroy their holy stone pillars.


text:
Then they will say, “We have no king, because we didn’t ·honor [revere; fear] the Lord []. As for the king, ·he couldn’t do anything [what could he do…?] for us.”


text:
With words that mean nothing they make ·false [empty] ·promises [oaths] and ·agreements [covenants; treaties] which they don’t keep. So ·people sue each other in court [lawsuits/judgments spring up]; they are like poisonous weeds growing in [the rows/furrows of] a plowed field.


text:
The people from ·Israel [Samaria; the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel] are worried about the ·calf-shaped idol [calf; heifer; ] at Beth Aven []. The people will ·cry about [mourn over] it, and the ·priests [idol-priests] will ·cry about [lament/wail over] it. They used to ·shout for joy [rejoice] about its glory, but ·it has been taken from them into exile [or its glory has departed].


text:
It will be carried off to Assyria as a gift to ·the great king [or King Jareb; this may be a title or a personal name]. ·Israel [Ephraim; ] will be disgraced, and ·the people [Israel] will be ashamed for ·not obeying [or its counsel; or its wooden idol].


text:
·Israel [Samaria; ] will be destroyed; its king will be like a ·chip of wood [twig] floating on the water.


text:
The ·places of false worship [high places of wickedness; or high places of Aven; ; ] will be destroyed, the places where Israel sins. Thorns and ·weeds [thistles] will grow up and cover their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us! [; ]”


text:
“Israel, you have sinned since the ·time [days] of Gibeah [; ], and ·the people there have continued sinning [there they have remained; or there they took their stand]. ·But war will surely overwhelm [Did not war overtake…?] them in Gibeah, because of the evil they have done there.


text:
When I ·am ready [desire; please], I will come to ·punish [discipline] them. Nations will come together against them, and they will be ·punished [bound in chains] for their ·double [two] sins [could mean “twice the punishment” () or the two sins of rejecting God and his anointed Davidic king].


text:
·Israel [Ephraim; ] is like a well-trained ·young cow [heifer] that likes to thresh grain. I will put a ·yoke [or a fine yoke] on her ·neck [or fair neck] and ·make her work hard in the field [drive Ephraim hard]. Israel will plow, and Judah will break up the ground.


text:
I said, ‘·Plant goodness [Sow righteousness], ·harvest the fruit of loyalty [reap mercy/lovingkindness], ·plow the new ground of knowledge [break up the unplowed/fallow ground]. ·Look for [or For it is time to seek] the Lord until he comes and ·pours goodness on you like water [rains/showers righteousness/justice on you].’


text:
But you have plowed ·evil [wickedness; iniquity] and ·harvested [reaped] ·trouble [evil; injustice]; you have eaten the fruit of ·your lies [deception; treachery]. Because you have trusted in your own ·power [or chariots] and your many ·soldiers [warriors],


text:
·your people will hear [against your people will rise] the ·noise [roar; tumult] of battle, and all your ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] will be destroyed. It will be like the time King Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in battle [], when mothers and their children were ·bashed to death [dashed to pieces].


text:
The same will happen to you, ·people of Bethel [Bethel], because ·you did so much evil [your wickedness is great]. ·When the sun comes up [or When judgment day dawns; or As swiftly as the dawn; At dawn], the king of Israel will ·die [be completely cut off].


text:
God’s Love for Israel “When Israel was a ·child [youth], I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt [the Exodus; ; ].


text:
But when I called ·the people of Israel [them], they went away from me. They offered sacrifices to the Baals and burned incense to ·the idols [images].


text:
It was I who taught ·Israel [Ephraim; ] to walk, and I took them by the arms, but they did not ·understand [or acknowledge] that I had healed them.


text:
I led them with cords of ·human kindness [humanity; or leather], with ropes of love. I lifted ·the yoke from their neck [or them like a little child to my cheek] and bent down and fed them.


text:
“·The Israelites will become captives again, as they were in [or Will they not return to…? or They will not return to] Egypt, and ·Assyria will [or will not Assyria…?] become their king, because they refuse to turn back to God.


text:
·War will sweep through [A sword will slash/flash in] their cities and will destroy ·them [their gates; or their priests] and ·kill [devour] them because of their ·wicked plans [counsels].


text:
My people ·have made up their minds [are determined] to ·turn away [desert; backslide] from me. ·The prophets call them to turn to me [or They call me Most High; or They call to Baal], but ·none of them honors me at all [or I will not exalt them; or he will never exalt them].


text:
“·Israel [Ephraim; ], how can I give you up? How can I ·give you away [hand you over], Israel? ·I don’t want to [How can I…?] make you like Admah or treat you like Zeboiim [two cities destroyed together with Sodom and Gomorrah; ; ]. My heart ·beats for you [or has changed within me; or is torn within me], and my ·love for you stirs up my pity [compassion is aroused/stirred up/kindled].


text:
I won’t ·punish you in my [unleash my burning] anger, and I won’t destroy ·Israel [Ephraim; ] again. I am God and not a human; I am the Holy One, and I am among you. I will not come against ·you in anger [you with terror; or your cities].


text:
They will ·go after [follow] the Lord, and he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will ·hurry [come trembling] to him from the west [God’s people would return not only from Babylon and Assyria in the east but from every direction].


text:
They will come ·swiftly [or trembling] like birds from Egypt and like doves from Assyria. I will settle them again in their homes,” says the Lord.


text:
The Lord Is Against Israel ·Israel [Ephraim; ] has surrounded me with lies; the ·people have made [house of Israel with] evil plans. ·And [or But] Judah ·turns against [or roams away from; or still walks with] God, ·the faithful [or and is faithful to the] Holy One.


text:
·What Israel does is as useless as chasing [Ephraim feeds on] the wind; he chases the east wind all day [, ; , , ]. They ·tell more and more lies and do more and more violence [multiply lies and violence]. They make ·agreements [a covenant/treaty] with Assyria, and they send ·a gift of olive oil [oil] to Egypt [as tribute or to gain support].


text:
The Lord also has ·some things [a case/lawsuit; or a dispute; ] against Judah. He will punish ·Israel [Jacob] for what they have done; he will ·give [repay] them ·what they deserve [according to their deeds].


text:
·Their ancestor Jacob [He] ·held on to his brother’s heel [or struggled with/supplanted his brother] ·while the two of them were being born [in the womb; ]. ·When he grew to be a man [In his strength/manhood], he ·wrestled [struggled] with God.


text:
When Jacob ·wrestled [struggled] with the angel and ·won [prevailed], he ·cried [wept] and ·asked for his blessing [pleaded for/sought his favor; ]. Later, ·God met with him [he found him] at Bethel and spoke with him there [].


text:
It was the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]; the Lord is his ·great [memorial; memorable] name.


text:
You must return to your God; ·love him, do what is just [or act with love and justice], and always ·trust in him as [wait for] your God.


text:
·Israel [Ephraim; ] said, “I am rich! I ·am someone with power [have made my fortune]!” ·All their money will do them no good because of the sins they have done [or “With all the wealth I’ve gained, no one can accuse me of sin”; either self-vindication (continuing the quotation), or the prophet’s pronouncement of guilt].


text:
“But I am the Lord your God, ·who brought you [or ever since you came] out of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again as you used to do on ·worship days [the appointed festivals; the feast of tabernacles, which commemorated the wilderness wanderings].


text:
I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions; through them, I ·taught my lessons [spoke in parables; or spoke oracles of doom] to you.”


text:
·The people of Gilead are evil [or Is Gilead wicked? or In Gilead there was idolatry], they ·are worth nothing [are worthless; or will come to nothing]. ·People [or Do they…?] sacrifice bulls at Gilgal []. But their altars will become like piles of stone in a plowed field.


text:
·Your ancestor Jacob [Jacob] fled to ·northwest Mesopotamia [Aram; ] where he ·worked [served; his uncle Laban] to get a wife [Rachel (and Leah); , ]; he tended sheep to pay for her.


text:
Later the Lord used a prophet [Moses; ] to bring ·Jacob’s descendants [Israel] out of Egypt; he used a prophet to ·take care of [tend; preserve; guard] the Israelites.


text:
But ·the Israelites [Ephraim; ] ·made the Lord angry [bitterly provoked the Lord]; So the Lord ·will make them pay for the blood they have shed [leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed] and for the ·disgraceful things they have done [or contempt they have shown].


text:
The Final Word Against Israel ·People used to fear the tribe of Ephraim [When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling]; they were ·important people [exalted] in Israel. But they sinned by worshiping Baal, ·so they must die [and died].


text:
But they still keep on sinning more and more. They make ·idols of their silver [metal images], idols that are ·cleverly [skillfully] made, the work of a craftsman. ·Yet the people of Israel say to each other [or It is said of them], “·Kiss those calf idols and sacrifice to them [or Those who sacrifice to the calf idol are calf kissers!; or They offer human sacrifices and kiss calf-idols].”


text:
So those people will be like the morning mist; they will disappear like the morning dew. They will be like chaff ·blown [that swirls away] from the threshing floor, like smoke going out a window.


text:
“I, the Lord, have been your God since you were in the land of Egypt. You ·should have known no [must not acknowledge any] other God except me []. ·I am the only one who saves [There is no savior but me].


text:
I ·cared for them [knew you] in the ·desert [wilderness] ·where it was hot and dry [in the land of drought].


text:
I gave them ·food [pasture], and they became full and satisfied. But then they became too proud and forgot me.


text:
I will ·attack [meet them] like a bear robbed of her cubs, ripping their ·bodies [chest] open. I will devour them like a lion and tear them apart like a wild animal.


text:
“Israel, I will destroy you. ·Who will be your helper then [or …because you are against me, your helper]?


text:
·What good [Where] is your king? Can he save you in any of your towns? ·What good are [Where are] your leaders about whom you said, ‘Give us a king and leaders’?


text:
The ·sins [guilt; iniquity] of Israel are ·on record [bound up in a scroll], stored away, waiting for punishment.


text:
The pain of birth will come for him, but he is like a ·foolish [senseless; unwise] baby who won’t come out of its mother’s womb.


text:
Will I save them from ·the place of the dead [the power of the grave; the hand of Sheol]? Will I ·rescue [redeem] them from death? ·Where are [or Bring on…!] your plagues, death? ·Where is [or Bring on…!] your ·pain [destruction], ·place of death [O grave]? ·I will show them no mercy [Pity/compassion is hidden from my eyes].


text:
·Israel is doing well among the nations [He is fruitful among his brothers], but the Lord will send a wind from the east, coming from the ·desert [wilderness], that will dry up his springs and wells of water. He will ·destroy [plunder] from their treasure houses ·everything of value [every precious/desirable thing].


text:
·The nation of Israel [Samaria; ] will ·be ruined [or bear its guilt], because it ·fought [rebelled] against God. ·The people of Israel will die in war [They will fall by the sword]; their ·children [infants; little ones] will be ·torn to [dashed in] pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”


text:
Israel Returns to God Israel, return to the Lord your God, because your sins have made you ·fall [stumble].


text:
·Come back [Return] to the Lord and ·say these words to him [take words with you]: “Take away all our sin and ·kindly receive us [accept our prayers], ·and we will keep the promises we made to you [so that we may offer the sacrifices of our lips; or so that we may offer our lips as sacrificial bulls].


text:
Assyria cannot save us, nor will we ·trust in our [mount and ride] horses. We will not say again, ‘Our gods,’ to the things our hands have made. You show ·mercy [compassion] to ·orphans [the fatherless].”


text:
The Lord says, “I will forgive ·them for leaving me [their apostasy/waywardness] and will love them freely, because ·I am not angry with them anymore [my anger has turned away from them].


text:
I will be like the dew to Israel, and they will blossom like a lily. Like the cedar trees in Lebanon, ·their roots will be firm [they will take root].


text:
·They will be like spreading branches [His shoots will spread out], like the beautiful olive trees and the sweet-smelling cedars in Lebanon.


text:
·The people of Israel will again live under my protection [or People will again live under Israel’s protection/shade]. They will ·grow [flourish] like the grain, they will bloom like a vine, and they will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.


text:
·Israel [Ephraim; ], have nothing to do with idols. I, the Lord, am the one who answers your prayers and ·watches over [cares for] you. I am like a ·green [flourishing; evergreen] ·pine tree [or juniper; or cypress]; your ·blessings [fruit] come from me.”


text:
·A wise person will know these things [Who is wise? Let him understand these things], ·and an understanding person will take them to heart [Who is discerning? Let him understand them]. The Lord’s ways are right. ·Good people [The righteous] ·live by following [walk in] them, but ·those who turn against God [the rebellious/transgressors] ·die because of them [stumble in them].


text:
Locusts Destroy the Crops ·The Lord spoke his word [The word/message of the Lord that was (given)] to Joel son of Pethuel:


text:
Elders, listen to this message. ·Listen to [Hear] me, all you who live in the land. ·Nothing like this has [Has anything like this…?] ever happened ·during your lifetime [in your days] or during your ·ancestors’ [fathers’] ·lifetimes [days].


text:
Tell your children about these things, let your children tell their children, and let ·your grandchildren [their children] tell ·their children [the next generation].


text:
What the ·cutting [chewing; or swarming] locusts have left, the ·swarming [or great] locusts have eaten; what the ·swarming [or great] locusts have left, the ·hopping [or crawling; or young] locusts have eaten, and what the ·hopping [or crawling; or young] locusts have left, the ·destroying [consuming] locusts have eaten [these Hebrew terms could mean different species, different stages of development, or different destructive actions; they symbolize God’s judgment against Israel through foreign invaders].


text:
Drunks, wake up and ·cry [weep]! All you ·people who drink wine [wine-drinkers], ·cry [wail]! Cry because your ·wine [sweet/new wine] has been ·taken away [snatched; cut off] from your mouths.


text:
A ·powerful [mighty] nation has ·come into [invaded; come up against] my land ·with too many soldiers to count [without number]. It has teeth like a lion, ·jaws [fangs] like a ·female lion [lioness].


text:
It has made my grapevine a waste and made my fig tree ·a stump [or splintered]. It has ·stripped all [stripped and thrown away] the bark off my trees and left the branches white.


text:
·Cry [Lament; Wail] as a young woman ·cries [clothed in sackcloth] ·when the man she was going to marry has died [for the husband/or betrothed of her youth].


text:
·There will be no more grain or drink offerings to offer in [The grain/gift/tribute () and drink offerings are cut off from] the ·Temple [house] of the Lord. Because of this, the priests, the servants of the Lord, are ·sad [in mourning].


text:
The fields are ·ruined [destroyed]; the ground ·is dried up [or mourns]. ·The […because the] grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the olive oil ·runs out [fails].


text:
Be ·sad [in despair; or ashamed; embarrassed], farmers. ·Cry loudly [Wail], you who grow grapes. Cry for the wheat and the barley. Cry because the harvest of the field is ·lost [ruined; destroyed].


text:
The vines have ·become dry [dried up], and the fig trees ·are dried up [have withered/languish]. The pomegranate trees, the date palm trees, the apple trees— all the trees in the field ·have died [are dried up]. And the ·happiness [joy; gladness] of the ·people [sons/children of man/humanity] has died, too.


text:
Priests, put on your ·rough cloth [sackcloth] and ·cry to show your sadness [mourn; lament]. ·Servants [Ministers] of the altar, ·cry out loud [wail]. Servants of my God, ·keep your rough cloth on all night to show your sadness [spend the night in sackcloth]. Cry because there will be no more grain [gift; tribute; ] or drink offerings to offer in the ·Temple [house] of your God.


text:
·Call for [Declare; Appoint; Consecrate] a ·day when everyone fasts [fast]! ·Tell everyone to stop work [Call a sacred assembly]! ·Bring [Assemble] the elders and everyone who lives in the land to the ·Temple [house] of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.


text:
·What a terrible day it will be [Ah, for the day]! The ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord] is near [, , ; , ; ], when ·punishment [destruction] will come like a destroying attack from the Almighty [“destroying” (shod) and “Almighty” (shaddai) are related words in Hebrew].


text:
Our food is ·taken away [cut off] ·while we watch [in front of our eyes]. Joy and ·happiness [gladness] are gone from the ·Temple [house] of our God.


text:
·Though we planted fig seeds, they lie dry and dead in the dirt [The seed shrivels under the clods/or shovels]. The ·barns [storehouses] are ·empty and falling down [desolate]. The ·storerooms for grain [granaries] have been broken down, because the grain has dried up.


text:
The animals are groaning! The herds of cattle ·wander around confused [mill about; are restless/distraught], because they have no ·grass to eat [pasture]; even the flocks of sheep suffer.


text:
Lord, I am calling to you for help, because fire has ·burned up [devoured] the ·open [or wilderness] pastures, and flames have burned all the trees in the field.


text:
Wild animals ·also [even] ·need your help [cry out to you; long/pant for you]. The ·streams of water [water brooks; riverbeds] have dried up, and fire has ·burned up [devoured] the ·open [or wilderness] pastures.


text:
Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [Zion; the location of the Temple]; ·shout a warning [sound the alarm; or raise the battle cry] on my holy mountain. Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear, because the ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord; ] is coming; it is near.


text:
The Coming Day of Judgment It will be a ·dark, gloomy day [day/time of darkness and gloom], cloudy and black. Like ·the light at sunrise [spreading dawn; or spreading darkness], a great and powerful army will spread over the mountains. There has never been anything like it before, and there will never be anything like it ·again [for generations to come].


text:
In front of them a fire ·destroys [devours]; in back of them a flame burns. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden []; the land behind them is like an ·empty desert [desolate wilderness]. Nothing will escape from them.


text:
It is like the noise of chariots ·rumbling [or leaping] over the tops of the mountains, like the noise of a roaring fire ·burning dry stalks [devouring stubble]. They are like a ·powerful army [mighty nation] lined up for battle.


text:
·When they see them [Before them], ·nations [people] shake with fear, and everyone’s face becomes pale.


text:
They charge like soldiers; they ·climb over [scale] the wall like warriors. They all march ·straight ahead [in formation] and do not ·move off their path [swerve from their course; break ranks].


text:
They do not ·run into [jostle; push] each other, because each walks ·in line [straight ahead; in his column]. They ·break through all efforts to stop them [burst through defences; or fall upon the sword; fall upon weapons] and ·keep coming [do not halt/break ranks].


text:
They ·run [rush; swarm] into the city. They run at the wall and climb into the houses, entering through windows like thieves.


text:
Before them the earth shakes and sky trembles. The sun and the moon become dark, and the stars ·stop shining [withhold their brightness; ].


text:
The Lord ·shouts out orders [cries out; thunders] ·to [or at the head of] his army. His ·army [encampment] is very large! Those who ·obey him [execute his word] are very strong! The ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord; ] is an ·overwhelming [awesome; great] and terrible day. ·No one can stand up against it! [Who can endure it?]


text:
Change Your Hearts The Lord says, “Even now, come back to me with all your heart. Fast, ·cry [weep], and ·be sad [mourn].”


text:
·Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad; let your heart be broken [Tear/Rend your hearts and not your garments; true repentance, not just a show of grief]. Come back to the Lord your God, because he is ·kind [gracious; merciful] and ·shows mercy [compassionate]. ·He doesn’t become angry quickly […slow to anger], and he has great ·love [loyalty; mercy; lovingkindness]. He ·can change his mind about [relents from] doing harm.


text:
Who knows? Maybe he will ·turn back to you [grant a reprieve; turn and relent] and leave behind a blessing for you. ·Grain [Gift; Tribute; ] and drink offerings ·belong to [or for] the Lord your God.


text:
Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [Zion; ]; ·call for [declare; appoint; consecrate] a ·day when everyone fasts [fast; ]. ·Tell everyone to stop work [Call a sacred assembly]!


text:
·Bring the people together [Assemble/Gather the people] and ·make the meeting holy for the Lord [consecrate/sanctify the congregation/assembly]. Bring together the elders, as well as the children, and even babies that still feed at their mothers’ breasts. ·The bridegroom should [Let the bridegroom] come from his room [indicating urgency; newly married men were exempt from military service; ; ], the bride from her ·bedroom [chamber].


text:
·The [Let the] priests, ·the Lord’s servants [who minister before the Lord], should ·cry [weep] between the altar and the ·entrance to the Temple [portico; vestibule]. ·They should [Let them] say, “Lord, ·have mercy on [spare] your people. Don’t let ·them [your inheritance/possession] be ·put to shame [mocked; a reproach]; don’t let other nations make ·fun of them [them a byword]. ·Don’t let [Why should the] people in other nations ask, ‘Where is their God?’”


text:
The Lord Restores the Land Then the Lord became ·concerned about [jealous/zealous for] his land and ·felt sorry [had compassion] for his people.


text:
He ·said to [answered] them: “[Look; Behold] I will send you grain, new wine, and olive oil, so that you will ·have plenty [be satisfied]. No more will I ·shame you [make you a reproach/object of scorn] among the nations.


text:
I will ·force the army from the north to leave your land [drive the northern one far from you] and go into a dry, ·empty [desolate] land. ·Their soldiers [Those] in front will be forced into the ·Dead [Eastern] Sea, and those in the rear into the ·Mediterranean [Western] Sea. ·Their bodies will rot and stink [His stench and foul smell will rise]. The Lord has surely done ·a wonderful thing [great things]!”


text:
Land, don’t be afraid; be ·happy [glad] and ·full of joy [rejoice], because the Lord has done ·a wonderful thing [great things].


text:
·Wild animals [Beasts of the field], don’t be afraid, because the ·open [wilderness] pastures ·have grown grass [are sprouting green]. The trees ·have given [bear] fruit; the fig trees and the grapevines ·have grown much fruit [provide riches].


text:
So be happy, ·people of Jerusalem [sons/children of Zion; ]; ·be joyful [rejoice] in the Lord your God. Because he ·does what is right, he has brought you rain [or has vindicated you by giving you rain]; he has sent the ·fall [early] rain and the ·spring [late] rain for you, as before.


text:
And the threshing floors will be full of grain; the ·barrels [vats] will overflow with new wine and olive oil.


text:
The Lord Speaks “Though I sent my great army against you— those ·swarming [or great] locusts and ·hopping [or crawling; or young] locusts, the ·destroying [consuming] locusts and the ·cutting [chewing; or swarming] locusts that ate your crops [see ]— I will ·pay you back for [or restore to you] those ·years of trouble [years].


text:
Then you will have plenty to eat and be ·full [satisfied]. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has ·done miracles [or acted wondrously/marvelously] for you. My people will never again be shamed.


text:
Then you will know that I am ·among [in the midst of] the people of Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no ·other God [other]. My people will never be shamed again.


text:
“After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all ·kinds of people [humanity; flesh; ; ; ; ]. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.


text:
·At that time [In those days] I will pour out my Spirit ·also [even] on male ·slaves [servants] and female ·slaves [servants].


text:
I will show ·miracles [wonders; portents] in the ·sky [heavens] and on the earth: blood, fire, and ·thick [columns/billows of] smoke.


text:
The sun will ·become dark [turn to darkness], the moon ·red as blood [to blood; ], before the ·overwhelming [great] and ·terrible [awesome] day of the Lord comes.


text:
·Then [And it will happen that] ·anyone [all] who calls on the [name of the] Lord will be ·saved [rescued], because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be people who will ·be saved [escape; be delivered], just as the Lord has said. ·Those left alive after the day of punishment [The remnant/survivors] are the people whom the Lord called.


text:
Punishment for Judah’s Enemies “[For look/behold] In those days and at that time, when I will ·make things better for [restore the fortunes of; or return the exiles/captives of] Judah and Jerusalem,


text:
I will gather all the nations together and bring them down into the Valley ·Where the Lord Judges [of Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat means “the Lord judges”]. There I will ·judge [enter into judgment against] them, because those nations scattered my ·own people [people, my heritage] Israel ·and forced them to live in other [among the] nations. They divided up my land


text:
and ·threw [cast] lots for my people. They traded boys for prostitutes, and they sold girls to buy wine to ·drink [get drunk].


text:
“Tyre and Sidon and all of you regions of Philistia! What did you have against me? Were you ·punishing me [paying me back; taking vengeance] for something I did, ·or were you doing something to hurt me? [or If you were trying to pay me back,] I will very quickly ·do to you [return on your heads] what you have done to me.


text:
You took my silver and gold, and you put my ·precious [costly; rich; prized] treasures in your ·temples [or palaces].


text:
You sold the ·people [sons; descendants] of Judah and Jerusalem to the [sons/descendants of the] Greeks so that you could ·send [remove] them far from their ·land [border].


text:
“[Look; Behold] You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will ·get them [rouse them; stir them up] and bring them back, and I will ·do to you [return on your heads] what you have done to them.


text:
I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabean people [Arab merchants from the southeast; ] far away.” The Lord said this.


text:
God Judges the Nations ·Announce [Proclaim] this among the nations: Prepare for war! ·Wake up [Rouse; Call out] the ·soldiers [warriors; mighty men]! Let all the men of war come near and attack.


text:
·Make swords from your plows [Beat your plowshares into swords], and make spears from your ·hooks for trimming trees [pruning hooks; the opposite of ]. Let even the weak person say, “I am ·a soldier [a warrior; or strong].”


text:
All of you nations, hurry, and ·come together [assemble] in that place. Lord, ·send your soldiers to gather the nations [bring down your warriors].


text:
“·Wake up, nations [or Let the nations be roused], and come ·to attack in [up to] the Valley ·Where the Lord Judges [of Jehoshaphat; ]. There I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.


text:
Swing the ·cutting tool [sickle], because the harvest is ripe. Come, ·walk on them as you would walk on grapes to get their juice [trample the grapes], because the winepress is full and the ·barrels [vats] are ·spilling over [overflowing], because ·these people are so evil [their wickedness/evil is great]!”


text:
·There are huge numbers of people [Multitudes, multitudes] in the Valley of Decision [the place of the Lord’s verdict against the nations; , ], because the ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord; ] is near in the Valley of Decision.


text:
The sun and the moon will become dark, and the stars will ·stop shining [withhold their brightness; ].


text:
The Lord ·will roar like a lion from Jerusalem [roars from Zion]; his loud voice will thunder from ·that city [Jerusalem], and the ·sky [heavens] and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a ·safe place [refuge] for his people, a ·strong place of safety [stronghold] for the ·people [sons; children] of Israel.


text:
“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, live on my holy Mount Zion. Jerusalem will be a holy place, and ·strangers [foreigners] will never even go through it again [as invaders].


text:
A New Life Promised for Judah “On that day ·wine [sweet/new wine] will drip from the mountains, milk will flow from the hills [symbols of bounty and prosperity], and water will run through all the ·ravines [streambeds] of Judah. A fountain will flow from the ·Temple [house] of the Lord and give water to the valley of ·acacia trees [Shittim; perhaps a proper name; ].


text:
But Egypt will ·become empty [be desolate], and Edom an ·empty desert [deserted wilderness], because ·they were cruel [of their violence] to the ·people [sons; descendants] of Judah. They ·killed innocent people [shed innocent blood] in that land.


text:
But ·there will always be people living in Judah [Judah will be inhabited forever], and ·people will live in Jerusalem from now on [Jerusalem from generation to generation].


text:
·Egypt and Edom killed my people, so I will definitely punish them [I will avenge/punish their blood, which I have not yet avenged/punished].” The Lord ·lives [dwells] in Jerusalem!


text:
These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds from the town of Tekoa [a small town in the highlands of Judah, ten miles south of Jerusalem]. ·He saw this vision about […which he saw concerning] Israel two years before the earthquake []. ·It was at the time […in the days when] Uzziah was king of Judah [ruled 769–733 bc] and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel [ruled 800–784 bc].


text:
Amos said, “The Lord will roar [] from ·Jerusalem [Zion; the location of the Temple]; he ·will send his voice [or thunders; bellows; gives his voice] from Jerusalem. The pastures of the shepherds will ·become dry [or mourn], and even the top of Mount Carmel [] will ·dry up [wither].”


text:
Israel’s Neighbors Are Punished The People of Aram This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Damascus, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. They ·drove over [beat down; threshed] the people of Gilead with threshing boards ·that had iron teeth [of iron].


text:
So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael [the royal dynasty of Syria (Aram), founded by Hazael (842–796 bc); ] that will destroy the strong towers of Ben-Hadad [either Hazael’s predecessor (whom he assassinated), or Hazael’s son, who took the same name].


text:
I will break down the bar of the gate to Damascus [the huge beam used to lock the gate] and destroy the ·king who is in [or the inhabitants of; the one who sits/dwells in] the Valley of ·Aven [or Wickedness; ], as well as the ·leader [one who holds the scepter] of Beth Eden [either Bit Adini, a city-state near the Euphrates, or a mocking name for Damascus, meaning “city of delight”]. The people of ·Aram [Syria] will be taken captive to the country of Kir [where the Syrians originated (); ironically, they would return there as captives; ],” says the Lord.


text:
The People of Philistia This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Gaza, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. They sold ·all the people of one area [whole communities] ·as slaves [into captivity] to Edom.


text:
So I will send a fire on the walls of Gaza that will ·destroy [devour; consume] the city’s ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].


text:
I will destroy the ·king [or inhabitants; the one who sits; ] of the city of Ashdod, as well as the ·leader [one who holds the scepter] of Ashkelon. Then I will turn [my hand] against ·the people of the city of Ekron [Ekron], and the ·last [rest; remnant] of the Philistines will ·die [perish],” says the Lord God.


text:
The People of Phoenicia This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; , ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Tyre, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. They sold ·all the people of one area [whole communities] ·as slaves to Edom [into captivity], and they forgot the ·agreement among relatives they had made with Israel [covenant/treaty of brotherhood].


text:
So I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will ·destroy [devour; consume] the city’s ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].”


text:
The People of Edom This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; , , ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Edom, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. ·They hunted down their relatives, the Israelites, [He pursued his brother; Esau (Edom) was the brother of Jacob/Israel and so the Israelites were related to the Edomites] with the sword, ·showing them no mercy [or wiping out their allies; or destroying their women]. ·They were angry all the time [His anger raged unceasingly] and ·kept on being very angry [he preserved his wrath forever].


text:
So I will send fire on the city of Teman that will even ·destroy [consume; devour] the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Bozrah [the whole country; Teman was in northern Edom and Bozrah in the south].”


text:
The People of Ammon This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; , , , ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Ammon, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. They ripped open the pregnant women in Gilead ·so they could take over that land and make their own country larger [to enlarge their borders].


text:
So I will send fire on the city wall of Rabbah that will ·destroy [consume; devour] its ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces]. ·It will come during [Amid shouting/war cries on] a day of battle, during a stormy day with ·strong winds [a whirlwind].


text:
Then their king will be taken ·captive [into exile]; he and his ·leaders [officials; princes] will all be taken away together,” says the Lord.


text:
The People of Moab This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; , , , , ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Moab, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. They burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime [desecrating a tomb was a serious offense in the ancient Near East].


text:
So I will send fire on Moab that will ·destroy [consume; devour] the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of the city of Kerioth. ·The people of Moab [Moab] will die in a great ·noise [uproar; tumult], in the middle of ·the sounds of war [shouting; war cries] and trumpets.


text:
So I will ·bring an end to [destroy; cut off] the king of Moab, and I will kill all its ·leaders [officials; princes] with him,” says the Lord.


text:
The People of Judah This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Judah, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. They rejected the ·teachings [law; Torah] of the Lord and did not ·keep [guard] his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements]; they ·followed the same gods [or have been led astray by the same lies] as their ·ancestors [fathers] had followed.


text:
So I will send fire on Judah, and it will ·destroy [consume; devour] the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Jerusalem.”


text:
Israel Is Punished This is what the Lord says: “For ·the many [three, even four; ] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Israel, I will ·punish them [not turn back/grant a reprieve]. For silver, they sell ·people who have done nothing wrong [the innocent/righteous]; they sell the ·poor [needy] to buy a pair of sandals.


text:
They ·walk [trample] on ·poor people [the heads of the poor] as if they were ·dirt [the dust of the ground/earth], and they ·refuse to be fair to [deny justice to; or push away] those who are ·suffering [afflicted]. Fathers and sons ·have sexual relations with [go in to] the same woman, and so they ·ruin [defile; profane] my holy name.


text:
·As they worship at their altars [Beside every altar], they lie down on clothes taken ·from the poor [in pledge; as collateral for a debt; ]. They fine people, and with that money they buy wine to drink in the house of their god.


text:
“But it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them, who were tall like cedar trees and as strong as oaks— I destroyed ·them completely [their fruit above and roots below].


text:
It was I who brought you from the land of Egypt and led you for forty years through the ·desert [wilderness] ·so I could give you [to possess] the land of the Amorites.


text:
I made some of your children to be prophets and some of your young people to be Nazirites []. ·People [Sons/Children] of Israel, isn’t this true?” says the Lord.


text:
“But you made the Nazirites drink wine [violating their vows; ] and ·told [commanded] the prophets not to prophesy.


text:
Now I ·will make you get stuck [or will crush/press you down; or am burdened by you], as a wagon loaded with grain ·gets stuck [or is weighed/pressed down].


text:
No one will ·escape [find refuge], not even the fastest runner. Strong people will not be strong enough; warriors will not be able to save themselves.


text:
Soldiers with bows and arrows will not ·stand and fight [hold their ground], and even fast runners will not get away; soldiers on horses will not escape alive.


text:
Warning to Israel Listen to this word that the Lord has spoken against you, ·people [sons; children] of Israel, against the whole family he brought out of Egypt.


text:
“I have ·chosen [known; selected for a special relationship] only you out of all the families of the earth, so I will punish you for all your sins.”


text:
·Two people will not [Can two…?] walk together unless they have agreed ·to do so [or to meet; or on the direction].


text:
·A lion in the forest does not [Does a lion in the forest…?] roar unless it has caught ·an animal [its prey]; ·it does not [does a young lion…?] growl in its den when it has caught nothing.


text:
·A bird will not [Does a bird…?] fall into a trap where there is no bait; ·the trap will not [does the trap…?] spring shut if there is nothing to catch.


text:
When a trumpet ·blows a warning [sounds] in a city, [do not…?] the people tremble. When ·trouble [disaster] comes to a city, ·the Lord has [has not the Lord…?] caused it.


text:
The lion has roared [a symbol of coming judgment]! Who wouldn’t be afraid? The Lord God has spoken. Who will not prophesy?


text:
Announce this to the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Ashdod [a city in Philistia] and to the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Egypt: “·Come to [Assemble yourselves on] the mountains of Samaria, where you will see great ·confusion [chaos; tumult] and ·people hurting others [oppression in her midst].”


text:
“The people don’t know how to do what is right,” says the Lord. “Their ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] are filled with ·treasures they took by force from others [the spoils of violence and robbery].”


text:
So this is what the Lord God says: “An enemy will ·take over [overrun; or encircle] the land and pull down your strongholds; he will ·take the treasures out of [plunder] your ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].”


text:
This is what the Lord says: “A shepherd might save from a lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a scrap of an ear of his sheep. In the same way only a few Israelites in Samaria will be saved— ·people who now sit on their beds and on their couches [or only a corner of a bed or a part of a couch will be saved].”


text:
“Listen and ·be witnesses [testify] against the family of Jacob [Israel],” says the Lord God, the God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
“·When [On the day] I punish Israel for their sins, I will also destroy the altars at Bethel [an important worship center in Israel; ]. The ·corners [horns] of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground.


text:
I will tear down the winter house, together with the summer house. The houses ·decorated with [or filled with; of] ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will ·come to an end [or be swept away],” says the Lord.


text:
Israel Will Not Return Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan on the Mountain of Samaria [mocking the wealthy women of Samaria]. You ·take things from [oppress] the poor and crush people who are in need. Then you command your husbands, “Bring us something to drink!”


text:
The Lord God has ·promised [sworn] this: “Just as surely as I am a holy God, the time will come when you will be taken away ·by hooks [or in baskets], and what is left of you with fishhooks.


text:
You will go straight out of the city through ·holes [breaches] in the walls, and you will be thrown ·on the garbage dump [on the dung heap; or out toward Harmon],” says the Lord.


text:
“Come to the city of Bethel and ·sin [rebel; transgress]; come to Gilgal and ·sin [rebel; transgress] even more [Bethel and Gilgal were important worship centers in Israel]. Offer your sacrifices every morning, and bring ·one-tenth of your crops [your tithes] every three days.


text:
Offer bread made with yeast as a sacrifice to show your thanks, and ·brag about [publicly announce] the ·special [voluntary; freewill] offerings you bring, because this is what you love to do, ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel],” says the Lord God.


text:
“I ·did not give you any food [gave you cleanness of teeth; an idiom meaning “empty stomachs” and indicating starvation] in your cities, and there was not enough to eat in any of your towns, but you did not come back to me,” says the Lord.


text:
“I held back the rain from you three months before harvest time. Then I let it rain on one city but not on another. Rain fell on one field, but another field got none and dried up.


text:
·People weak from thirst went from town to town [Two or three cities wandered to one] for water, but they could not get enough to drink. Still you did not come back to me,” says the Lord.


text:
“I ·made your crops die from [struck you with] ·disease [blight] and mildew. When your gardens and your vineyards got larger, locusts ·ate [devoured] your fig and olive trees. But still you did not come back to me,” says the Lord.


text:
“I sent ·disasters [a plague/pestilence] against you, as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with swords, and your horses were taken from you. I made ·you smell the stink from all the dead bodies [the stench of your camp rise into your nostrils], but still you did not come back to me,” says the Lord.


text:
“I ·destroyed [overthrew] some of you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah []. You were like a burning stick pulled from a fire, but still you did not come back to me,” says the Lord.


text:
“So this is what I will do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, get ready to meet your God, Israel.”


text:
[For look/behold] He is the one who ·makes [forms] the mountains and creates the wind and makes his thoughts known to people. He changes the dawn into darkness and ·walks [treads; marches] ·over the mountains [on the heights] of the earth. His name is the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
Israel Needs to Repent Listen to this ·funeral song [dirge; word of lamentation] that I ·sing about [or take up against] you, ·people [house] of Israel.


text:
“The ·young girl [virgin] Israel has fallen, and she will not rise up again. She was ·left alone [abandoned; forsaken] in her own land, and there is no one to ·help [raise; lift] her up.”


text:
This is what the Lord God says: “If a thousand soldiers leave a city, only a hundred will ·return [or remain]; if a hundred soldiers leave a city, only ten will ·return [or remain].”


text:
But do not ·look in [seek] Bethel [ironic, since Bethel means “house of God”; ] or go to Gilgal, and do not go down to Beersheba [important centers of worship in Israel; ]. The people of Gilgal will ·be taken away as captives [surely go into exile], and Bethel will become nothing.”


text:
·Come to [Seek] the Lord and live, or he will ·move [sweep through; rush] like fire against the ·descendants [house] of Joseph. The fire will ·burn [consume; devour] Bethel [], and there will be no one to ·put it out [quench it].


text:
You turn justice ·upside down [into bitterness/or wormwood; a bitter plant; ], and you throw on the ground ·what is right [rightousness; justice].


text:
·God is the one [He] who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion; he changes darkness into the morning light, and the day into dark night. He calls for the waters of the sea to pour out on the ·earth [surface/face of the earth]. The Lord is his name.


text:
He ·destroys [brings ruin upon; flashes destruction on] the protected city; he ·ruins [destroys] the strong, walled city.


text:
·You [They] hate those who ·speak in court against evil [rebuke/reprove at the gate; where court was held], and ·you [they] ·can’t stand [despise; detest] those who tell the truth.


text:
You ·walk [trample; or levy a tax] on poor people, ·forcing them to give you [imposing a tax on their] grain. You have built fancy houses of cut stone, but you will not live in them. You have planted ·beautiful [pleasant] vineyards, but you will not drink the wine from them [].


text:
I know your many ·crimes [trangressions], your ·terrible [numerous; great] sins. You ·hurt [oppress] ·people who do right [the righteous/innocent], you take ·money to do wrong [bribes], and you keep the poor from getting justice in ·court [the gate; ].


text:
·Try to do [Seek] good, not evil, so that you will live, and the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] will be with you just as you ·say [claim] he is.


text:
Hate evil and love good; ·be fair in the courts [establish justice in the gate; ]. Maybe the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] will ·be kind to [have mercy on; be gracious to] the ·people of Joseph who are left alive [remnant of Joseph; a reference to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons), representing the northern kingdom].


text:
This is what the Lord, the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], says: “People will be ·crying [wailing] in all the streets; they will be saying, ‘Oh, no!’ in the public places. They will call the farmers to ·come and weep [mourning] and ·will pay people [those who know lamentation; professional mourners paid to weep] to ·cry out loud [wail] for them.


text:
People will be ·crying [wailing] in all the vineyards, because I will pass ·among you to punish you [through your midst; as the angel of death passed through Egypt ()],” says the Lord.


text:
The Lord’s Day of Judging ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] you who want the ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord] to come. Why do you want that day to come? It will bring darkness for you, not light.


text:
It will be like someone who runs from a lion and meets a bear, or like someone who goes into his house and ·puts [leans] his hand on the wall, and then is bitten by a snake.


text:
So the ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord] will bring darkness, not light; it will be ·very dark [deep gloom], not ·light at all [brightness].


text:
The Lord says, “I ·hate and reject [despise] your ·feasts [religious festivals]; I ·cannot stand [take no delight in] your ·religious meetings [sacred assemblies].


text:
If you offer me burnt offerings [] and ·grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], I won’t accept them. You bring your best ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [] of fattened cattle, but I will ·ignore [have no regard for] them [].


text:
Take ·the noise of your songs [or your noisy songs] away from me! I won’t listen to the music of your ·harps [stringed instruments].


text:
But let justice ·flow [roll] like a river, and let ·goodness [righteousness; justice] flow like a ·never-ending [ever-flowing] stream.


text:
“·People [House] of Israel, you did not bring me sacrifices and offerings while you traveled in the desert for forty years.


text:
You have ·carried with you [lifted up] ·your king, the god Sakkuth [or the shrine of your idol-king], ·and Kaiwan your idol [or the pedestal of your idols; either names of Mesopotamian star gods, or general terms for idols], the star gods you have made for yourselves.


text:
So I will send you ·away as captives [into exile] beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
Israel Will Be Destroyed ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] those who ·have an easy life [are complacent/at ease] in Jerusalem, for those who feel ·safe living [secure] on Mount Samaria. You think you are ·the important people [notable/renowned men] of the ·best nation in the world [first among the nations]; the ·Israelites [house of Israel] come to you for help.


text:
Go look at the city of Calneh, and from there go to the great city Hamath [Aramean city-states under the control of Israel]; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. ·You are no better than these kingdoms [Are they better than your kingdoms?]. ·Your land is no larger than theirs [Is their territory greater than yours?].


text:
You put off the ·day of punishment [day of disaster/doom; evil day], but you ·bring near [establish] ·the day when you can do evil to others [a reign of terror; the seat of violence].


text:
You lie on beds ·decorated with ivory [of ivory] and stretch out on your couches. You eat ·tender lambs [lambs from the flock] and ·fattened calves [calves from the midst of the stall].


text:
You ·make up songs [or strum away; or sing idly] on your ·harps [stringed instruments], and, like David, you ·compose [or improvise] songs on musical instruments.


text:
You drink wine by the bowlful and ·use [anoint yourselves with] the ·best perfumed lotions [finest oils]. But you ·are not sad [do not grieve; are unconcerned] over the ruin of Israel,


text:
so you will be some of the first ones ·taken as slaves [to go into exile]. Your ·feasting and lying around [reclining at banquets] will come to an end.


text:
The Lord God ·made this promise [has sworn by himself]; the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “I ·hate [abhor] the pride of ·the Israelites [Jacob], and I ·hate [detest] their ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces], so I will ·let the enemy take [deliver up] the city and everything in it.”


text:
·At that time there might be only [If there are] ten people left alive in just one house, but they will also die.


text:
When the relatives come to take the bodies out of the house to ·bury them [or burn them; or anoint them for burial], one of them will call to ·the other [or any survivors] and ask, “Are there any other dead bodies with you?” That person will answer, “No.” Then the one who asked will say, “Hush! We must not say the name of the Lord.” [This could mean do not say the Lord’s name lest he return with more judgment, or do not pronounce a eulogy using the Lord’s name on those already judged by God, or do not acknowledge the Lord because of resentment of his judgment.]


text:
The Lord has given the command; the large house will be ·broken [smashed] into pieces, and the small house into bits.


text:
·Horses do not [Can horses…?] run on rocks, and ·people do not [can people…?] plow ·rocks [or the sea] with oxen. But you have changed ·fairness [justice] into poison; you have changed ·what is right [the fruit of righteousness] into ·a bitter taste [wormwood; ].


text:
You ·are happy that the town of Lo Debar was captured [rejoiced over Lo Debar; a town across the Jordan whose name means “nothing,” mocking Israel’s conquest of it as insignificant], and you say, “We have taken Karnaim [another insignificant town across the Jordan conquered by the Israelites] by our own strength.”


text:
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “·Israel [House of Israel], I will bring a nation against you that will ·make your people suffer [oppress you] from Lebo Hamath [in the far north] to the valley ·south of the Dead Sea [of the Arabah; in the far south; ; Israel had oppressed others, but would now be oppressed].”


text:
The Vision of Locusts This is what the Lord God showed me: He was forming a swarm of locusts, after the ·king had taken his share of the first crop [king’s harvest/mowing] and the ·second [late] crop had just begun growing [the second of two agricultural seasons; vegetables planted to coincide with the spring rains].


text:
When the locusts ate all the ·crops [vegetation; grass] in the country, I said, “Lord God, forgive us. How could ·Israel [Jacob] ·live through this [stand]? It is too small already!”


text:
The Vision of Fire This is what the Lord God showed me: [Look; Behold] The Lord God was calling for ·fire to come down like rain [or a judgment of fire]. It burned up the ·deep water [great deep; deep abyss] and ·was going to burn up [consumed; devoured] the land.


text:
Then I cried out, “Lord God, stop! How could ·Israel [Jacob] ·live through this [stand]? It is too small already.”


text:
The Vision of the Plumb Line This is what he showed me: The Lord stood by a ·straight wall [wall built with a plumb line], with a plumb line in his hand.


text:
The Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “·See [Behold], I will put a plumb line among my people Israel [to show how crooked they are]. I will not ·look the other way [spare them; pass by them] any longer.


text:
“·The places where Isaac’s descendants worship [The high places of Isaac; places of pagan worship] will be destroyed, Israel’s ·holy places [sanctuaries] will be turned into ruins, and I will ·attack [rise up against] King Jeroboam’s ·family [house] with the sword.”


text:
Amaziah Speaks Against Amos Amaziah, a priest at Bethel [], sent this message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is ·making evil plans [conspiring] against you ·with the people of Israel [or in the very heart of Israel; in the midst of the house of Israel]. ·He has been speaking so much that this land can’t hold all [This land cannot bear/endure] his words.


text:
This is what Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and the people of Israel will be taken ·as captives [into exile] out of their own country.’”


text:
Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Seer [another name for a prophet], go back right now to the land of Judah. Do your prophesying and ·earn your living [eat bread] there,


text:
but don’t prophesy anymore here at Bethel. This is the king’s ·holy place [sanctuary], and it is the ·nation’s temple [or royal palace; house of the kingdom].”


text:
Then Amos answered Amaziah, “·I do not make my living as a prophet, nor am I a member of a group of prophets [I was not a prophet nor a prophet’s son/disciple]. I ·make my living as [was] a shepherd, and ·I take care [a tender] of ·sycamore [or sycamore-fig] trees.


text:
But the Lord took me away from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’


text:
So listen to the Lord’s word. You tell me, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel, and stop ·prophesying [preaching; spouting off; dripping] against the ·descendants [house] of Isaac.’


text:
“Because you have said this, the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will ·be killed with swords [fall by the sword]. Your land will be divided ·among themselves [with a measuring line], and you will die in a ·foreign [unclean; defiled] country. The people of Israel will definitely be taken from their own land ·as captives [into exile].’”


text:
The Vision of Ripe Fruit This is what the Lord God showed me: [look; behold] a basket of summer fruit.


text:
He said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “An end [the Hebrew word for “end” sounds like the word for “summer fruit”] has come for my people Israel, because I will not ·overlook their sins [pass by them] anymore.


text:
“On that day the ·palace [or temple] songs will become ·funeral songs [wailing],” says the Lord God. “·There will be dead bodies [Many bodies/corpses] thrown everywhere! ·Silence! [or …and carried out in silence.]”


text:
Listen to me, you who ·walk on helpless people [trample the needy], you who are trying to ·destroy [do away with] the poor people of this country, saying,


text:
“When will the New Moon festival be over so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath be over so we can bring out wheat to sell? We can ·give them less [make the ephah small; a unit of dry measure] and ·charge them more [the shekel great; a unit of money], and we can change the scales to cheat the people.


text:
We will buy poor people for silver, and needy people for a pair of sandals []. We will even sell the ·wheat that was swept up from the floor [chaff of the wheat].”


text:
The Lord has sworn by ·his name, the Pride of Jacob [or the arrogance of Jacob], “I will never forget everything that these people did.


text:
The whole ·land [or earth] will shake because of it, and everyone who lives in the land will ·cry for those who died [mourn]. The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be ·shaken [stirred/heaved up], and then it will ·fall [sink; subside] like the Nile River in Egypt [the Nile flooded its banks each year].”


text:
The Lord God says: “·At that time [In that day] I will cause the sun to go down at noon and make the earth dark ·on a bright day [in broad daylight].


text:
I will change your festivals into ·days of crying for the dead [mourning], and all your songs will become ·songs of sadness [dirges; lamentation; weeping]. I will ·make all of you wear rough cloth to show your sadness [put sackcloth on every waist]; ·I will make you shave your heads as well […and baldness on every head]. I will make it like ·a time of crying [mourning] for the death of an only son, and its end like the end of an ·awful [bitter] day.”


text:
The Lord God says: “[Look; Behold] The days are coming when I will ·cause a time of hunger in [send a famine throughout] the land. ·The people will not be hungry for bread or thirsty for water [… not a famine of food or a thirst for water], but ·they will be hungry for words from [for hearing the words of] the Lord.


text:
They will ·wander [or stagger] from the ·Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea [sea to sea; across the whole land], from the north to the east. They will ·search for [run to and fro seeking] the word of the Lord, but they won’t find it.


text:
·At that time [In that day] the beautiful ·young women [virgins] and the young men will ·become weak [faint] from thirst.


text:
They ·make promises [swear oaths] by the ·idol in [sin of] Samaria and say, ‘As surely as the god of Dan lives … []’ and, ‘As surely as the ·god of [way to; perhaps the pilgrimage route to the pagan worship there] Beersheba lives, we promise….’ [Dan was the city farthest north in Israel and Beersheba farthest south.] So they will fall and never get up again.”


text:
Israel Will Be Destroyed I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: “·Smash [Strike] the top of the pillars so that even the ·bottom of the doors [thresholds] will shake. ·Make the pillars fall [Strike/Shatter them] on the people’s heads; anyone left alive I will kill with a sword. Not one person will get away; no one will escape.


text:
If they dig down ·as deep as the place of the dead [or into the depths of the earth; into Sheol], ·I [My hand] will pull them up from there. If they climb up into heaven, I will bring them down from there.


text:
If they hide at the top of Mount Carmel, I will ·find them [hunt them down] and ·take them away [seize them]. If they try to hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command ·a snake [or the serpent; perhaps the mythological beast symbolic of chaos] to bite them.


text:
If they are ·captured and taken away [driven into exile] by their enemies, I will command the sword to ·kill [slay] them. I will ·keep watch over them [fix my eyes on them], but ·I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good [for evil/harm, not for good/prosperity].”


text:
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] touches the land, and the land ·shakes [dissolves; melts]. Then everyone who lives in the land ·cries for the dead [mourns]. The whole ·land [or earth] rises like the Nile River and ·falls [sinks; subsides] like the river of Egypt [].


text:
The Lord builds his ·upper rooms [or steps] ·above the skies [in the heavens]; he sets their foundations on the earth. He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the ·land [face of the earth/land; as rain]. The Lord is his name.


text:
The Lord says, “Israel, you are no different to me than the people of Cush [Ethiopia]. ·I brought [Did I not bring…?] Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from ·Crete [Caphtor], and the Arameans [Syrians] from Kir.


text:
[Look; Behold] I, the Lord God, am watching the sinful kingdom [Israel]. I will destroy it from ·off [the face of] the earth, but I will not completely destroy ·Jacob’s descendants [the house of Jacob],” says the Lord.


text:
“[For look/behold] I am giving the command to ·scatter [shake] the nation of Israel among all nations. It will be like someone shaking grain through a ·strainer [sieve], but not even a ·tiny stone [pebble; or kernel of grain] falls ·through [to the ground].


text:
All the sinners among my people will die by the sword— those who say, ‘·Nothing bad will happen to us [Disaster will not approach and meet us].’


text:
The Lord Promises to Restore Israel In that day I will ·restore [rebuild; raise up] the ·tent [hut; shack; referring to the weakened state of the Davidic dynasty] of David that has fallen, and ·mend [repair] its broken places. I will ·rebuild [restore; raise up] its ruins as it was ·before [in days long ago/of antiquity].


text:
Then Israel ·will take over [possess; conquer] ·what is left [the remnant] of Edom and the other nations that ·belong to me [are called by my name],” says the Lord, who will make it happen.


text:
The Lord says, “The time is coming when there will be all kinds of food. ·People will still be harvesting crops when it’s time to plow again [The plowman will overtake the reaper]. ·People will still be taking the juice from grapes when it’s time to plant again […and the treader of grapes (will overtake) the one who sows the seed]. Wine will drip from the mountains and pour from the hills [symbols of great prosperity].


text:
I will bring my people Israel back from ·captivity [exile]; they will build the ruined cities again, and they will live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they will plant ·gardens [or orchards] and eat their fruit.


text:
I will plant my people on their land, and they will not be ·pulled out again [uprooted] from the land which I have given them,” says the Lord your God.


text:
The Lord Will Punish the Edomites This is the vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord God says about Edom [the Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother (); they were often in conflict with Israel]: We have heard a ·message [report] from the Lord. A ·messenger [envoy] has been sent among the nations, saying, “·Attack [Rise up]! Let’s go ·attack [rise to battle against] Edom!”


text:
The Lord Speaks to the Edomites “·Soon [Look; Behold] I will make you ·the smallest of [or weak among the] nations. You will be greatly ·hated [despised] by everyone.


text:
Your pride has ·fooled [deceived] you, you who live in the ·hollow places of the cliff [clefts of the rock]. Your home is ·up high [on the heights], you who say to yourself, ‘·No one can [Who can…?] bring me down to the ground.’


text:
Even if you ·fly high [soar] like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.


text:
“You will really be ·ruined [cut off]! If thieves came to you, if ·robbers [plunderers] came by night, they would steal only enough for themselves. If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines, they would leave ·a few behind [some for the poor; the gleanings].


text:
But you, Edom, will ·really lose everything [be cleaned/searched out]! People will find all your hidden treasures!


text:
All ·the people who are your friends [your allies; the people of your covenant/treaty] will force you ·out of the land [to the border]. The people ·who are at peace with you [or who promised you peace; of your peace] will ·trick [deceive] you and ·defeat [overpower] you. Those who eat your bread [indicating fellowship and friendship] with you now are planning a trap for you, and you will ·not notice it [be taken by surprise; have no understanding].”


text:
The Lord says, “On that day I will surely destroy the wise people from Edom, and those with understanding from the mountains of Edom.


text:
Then, city of Teman, your ·best warriors [mighty men] will be ·afraid [dismayed], and everyone from the mountains of Edom will be ·killed [cut down in the slaughter].


text:
You did violence to your ·relatives, the Israelites [brother Jacob; ; ], so you will be covered with shame and destroyed forever.


text:
You stood ·aside without helping [aloof] ·while [on the day] strangers carried Israel’s ·treasures [wealth; or army] away. When foreigners entered Israel’s city gate and threw lots to decide ·what part of Jerusalem they would take [for Jerusalem], you were like one of them.


text:
Commands That Edom Broke “Edom, ·do not laugh at [or you should not have gloated over] your ·brother Israel [brother] in his time of ·trouble [misfortune] or ·be happy [rejoice] about the ·people [sons; descendants] of Judah ·when they are destroyed [on the day of destruction]. Do not ·brag [boast; act with arrogance] ·when cruel things are done to them [on the day of distress].


text:
Do not enter the city gate of my people [to plunder their goods] in their ·time [day] of ·trouble [disaster; the Hebrew word for “trouble” sounds like Edom] or ·laugh at their problems [gloat over them] in their ·time [day] of ·trouble [disaster]. Do not ·take their treasures [loot their wealth] in their ·time [day] of ·trouble [disaster].


text:
Do not stand at the crossroads to ·destroy [cut off] ·those who are trying to escape [their fugitives]. Do not capture ·those who escape alive [their survivors] and turn them over to their enemy in their ·time [day] of ·trouble [adversity].


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The Nations Will Be Judged “The ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord] is ·coming soon [near] to all the nations. ·The same evil things you did to other people [As you have done] ·will happen [it will be done] to you; ·they [recompense; reprisal] will come back upon your own head.


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Because you drank in my ·Temple [holy mountain], all the nations will drink ·on and on [continually]. They will drink and ·drink [swallow] ·until they disappear [and be as though they were not].


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But on Mount Zion ·some will escape the judgment [there will be escape], and it will be a holy place. The ·people [house] of Jacob will ·take back their land from those who ·took it from them [possess their possessions].


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The ·people [house] of Jacob will be like a fire and the ·people [house] of Joseph [the Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons, Jacob’s grandsons), representing the northern kingdom] like a flame. But the ·people [house] of Esau [the Edomites] will be like ·dry stalks [stubble]. The ·people [house] of Jacob will set them on fire and burn them up. There will be no ·one left [survivors] of the ·people [house] of Esau.” ·This will happen because [For] the Lord has said it.


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·Then God’s people will regain southern Judah from Edom; they will take back [The Negev shall possess] the mountains of ·Edom [Esau]. ·They will take back the western hills from [The Shephelah/foothills shall possess] the Philistines. They will ·regain [possess] the ·lands [fields] of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will ·take over [possess] Gilead [east of the Jordan River].


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·People from [This host of the sons/children of] Israel who once were ·forced to leave their homes [exiled] will take the land of the Canaanites, all the way to Zarephath [in Phoenicia in the far northeast]. ·People from Judah who once were forced to leave Jerusalem and [The exiles of Jerusalem who] live in Sepharad [unknown location, perhaps Sardis (in present-day Turkey)] will take back the cities of ·southern Judah [the Negev].


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·Powerful warriors [Deliverers; Saviors; or Those who have been rescued/delivered] will go up on Mount Zion, where they will rule ·the people living on Edom’s mountains [Mount Esau]. And the kingdom will belong to the Lord.


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“Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh [the capital of Assyria; , ; ], and ·preach [cry out] against it, because ·I see the evil things they do [its wickedness has come to my attention/up before me].”


text:
But Jonah got up to run away from the Lord by going to Tarshish [probably Tartessos in southwest Spain, the opposite direction from Nineveh]. He went to the city of Joppa, where he found a ship that was going to the city of Tarshish. Jonah paid for the trip and went aboard, planning to go to Tarshish to run away from the Lord.


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But the Lord ·sent [hurled] a great wind on the sea, which made the sea so stormy that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.


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The sailors were afraid, and each man cried to his own god. They began throwing the cargo from the ship into the sea to make the ship lighter. But Jonah had gone down far inside the ship to lie down, and he fell fast asleep.


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The captain of the ship came and said, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray to your god! Maybe your god will ·pay attention to [take notice of] us, and we won’t die!”


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Then the men said to each other, “Let’s throw lots to see who caused these troubles to happen to us.” When they threw lots, the lot ·showed that the trouble had happened because of [singled out; fell upon] Jonah.


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Then they said to him, “Tell us, who caused our trouble? What is your job? Where do you come from? What is your country? Who are your people?”


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Then Jonah said to them, “I am a Hebrew. I ·fear [worship] the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land [].”


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The men were very afraid, and they asked Jonah, “What terrible thing did you do?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord because he had told them.)


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Since the wind and the waves of the sea were becoming much stronger, they said to him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”


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Jonah said to them, “Pick me up, and throw me into the sea, and then it will calm down. I know it is my fault that this great storm has come on you.”


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Instead, the men ·tried [dug in] to row the ship back to the land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming more stormy.


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Jonah’s Punishment So the men cried to the Lord, “Lord, please don’t let us die because of this man’s life; please don’t ·think we are [hold us] guilty of ·killing an innocent person [innocent blood]. Lord, you have caused all this to happen; you wanted it this way.”


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Then they began to fear the Lord very much; they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made ·promises [vows] to him.


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The Lord ·caused [appointed; provided] a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was ·inside [in the belly of] the fish three days and three nights.


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“When I was in ·danger [distress], I called to the Lord, and he answered me. ·I was about to die [From the belly of Sheol; the place of the dead], so I cried to you, and you heard my voice.


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You threw me into the ·sea [ocean depths; deep], down, down into the ·deep [heart of the] sea. The ·water [flood] ·was all around [engulfed] me, and your ·powerful [surging; billowing] waves ·flowed [swept] over me.


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I said, ‘I was ·driven out of your presence [banished from your sight], ·but I hope to see [yet I will look toward] your Holy Temple again.’


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The waters of the sea closed around my ·throat [or soul]. The deep sea ·was all around [surrounded; closed in on] me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.


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When I ·went [sank] down to ·where the mountains of the sea start to rise [the roots of the mountains], ·I thought I was locked in this prison [the earth’s bars held me] forever, but you ·saved me [brought up my life] from the pit of death, Lord my God.


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“When my life ·had almost gone [was slipping/fainting away], I remembered the Lord. ·I prayed [My prayer went up] to you, ·and you heard my prayers in [in] your Holy Temple.


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“People who ·worship [cling to] ·useless [worthless; false] idols ·give up their loyalty to you [or forfeit the mercy/lovingkindness that is theirs].


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But ·I will praise and thank you while I [with a voice of thanksgiving I will] give sacrifices to you, and I will ·keep my promises to you [pay what I have vowed]. Salvation comes from the Lord!”


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God Calls and Jonah Obeys The ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to Jonah ·again [a second time] and said,


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So Jonah obeyed the Lord and got up and went to Nineveh. It was a very large city; just to walk ·across it [or through it all] took a person three days.


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After Jonah had entered the city and walked for one day, he preached to the people, saying, “After forty days, Nineveh will be ·destroyed [overthrown]!”


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The people of Nineveh believed God. They ·announced that they would fast [called for/decreed a fast], and they put on ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth; to show their sorrow and repentance]. All the people in the city did this, from the ·most important to the least important [greatest to the least].


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When the king of Nineveh heard this news, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, and covered himself with ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth] and sat in ashes [to show sorrow and repentance].


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He ·sent this announcement [issued a proclamation] through Nineveh: By ·command [the decree] of the king and his ·important men [nobles]: No person or animal, herd or flock, will be allowed to taste anything. Do not let them eat food or drink water.


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But every person and animal should be covered with ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth], and people should ·cry loudly [pray earnestly] to God. Everyone must turn away from evil living and stop doing ·harm [violence] all the time.


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Who knows? Maybe God will ·change his mind [relent]. Maybe he will ·stop being angry [turn from his fierce anger], and then we will not ·die [perish].


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When God saw what the people did, that they stopped doing evil, he ·changed his mind [relented] and did not carry out the ·destruction [disaster; punishment] he had threatened.


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He prayed to the Lord, “When I was still in my own country ·this is [isn’t this…?] what I said would happen, and that is why I quickly ran away to Tarshish []. I knew that you are a God who is ·kind [gracious] and ·shows mercy [compassionate]. ·You don’t become angry quickly […slow to anger], and you ·have great love [abound in lovingkindness/mercy; ]. I knew you would ·choose not to cause [relent from doing] harm.


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Jonah went out and sat down east of the city. There he made a shelter for himself and sat in the shade, waiting to see what would happen to the city.


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The Lord made a ·plant [gourd] grow quickly up over Jonah, which gave him shade and ·helped him to be more comfortable [eased his discomfort]. Jonah was very pleased to have the ·plant [gourd].


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But the next day when the sun rose, God sent a worm to attack the ·plant [gourd] so that it ·died [dried up; withered].


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As the sun rose higher in the sky, God sent a very hot east wind to blow, and the sun ·became so hot [beat down] on Jonah’s head that he became ·very weak [faint] and wished he were dead. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”


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But God said to Jonah, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry about the ·plant [gourd]?” Jonah answered, “It is right for me to be angry! I am so angry I could die!”


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And the Lord said, “You ·are so concerned [have pity] for that ·plant [gourd] even though you did nothing to make it grow. It appeared ·one day [overnight], and ·the next day [overnight] it died.


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Then shouldn’t I ·show concern [have pity] for the great city Nineveh, which has more than one hundred twenty thousand people who do not know ·right from wrong [their right hand from their left], and ·many animals [much cattle], too?”


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Samaria and Israel to Be Punished During the time that Jotham [ruled 758–743 bc], Ahaz [ruled 743–727 bc], and Hezekiah [ruled 727–698 bc] were kings of Judah, the word of the Lord came to Micah, who was from Moresheth [a town in southern Judah]. He saw these visions about Samaria and Jerusalem.


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Hear this, all you ·nations [peoples]; listen, earth and all you who live on it. The Lord God will ·be a witness [bring charges] against you, the Lord from his Holy Temple.


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See, the Lord is coming out of his place; he is coming down to ·walk on [tread upon] the ·tops of the mountains [heights of the earth].


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The mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will ·crack open [split apart], like wax near a fire, like water running down a hillside.


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All this is because of Jacob’s ·sin [rebellion; transgression], because of the sins of the ·nation [house] of Israel. What is ·the place of Jacob’s sin [Jacob’s trangression]? Isn’t it Samaria [the capital of the northern empire]? What is Judah’s ·place of idol worship [high place; a pagan worship site]? Isn’t it Jerusalem [Judah’s sin made the temple in Jerusalem no better than a pagan temple]?


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The Lord Speaks “So I will make Samaria a ·pile [heap] of ruins in the open country, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones down into the valley and ·strip her down to [lay bare; uncover] her foundations.


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All her ·idols [carved images] will be broken into pieces; all the ·gifts to her idols [prostitute’s wages] will be burned with fire. I will ·destroy [make desolate] all her idols, and because Samaria ·earned her money [or gathered these things] by ·being unfaithful to me [prostituting herself], ·this money will be carried off by others who are not faithful to me [to the pay of the prostitute they will return; Samaria’s wealth earned through idolatry would now go to the pagan temples of Assyria—one prostitute’s wages going to another].”


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Micah’s Great Sadness I will ·moan and cry [mourn and wail] because of this evil, going around barefoot and naked. I will ·cry loudly [wail] like ·the wild dogs [jackals] and ·make sad sounds [moan] like the ·owls [or ostriches] do,


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because Samaria’s wound ·cannot be healed [is incurable]. It ·will spread [or has spread] to Judah; it ·will reach [or has reached] the city gate of my people [where the city’s affairs were conducted], all the way to Jerusalem.


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Don’t tell it in Gath [sounds like Hebrew for “tell”; Gath and the cities in this list were in Assyria’s path of destruction in 701 bc]. Don’t cry ·in Acco [or at all; the Hebrew for “cry” sounds like Acco]. Roll in the dust at Beth Ophrah [“house of dust”].


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Pass on your way, naked and ashamed, you who live in Shaphir [“beautiful” or “pleasant”]. Those who live in Zaanan [sounds like Hebrew for “come out”] won’t come out. The people in Beth Ezel [“house of nearness”] ·will cry [are in mourning], but they will not give you any support.


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Those who live in Maroth [sounds like Hebrew for “sad” or “miserable”] ·will be anxious [hope] for good news to come, because ·trouble [disaster] ·will [or has] come from the Lord, all the way to the gate of Jerusalem.


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You people living in Lachish [a large town in Judah; Lachish sounds like the Hebrew for “horse” or “steed”], harness the fastest ·horses [steeds] to the chariot. ·Jerusalem’s [Daughter of Zion’s; the location of the Temple] sins ·started in [began with] you; yes, Israel’s ·sins [transgressions; rebellion] were found in you.


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So you must give ·farewell gifts [a dowry] to Moresheth in Gath. The houses in Aczib [“deception”] ·will be false help to [or have deceived/betrayed] the kings of Israel.


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I will bring against you people who will ·take [possess; conquer] your land, you who live in Mareshah [sounds like Hebrew for “conqueror”]. The ·glory [or nobles; leaders] of Israel will go in to Adullam [perhaps to hide in its caves].


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·Cut off your hair [Shave your head; Make yourself bald; a sign of mourning or sadness] for the children ·you love [in whom you delight]. Make yourself bald like the eagle, because your children will be taken away ·to a foreign land [in exile/captivity].


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The Evil Plans of People ·How terrible it will be for people [Woe to those] who plan wickedness, who lie on their beds and make evil plans. When the morning light comes, they do what they planned, because they have the power to do so.


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They ·want [covet] fields, so they take them; they ·want [covet] houses, so they ·take them away [seize them]. They ·cheat [defraud; oppress] people to get their houses; they rob them even of their ·property [inheritance].


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That is why the Lord says: “Look, I am planning ·trouble [disaster] against such people, ·and you won’t be able to save yourselves [from which you cannot remove your necks; like a yoke]. You will no longer walk ·proudly [arrogantly], because it will be a ·terrible time [time of calamity/catastrophe/evil].


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·At that time [In that day] people will ·make fun of [ridicule; sing a taunt against] you and ·sing this sad song [lament with a lamentation] about you: ‘We are completely ·ruined [destroyed]; the Lord has taken away my people’s ·land [possession; inheritance]. Yes, he has taken it away from me and divided our fields among ·our enemies [renegades; or the traitors]!’”


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Micah Is Asked Not to Prophesy The ·prophets [or preachers] say, “Don’t ·prophesy [or preach] to us! Don’t ·prophesy [preach] about these things! ·Nothing to make us feel bad will happen [Disgrace/Humiliation will not overtake us]!”


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But I must say this, ·people [house] of Jacob: ·The Lord is becoming angry [or Does not the Lord grow impatient…?] about what you have done. ·My words are welcome [or Are not my words good…?] to the person who ·does what is right [walks uprightly].


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But ·you are fighting against my people like an enemy [or my people have risen up against me as an enemy]. You ·take the coats [strip off the rich robe] from people who pass by peacefully; ·you plan war [or …like men returning from war].


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You have ·forced [cast out; evicted] the women of my people from their ·nice [pleasant] houses; you have taken my glory from their children forever.


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·Get up [Arise] and leave. This is not your place of rest anymore. You have made this place ·unclean [defiled], and it is doomed to destruction.


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·But you people want a false prophet who will tell you nothing but lies [If a man, coming as wind/spirit and lies, should lie to you…]. You want one who ·promises to prophesy good things for you if you give him wine and beer [or will prophesy wine and beer for you]. He’s just the prophet for you.


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The Lord Promises to Rescue His People “Yes, ·people of Jacob [Jacob], I will ·bring [assemble] all of you together; I will bring together ·all those left alive in [the remnant of] Israel. I will put them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will be filled with ·many people [or a noisy crowd].


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Someone will ·open the way [break out] and ·lead the people out [go up before them]. The people will break through the gate and ·leave the city where they were held captive [go out]. Their king will ·go out in front of [pass through before] them, and the Lord will lead them.”


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The Leaders of Israel Are Guilty of Evil Then I said, “Listen, leaders of ·the people of Jacob [Jacob]; listen, you rulers of the ·nation [house] of Israel. ·You should [Should you not…?] know ·how to decide cases fairly [justice],


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You ·eat [devour] my people’s flesh and skin them and break their bones; you chop them up like meat for the pot, like meat in a cooking pan.


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Then they will cry to the Lord, but he won’t answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them, because what they have done is evil.”


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The Lord says this about the prophets who ·teach his people the wrong way of living [mislead/lead astray my people]: “If these prophets are given food to eat, they shout, ‘Peace!’ But if someone doesn’t ·give them what they ask for [place food in their mouths], they ·call for a holy war [declare war] against that person.


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So it will become like night for them, without visions [revelation from God will cease]. It will become dark for them, without ·any way to tell the future [divination]. The sun is about to set for the prophets; their day will become dark.


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The seers [another name for prophets] will be ashamed; the ·people who see the future [diviners] will be ·embarrassed [disgraced; humiliated]. Yes, all of them will cover their ·mouths [or lips; or faces], because there will be no answer from God.”


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Micah Is an Honest Prophet of God But I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and ·strength [might], to ·tell the people of Jacob [declare to Jacob] ·how they have turned against God [his transgression], and ·the people of Israel [Israel] how they have sinned.


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Leaders of [the house of] Jacob and rulers of [the house of] Israel, listen to me, you who hate ·fairness [justice] and ·twist [pervert; distort] what is ·right [straight].


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You build ·Jerusalem [Zion; the location of the Temple] ·by murdering people [with bloodshed]; you build it with ·evil [wickedness; iniquity].


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Its ·judges take money to decide who wins in court [rulers judge for a bribe]. Its priests only teach for ·pay [a price], and its prophets ·only look into the future when they get paid [tell fortunes/practice divination for money]. But they lean on the Lord and say, “The Lord is here with us, so ·nothing bad [no harm] will ·happen to [overtake; come upon] us.”


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[Therefore] Because of you, Jerusalem will be plowed like a field. ·The city [Zion; ] will become a ·pile of rocks [heap of rubble/ruins], and the ·hill [mountain] ·on which the Temple stands [of the house] will be ·covered with bushes [an overgrown hill; wooded heights].


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The Mountain of the Lord In the last days the mountain ·on which the Lord’s Temple stands [of the house of the Lord] will become the ·most important [head] of all mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and people from other nations will come streaming to it.


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Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the ·Temple [house] of the God of Jacob, so that he can teach us his ways, and we can ·obey his teachings [walk in his paths].” His ·teachings [instruction; law; Torah] will go out from ·Jerusalem [Zion], the word of the Lord from ·that city [Jerusalem].


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The Lord will ·judge [or arbitrate between] many nations; he will ·make decisions about [settle disputes between] strong nations that are far away. They will ·hammer [beat] their swords into ·plow blades [plowshares] and their spears into ·hooks for trimming trees [pruning hooks; ; ]. Nations will no longer raise swords against other nations; they will not train for war anymore.


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Everyone will sit under his own grapevine and fig tree [symbols of prosperity], and no one will make him afraid, because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] has said it.


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All other nations ·may follow [walk in the name of] their own gods, but we will ·follow [walk in the name of] the Lord our God forever and ever.


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The Lord says, “·At that time [In that day], I will gather the ·crippled [lame]; I will ·bring together [assemble; gather] ·those who were sent away [the outcast/exile], those whom I ·caused to have trouble [afflicted; filled with grief].


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I will ·keep alive those who were crippled [make the lame a remnant], and I will make a strong nation of those who were ·sent away [outcasts; exiles]. The Lord will ·be their king [reign over them] in Mount Zion from now on and forever.


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And you, ·watchtower of the flocks [or Migdal-eder], ·hill [or stronghold] of ·Jerusalem [Daughter Zion], to you ·will come the kingdom [dominion will be restored] as in the past. ·Jerusalem [Daughter Jerusalem], the ·right to rule [kingship; sovereignty] will come again to you.”


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Why the Israelites Must Go to Babylon Now, why do you cry so loudly? ·Is your king gone [Have you no king/King; either a human king or God]? Have you lost your ·helper [counselor; wise guide], so that you are in pain, like a woman ·trying to give birth [in labor]?


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·People of Jerusalem [Daughter Zion], ·strain and be in pain [writhe and groan]. Be like a woman ·trying to give birth [in labor], because now you must leave the city and live in the field. You will go to Babylon, but you will be ·saved [rescued] from that place. The Lord will go there and ·buy you back [redeem you] from [the hand of] your enemies.


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But now many nations have ·come to fight [gathered; assembled] against you, saying, “·Let’s destroy Jerusalem [Let her be defiled/desecrated]. We will ·look at her and be glad we have defeated [gloat over; let our eye look upon] ·her [Zion].”


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But they don’t know ·what the Lord is thinking [the thoughts of the Lord]; they don’t understand his plan. He has gathered them like ·bundles of grain [sheaves] to the threshing floor.


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“Get up and ·beat them [thresh], ·people of Jerusalem [Daughter Zion]. I will make you ·strong as if you had horns of iron [horns of iron] and hoofs of bronze. You will beat many nations into small pieces and ·give [devote; consecrate] their ·wealth [gains; spoils] to the Lord, their ·treasure [wealth] to the Lord of all the earth.”


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So, ·strong city [daughter of troops], ·gather [marshal; muster] your ·soldiers [troops] together, because we are ·surrounded and attacked [besieged]. They will ·hit [strike] the ·leader [ruler; judge] of Israel ·in the face [on the cheek] with a ·club [rod; or scepter].


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The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are ·too small to be [or small; insignificant] among the ·army groups from [clans of] Judah, from you will come one who will rule Israel for me [the Messiah; ; ; ]. ·He comes [His origins are; His goings out are] from ·very old [ancient] times, from days long ago.”


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The Lord will ·give up [abandon] his people until the one who is ·having a baby [in labor] gives birth; then the rest of his ·relatives [brothers] will return to the people of Israel.


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At that time ·the ruler of Israel [he] will stand and ·take care of his people [shepherd his flock] with the Lord’s strength and with the ·power [majesty] of the name of the Lord his God. ·The Israelites [They] will live in safety, because his greatness will reach ·all over [to the ends of] the earth.


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Rescue and Punishment He will ·bring [be] peace. ·Assyria will surely [or When the Assyrians…; or If the Assyrians should…] come into our ·country [land] and ·walk over [march through] our ·large buildings [fortresses]. We will ·set up [raise against them] seven shepherds [symbolic of completeness], eight ·leaders [princes] of the people.


text:
They will ·destroy [or rule; shepherd] the Assyrians with their swords; they will ·conquer [or rule; shepherd] the land of ·Assyria [Nimrod; a famous hunter, said to have founded Assyria; ] ·with their swords drawn [or at its gates]. They will rescue us from the Assyrians when they come into our land, when they ·walk [march] over our borders.


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Then the ·people of Jacob who are left alive [remnant of Jacob] will be ·to other [in the midst of many] people like dew from the Lord or ·rain [showers] on the grass— it does not wait for human beings; it does not pause for ·any person [the sons/children of man/Adam].


text:
·Those of Jacob’s people who are left alive [The remnant of Jacob] will be scattered among many nations and [in the midst of many] peoples. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion in a flock of sheep: As it goes, it jumps on them and tears them to pieces, and no one can ·save [rescue] them.


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So ·you will raise your fist in victory [your hand will be lifted] over your ·enemies [adversaries], and all your enemies will be ·destroyed [cut off].


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The Lord says, “·At that time [In that day], I will ·take [cut off; destroy] your horses from you and destroy your chariots.


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I will destroy the cities in your ·country [land] and tear down all your ·defenses [strongholds; fortresses].


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I will ·take away [destroy] ·the magic charms you use [your sorcery/witchcraft] so you will have no more fortune-tellers.


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I will destroy your ·statues of gods [carved images] and the stone pillars you worship so that you will no longer ·worship [bow down to] what your hands have made.


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I will ·tear down [uproot your] ·Asherah idols [Asherahs; sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah] from you and destroy your cities.


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In my anger and ·rage [wrath], I will ·pay back [seek vengeance on] the nations that have not ·listened [obeyed].”


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The Lord’s Case Now hear what the Lord says: “Get up; plead ·your [or my] case in front of the mountains; let the hills hear your ·story [voice].


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Mountains, listen to the Lord’s ·legal case [accusation; indictment]. ·Strong [Enduring] foundations of the earth, listen. The Lord has a ·legal case [accusation; indictment] against his people, and he will ·accuse [contend with] Israel.”


text:
He says, “My people, what did I do to you? How ·did I make you tired of me [have I wearied you]? ·Tell [Answer] me.


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I brought you from the land of Egypt [] and ·freed [redeemed] you from slavery; I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam [] to you.


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My people, remember the evil plans of Balak king of Moab [] and what Balaam son of Beor told Balak []. Remember what happened from Acacia to Gilgal [; ] so that you will know the ·Lord does what is right [righteousness/justice of the Lord]!”


text:
You say, “What can I bring with me when I come before the Lord, when I bow before ·God on high [the exalted God]? Should I come before him with burnt offerings [], with year-old calves?


text:
Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand ·male sheep [rams]? Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil? Should I give my ·first child [firstborn] for ·the evil I have done [my transgression]? Should I give ·my very own child [the fruit of my body] for ·my sin [the sin of my soul]?”


text:
The Lord has told you, ·human [O man], what is good; he has told you what ·he wants [the Lord requires] from you: to do what is ·right to other people [just], love ·being kind to others [mercy; lovingkindness], and ·live humbly, obeying [walk humbly with] your God.


text:
The voice of the Lord ·calls [cries out] to the city, and ·the wise person [wisdom] ·honors him [sees/acknowledges his name]. So ·pay attention [listen] to the ·rod of punishment [rod]; pay attention to the One who ·threatens to punish [appointed it].


text:
The rich people of the city ·do cruel things [are full of violence]. Its people tell lies; ·they do not tell the truth [their tongues in their mouths are deceitful].


text:
You will eat, but you won’t ·become full [be satisfied]; you will still be hungry and empty. You will store up, but save nothing, and what you store up, ·the sword will destroy [I will give to the sword].


text:
You will plant, but you won’t harvest. You will ·step on your [press; tread] olives, but you won’t ·get any oil from them [anoint yourself with oil]. You will ·crush [tread] the grapes, but you will not drink the new wine.


text:
This is because you ·obey [keep; observe] the ·laws [statutes] of King Omri [a wicked king of Israel; , ] and do all the things that Ahab’s family does [another wicked king of Israel; ; , ]; you follow their ·advice [or traditions; policies]. So I will ·let you be destroyed [make you a desolation]. The people in your city will be ·laughed at [taunted; a hissing], and other nations will ·make fun of [mock] you.


text:
The Evil That People Do ·Poor [Woe to] me! I am like a hungry man, and all the summer fruit has been picked— there are no grapes left to eat, none of the early figs I ·love [crave].


text:
All of the faithful people ·are gone [have perished from the land/earth]; there is not one ·good [upright] person left in this country. Everyone ·is waiting to kill someone [lies in wait for blood]; everyone ·is trying to trap someone else [hunts his brother with a net].


text:
With both hands they are doing evil. Rulers ask for ·money [gifts], and judges’ decisions are bought for a ·price [bribe]. ·Rich [Influential; Great] people ·tell what they want [make demands], and they get it.


text:
Even the best of them is like a ·thornbush [brier]; the most ·honest [upright] of them is worse than a ·prickly plant [thorn hedge]. The day ·that your watchmen warned you about [of your watchmen; the coming exile predicted by the prophets] has come. Now they will be confused [without the guidance of the prophets].


text:
Don’t ·believe [trust] your neighbor or ·trust [put confidence in] a friend. ·Don’t say anything [Guard the doors of your mouth], even to ·your wife [the one who lies on your bosom].


text:
A son will not honor his father, a daughter will ·turn against [defy; rise up against] her mother, and a daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law; a person’s enemies will be ·members of his own family [or the servants of his household; the men/people of his house; ].


text:
The Lord’s Kindness Israel says, “I will look to the Lord for help. I will wait for God ·to save me [my savior]; my God will hear me.


text:
Enemy, don’t ·laugh at [gloat over] me. I have fallen, but I will get up again. I sit in ·the shadow of trouble now [darkness], but the Lord will be a light for me.


text:
I sinned against the Lord, so ·he was angry with me [I will bear the wrath of the Lord], but he will ·defend my case in court [plead my case]. He will ·bring about what is right [accomplish justice] for me. Then he will bring me out into the light, and I will see ·him set things right [his righteousness/justice/vindication].


text:
Then my enemies will see this, and they will be ·ashamed [covered wth shame], those who said to me, ‘Where is the Lord your God?’ I will ·look down on [gloat over] them. They will ·get walked on [be trampled down], like mud in the street.”


text:
Israel Will Return The ·time [day] will come when your walls will be built again, when your ·country will grow [borders will be extended].


text:
·At that time [In that day] your people will come back to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the ·Euphrates River [River], and from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.


text:
The earth will be ·ruined [desolate] ·for [or because of] the people who live in it ·because [for the fruit] of their deeds.


text:
A Prayer to God So shepherd your people with your ·stick [shepherd’s staff]; tend the flock of ·people who belong to you [your inheritance/possession]. That flock now lives alone in the forest in the middle of ·a garden land [pasturelands; or Carmel]. Let them ·feed [graze] in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.


text:
When the nations see those miracles, they will ·no longer brag [be ashamed/disappointed] about their power. They will put their hands over their mouths, ·refusing to listen [and their ears will be deaf].


text:
They will ·crawl in the [lick] dust like a snake, like ·insects crawling [or serpents; crawling things] on the ground. They will come trembling from their ·holes [or strongholds] to the Lord our God and will turn in fear before you.


text:
There is no God like you. You forgive those who are guilty of sin; you ·don’t look at the sins [pass over the transgressions] of ·your people who are left alive [the remnant of your inheritance]. You will not stay angry forever, because you ·enjoy [delight in] ·being kind [mercy; lovingkindness].


text:
You will have ·mercy [compassion] on us again; you will conquer our sins. You will ·throw away [hurl; cast] all our sins into the ·deepest part [depths] of the sea.


text:
You will be ·true [faithful] to ·the people of Jacob [Jacob], and you will ·be kind [show mercy/lovingkindness] to ·the people of Abraham [Abraham] as you promised to our ·ancestors [fathers] long ago.


text:
This is the ·message [oracle; burden] for the city of Nineveh [the capital of the Assyrian empire]. This is the book of the vision of Nahum, ·who was from the town of Elkosh [the Elkoshite; of uncertain location].


text:
The Lord Is Angry with Nineveh The Lord is a ·jealous [zealous] God [; ; ; ; ] who ·punishes [avenges]; the Lord ·punishes [avenges] and is filled with ·anger [wrath]. The Lord ·punishes [takes vengeance on] ·those who are against him [his adversaries/enemies], and he ·stays angry with [or vents his wrath against] his enemies.


text:
The Lord ·does not become angry quickly [is slow to anger; ; ; ; ; ; ; ], and his power is great. The Lord will not let the guilty go unpunished. ·Where the Lord goes, there are [His way/path is in] whirlwinds and storms, and the clouds are the dust beneath his feet [God’s awesome power is seen in nature; the clouds are his chariot; ; ; ; ; ; ].


text:
He ·speaks to [rebukes] the sea and makes it dry [; ; ]; he dries up all the rivers. The areas of Bashan and Carmel dry up, and the ·flowers [blossoms] of Lebanon dry up [areas known for their lush vegetation and fertile land].


text:
The mountains ·shake [tremble] in front of him, and the hills melt. The earth ·trembles [heaves] ·when he comes [before him], the world and all who live in it.


text:
·No one [Who…?] can ·stay alive [withstand/stand before] ·when he is angry [his indignation/anger]; no one can ·survive [endure] his ·strong [fierce; burning] anger. His ·anger [wrath] is poured out like fire; the rocks ·are smashed by [crumble before] him.


text:
The Lord is good, ·giving protection [a stronghold; refuge] in ·times [the day] of trouble. He ·knows [cares for] those who trust in him.


text:
But like a ·rushing [overwhelming] flood, he will ·completely destroy [make an end of] ·Nineveh [her place; Nineveh was destroyed in 612 bc, after Nahum wrote]; he will ·chase [pursue] his enemies ·until he kills them [into darkness].


text:
The Lord will completely destroy ·anyone making plans [or whatever you plot/conspire] against him. Trouble will not come a second time.


text:
Those people will be ·like tangled [or entangled among] thorns or like people drunk from their wine; they will be ·burned up quickly [consumed] like ·dry weeds [stubble].


text:
Someone has come from ·Nineveh [you] who ·makes evil plans [plots evil] against the Lord and gives wicked ·advice [counsel; strategy].


text:
This is what the Lord says: “Although Assyria ·is strong [or has allies] and has many people, it will be ·defeated [destroyed] and ·brought to an end [pass away]. Although I have ·made you suffer, Judah [afflicted you], I will ·make you suffer [afflict you] no more.


text:
Now I will ·free you from their control [break his yoke from you] and tear away your ·chains [shackles].”


text:
The Lord has given you this command, Nineveh: “You will not have ·descendants [seed] to carry on your name. I will ·destroy [cut off] the ·idols [carved images] and metal images that are in the ·temple [house] of your gods. I will ·make [prepare] a grave for you, because you are ·wicked [vile; despicable].”


text:
Look, there on the ·hills [mountains], ·someone is [the feet of one] bringing good news []! He is announcing peace! Celebrate your ·feasts [festivals], people of Judah, and ·give your promised sacrifices to God [fulfill your vows]. The wicked will not come to attack you again; they have been completely ·destroyed [cut off].


text:
Nineveh Will Be Defeated The ·destroyer [attacker; scatterer] is coming ·to attack [against] ·you, Nineveh [you; the Babylonians and Medes destroyed Nineveh]. Guard the ·defenses [fortress; ramparts]. Watch the road. ·Get ready [Gird your loins]. Gather all your strength!


text:
·Destroyers [Plunderers] have ·destroyed [plundered] God’s people and ruined their vines, but the Lord will ·bring back [restore] Jacob’s ·greatness [splendor; majesty] like Israel’s ·greatness [splendor; majesty].


text:
The shields of his soldiers are red [either dyed red or splattered with blood]; the army is dressed in ·red [scarlet]. The metal on the chariots ·flashes like fire [shines; glistens] ·when [on the day] they are ready to attack; ·their horses are excited [or their cypress spears are brandished].


text:
The chariots ·race [storm; charge insanely] through the streets and rush back and forth through the city squares. They look like torches; they run like lightning.


text:
He [probably the king of Assyria] ·calls [or remembers] his officers, but they stumble on the way. They hurry to the city wall, and the ·shield [or siege tower] is put into place.


text:
It has been ·announced [decreed] that ·the people of Nineveh [she] will be ·captured [exiled; or stripped; exposed] and carried away. The slave girls moan like doves and beat their breasts [a sign of grief].


text:
Nineveh is like a pool, and now its water is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” the people yell, but no one turns back.


text:
·Take [Plunder] the silver! ·Take [Plunder] the gold! There is no end to the treasure— piles of wealth of every ·kind [precious/desirable thing].


text:
·Nineveh is robbed [Empty!], ·ruined [desolate!], and destroyed. ·The people lose their courage [Their hearts melt], and their knees knock. ·Stomachs ache [Bodies/Loins in anguish], and everyone’s face grows pale.


text:
Where is the lions’ den [the lion was a symbol of Assyria] and the place where they feed their young? Where did the lion, lioness, and cubs go without being afraid?


text:
The lion killed enough for his cubs, ·enough [and strangled prey] for his ·mate [lionesses]. He filled his cave with ·the animals he caught [prey]; he filled his den with ·meat he had killed [torn (flesh)].


text:
“I am against ·you, Nineveh [you],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will ·kill [devour] your young lions. I will ·stop you from hunting down others on [cut off your prey from] the earth, and your messengers’ voices will no longer be heard.”


text:
It Will Be Terrible for Nineveh ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] the city ·that has killed so many [of blood]. It is full of lies and ·goods stolen from other countries [plunder]. It is ·always killing somebody [never empty of prey].


text:
Hear the sound of whips and the ·noise [rumble; shaking] of the wheels. Hear horses galloping and chariots bouncing along!


text:
·Horses [Cavalry; Horsemen] are charging, swords are ·shining [flashing], spears are gleaming! Many are ·dead [slain]; their bodies are piled up— too many to count. People stumble over the dead bodies.


text:
·The city was like a prostitute [For her many acts of prostitution]; she was ·charming [graceful] and a ·lover of magic [mistress of sorceries]. She made nations slaves with her prostitution and her ·witchcraft [sorcery; charms].


text:
“I am against ·you, Nineveh [you],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “I will pull your dress up over your face and show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame [the punishment of a prostitute in the ancient Near East].


text:
I will throw filthy garbage on you and ·make a fool of you [treat you with contempt]. I will make ·people stare at you [you a spectacle].


text:
Everyone who sees you will ·run away [or turn away in disgust] and say, ‘Nineveh is in ruins. Who will ·cry [grieve; lament] for her?’ Nineveh, where will I find anyone to comfort you?”


text:
You are no better than ·Thebes [No Amon; meaning “city of (the god) Amon”; This capital of Upper Egypt, thought to be impregnable, was destroyed by the Assyrians in 663 bc], who sits by the Nile River with water all around her. The river was her ·defense [rampart]; the waters were like a wall around her.


text:
Cush [ancient Ethiopia or Nubia] and Egypt gave her endless strength; Put and Libya supported her [neighboring countries allied with Egypt].


text:
But Thebes was captured and went into ·captivity [exile]. Her ·small children [infants] were ·beaten to death [dashed to pieces] at every street corner. Lots were thrown for her ·important men [nobles; parceled out as slaves], and all of her ·leaders [great ones] were put in chains.


text:
You [Nineveh] will be drunk, too. You will hide; you will ·look for a place safe [seek refuge] from the enemy.


text:
All your ·defenses [fortresses] are like fig trees with ripe fruit. When the tree is shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.


text:
Look at your soldiers. They are all women [meaning helpless or physically weak]! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire has ·burned [consumed; devoured] the bars of your gates.


text:
·Get enough water before the long war begins [Draw water for the siege]. Make your defenses strong! Get mud, mix clay, ·make bricks [strengthen the brickwork]!


text:
There the fire will ·burn you up [consume/devour you]. The sword will ·kill you [cut you down]; ·like grasshoppers eating crops, the battle will completely destroy you [it will devour you like locusts]. Grow in number like ·hopping [or young] locusts; grow in number like ·swarming [or flying] locusts!


text:
Your ·traders [merchants] are more than the stars in the sky, but like locusts they ·strip the land [or shed their skin] and then fly away.


text:
Your guards are like locusts. Your officers are like swarms of locusts that ·hang [settle; encamp] on the walls on a cold day. When the sun comes up, they fly away, and no one knows where they have gone.


text:
King of Assyria, your ·rulers [shepherds] are asleep; your ·important men [nobles; officers] lie down ·to rest [or dead]. Your people have been scattered on the mountains [like sheep], and there is no one to ·bring them back [gather them].


text:
Nothing can heal your wound; your ·injury [wound] ·will not heal [is fatal]. Everyone who hears ·about you applauds [will clap their hands over you], because ·everyone has [who has not…?] felt your endless cruelty.


text:
Habakkuk Complains Lord, how long must I ·ask [cry; call] for help and you ·ignore [do not hear] me? I cry out to you ·about violence [or “Violence!”], but you do not ·save [rescue] us!


text:
Why do you make me see ·wrong things [evil; iniquity; injustice] and make me look at ·trouble [wrongdoing]? ·People are destroying things and hurting others [Destruction and violence are] in front of me; ·they are arguing and fighting [strife and conflict arise].


text:
So the ·teachings [law; instruction; Torah] are ·weak [paralyzed], and justice never comes. Evil people ·gain while good people lose [surround/hem in the righteous]; ·the judges no longer make fair decisions [so justice is perverted].


text:
The Lord Answers “Look at the nations! Watch them and be ·amazed and shocked [utterly astounded]. I will do something in your ·lifetime [days] that you won’t believe even when you are told about it.


text:
I will ·use [raise up] the ·Babylonians [Chaldeans], those ·cruel [ruthless; bitter] and ·wild [impetuous; hasty] people who march across the earth and ·take lands [seize dwellings] that don’t belong to them.


text:
They scare and ·frighten [terrify] people. ·They do what they want to do and are good only to themselves [Their justice/judgment and dignity proceed from themselves].


text:
Their horses are faster than leopards and ·quicker [fiercer] than wolves ·at sunset [of the evening]. Their ·horse soldiers [cavalry] attack quickly; they come from places far away. They attack quickly, like an ·eagle [or vulture] ·swooping down for food [swift to devour].


text:
They all come ·to fight [for violence]. ·Nothing can stop them [or …a horde moving like an east wind; or …their faces set forward]. Their prisoners are ·as many as the grains of [like] sand.


text:
They ·laugh at [mock] kings and make fun of rulers. They laugh at all the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities and build ·dirt piles to the top of the walls [earthen siege ramps] to capture them.


text:
Then they ·leave [sweep by] like the wind and move on. They are guilty of ·worshiping their own strength [making their strength their god; or ascribing their strength to their gods].”


text:
Habakkuk Complains Again Lord, ·you live forever [are you not from everlasting…?], my God, my holy God. We will not die. Lord, you ·have chosen the Babylonians to punish people [appointed them for judgment]; our Rock [], you picked them to punish.


text:
Your eyes are too ·good [pure] to look at evil; you cannot ·stand to see [tolerate; look on] those who do wrong. So how can you put up with those ·evil [treacherous] people? How can you be quiet when the wicked swallow up people who are ·better [more righteous] than they are?


text:
·The enemy [He] brings them in with hooks. He catches them in his net and ·drags [gathers] them in his ·fishnet [dragnet]. So he rejoices and ·sings for joy [is glad].


text:
The enemy offers sacrifices to his net and burns incense to ·worship it [his dragnet], because it lets him live ·like the rich [in luxury] and enjoy ·the best [or plentiful] food.


text:
Will he keep on ·taking riches with [emptying] his net? Will he go on destroying ·people [nations] without showing mercy?


text:
I will stand like a guard to watch and ·place [station] myself at the tower. I will wait to see what he will say to me; I will wait to learn how ·God will answer [or I will answer concerning] my complaint.


text:
The Lord Answers The Lord answered me: “Write down the vision; write it ·clearly [plainly] on clay tablets so whoever reads it can run to tell others.


text:
·It is not yet time for the message to come true [For the vision awaits an appointed time], ·but that time is coming soon [it hastens to the end; or it speaks about the end]; the message will ·come true [not lie]. ·It may seem like a long time, but [Though it tarries/lingers] be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed.


text:
[Look; Behold] ·The evil nation [He] is ·very proud of itself [puffed up]; ·it [his soul] is not ·living as it should [upright]. But ·those who are right with God [the righteous] will live ·by faith [or because of their faithfulness; ; ; ].


text:
“Just as wine ·can trick [betrays] a person, those who are too proud will not ·last, [have rest; settle down] ·because their desire is like a grave’s desire for death [he opens wide his throat like Sheol; the grave or the underworld], and like death they always want more. They gather other nations for themselves and collect for themselves all the ·countries [peoples].


text:
But all ·the nations the Babylonians have hurt [these] will ·laugh at [taunt] them. They will ·make fun of the Babylonians [ridicule with riddles] and say, ‘·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] the one that ·steals many things [piles up what is not his]. How long will that nation get rich by ·forcing others to pay them [extortion; goods taken in pledge]?’


text:
“·One day the people from whom you have taken money will [Will not your creditors…?] turn against you. They will ·realize what is happening [wake up] and make you shake with fear. Then ·they will take everything you have [you will become their plunder].


text:
Because you have ·stolen from [plundered] many nations, those who are left will ·take much from [plunder] you. ·This is because you have killed many people [For the human blood you have shed], ·destroying [violently attacking] countries and cities and everyone in them.


text:
“·How terrible it will be for the nation [Woe to him] that ·becomes rich by doing wrong [builds his house with unjust gain; or acquires evil gain for his own house], thinking they will ·live in a safe place [set his nest on high] and escape ·harm [the hand of evil].


text:
Because you have ·made plans [plotted; schemed] to ·destroy [cut off] many people, you have brought shame to your house. Because of it, you will ·lose your lives [forfeit your soul/life].


text:
The stones of the walls [of the “house” of Babylon] will cry out against you, and the ·boards that support the roof [beams of the woodwork] will ·agree that you are wrong [echo the complaint; answer back].


text:
“·How terrible it will be for the nation [Woe to him] that ·kills people [uses bloodshed] to build a city, that ·wrongs others [uses injustice] to start a town.


text:
[Look; Behold] The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] will send fire to destroy what those people have built; all the nations’ ·work [weariness] will be for nothing.


text:
Then, just as water covers the sea, ·people everywhere will know [the earth will be filled with the knowledge of] the Lord’s glory.


text:
“·How terrible for the nation that [Woe to him who] makes its neighbors drink, pouring ·from the jug of wine [or out your wrath] until they are drunk so that it can look at their naked bodies.


text:
·You Babylonians [You] will be filled with ·disgrace [shame], not ·respect [glory]. It’s your turn to drink and ·fall to the ground [or expose your uncircumcision] like a drunk person. The ·cup of anger [cup; ] from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you. You will receive ·disgrace [shame], not ·respect [glory].


text:
You ·hurt many people [did violence] in Lebanon, but now you will be ·hurt [overwhelmed by it]. You killed many animals there, and now you must be afraid because of ·what you did [the blood and violence you did] to that land, those cities, and the people who lived in them.


text:
The Message About Idols “·An idol does no good [What value does an idol have…?], because a human made it; it is only a ·statue [metal image] that teaches lies. The one who made it ·expects his own work to help him [trusts in his own creation], but he makes idols that can’t even speak!


text:
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] the one who says to a wooden statue, ‘·Come to life [Wake up]!’ ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] the one who says to a silent stone, ‘·Get up [Arise]!’ It cannot ·tell you what to do [teach/guide us]. It is only a statue covered with gold and silver; there is no ·life [breath] in it.


text:
Habakkuk’s Prayer This is the prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on shigionoth [probably a literary or musical term].


text:
Lord, I have heard the ·news [report] about you; I am ·amazed [in awe; afraid] at what you have done. Lord, do great things once again in ·our time [the midst of the years]; make ·those things happen again [them known] in ·our own days [the midst of the years]. Even when you are angry, remember to be ·kind [compassionate].


text:
God is coming from Teman [near Edom, south of Israel]; the Holy One comes from Mount Paran [on the Sinai peninsula south of Israel; the language recalls God’s revelation at Mount Sinai; ]. Selah His glory covers the ·skies [heavens], and his praise fills the earth.


text:
He is like ·a bright light [flashing lightning; or brightness at dawn]. Rays of light ·shine [flash] from his hand, and there he hides his power.


text:
He stands and ·shakes [or measures] the earth. He looks, and the nations ·shake [or jump] with fear. The ·mountains, which stood for ages, [eternal mountains] ·break into pieces [crumble]; the ·old [age-old; everlasting] hills ·fall [sink] down. ·God has always done this [Ancient paths/ways are his].


text:
I saw that the tents of Cushan [located in southern Transjordan] were in ·trouble [distress] and that the ·tents [curtains] of the land of Midian trembled [; ].


text:
Lord, were you angry at the rivers, or ·were you angry at [was your wrath against] the streams? Were you ·angry [enraged] with the sea when you rode your horses and chariots of victory?


text:
You ·uncovered [pulled out; brandished] your bow and commanded many arrows to be brought to you. Selah You split the earth with rivers.


text:
The mountains saw you and ·shook with fear [writhed; trembled]. The ·rushing [raging; torrents of] water ·flowed [swept by]. The ·sea [deep] ·made a loud noise [shouted; roared], and ·its waves rose high [lifted its hands high].


text:
The sun and moon stood still in ·the sky [lofty dwelling place]; they stopped when they saw the flash of your flying arrows and the ·gleam [glint] of your ·shining [flashing] spear.


text:
In ·anger [indignation] you marched on the earth; in anger you ·punished [trampled; threshed] the nations.


text:
You came out to ·save [rescue] your people, to save your ·chosen one [anointed]. You crushed the ·leader [head] of the ·wicked ones [house of the wicked] and ·took everything he had [lay him bare], from ·head to toe [foundation to neck]. Selah


text:
With the enemy’s own ·spear [or arrows] you ·stabbed the leader of his army [pierced his head; or pierced the heads of his soldiers/warriors]. His ·soldiers [warriors] rushed out like a storm to scatter us. ·They were happy [Rejoicing; Shouting with joy] as they were ·robbing [plundering] the poor people in secret.


text:
I hear these things, and my body trembles; my lips ·tremble [quiver] when I hear the sound. My bones ·feel weak [rot away], and my legs shake. But I will wait patiently for the day of ·disaster [calamity] that will come to the people who ·attack [invade] us.


text:
Fig trees may not ·grow figs [blossom; bud], and there may be no grapes on the vines. ·There may be no olives growing [The produce of the olive fails/disappoints] and no food growing in the fields. There may be no sheep in the ·pens [fold] and no cattle in the ·barns [stalls].


text:
The Lord God is my strength. He makes ·me like a deer that does not stumble [my feet like a deer’s] so I can walk on the ·steep mountains [heights]. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.


text:
This is the word of the Lord that came through Zephaniah while Josiah [ruled 640–609 bc] son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Hezekiah.


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“I will sweep away the people and animals; I will ·destroy [sweep away] the birds in the air and the fish of the sea. I will ·ruin the evil people [reduce the wicked to rubble; destroy the stumbling blocks with the wicked], and I will remove human beings from the [face of the] earth,” says the Lord.


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The Future of Judah “I will ·punish [stretch out my hand against] Judah and all the people living in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place ·all signs [every trace; the remnant] of Baal, ·the [every memory of; the names of] ·false [idolatrous] priests, and the other priests.


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I will destroy those who ·worship [bow down to] the ·stars [starry host; host of heaven] from the roofs [roofs were flat and used for living space], and those who ·worship [bow down] and ·make promises [swear oaths] by both the Lord and the god ·Molech [or Malkam; or the king],


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and those who turned away from the Lord, and those who quit following the Lord and ·praying to him for direction [seeking or inquiring of him].


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Be silent before the Lord God, because the ·Lord’s day for judging people [day of the Lord; , ; ; , , ; ; ] is ·coming soon [near]. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has ·made holy [consecrated] his invited guests.


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On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, I, the Lord, will punish the ·princes [officials] and the king’s sons and all those who wear foreign clothes [indicating adoption of pagan culture and religion].


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On that day I will punish those who ·worship Dagon [leap over the threshold; thought to be part of worship of the Philistine god Dagon; ], those who fill the ·temple [house] of their ·gods [or king; master] with violence and deceit.


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“On that day,” says the Lord, “a cry will be heard at the Fish Gate. A wail will come from the ·new area of the city [Second Quarter], and a loud crash will echo from the hills.


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·Cry [Wail], you people living in ·the market area [or the lower town; or Mortar; possibly a place name], because all the merchants will ·be dead [be destroyed; or disappear]; all the silver traders will be ·gone [cut off].


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At that time I, the Lord, will search Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish those who are ·satisfied with themselves [complacent; or entrenched in sin; thickened in their dregs/sediment], who think, ‘The Lord won’t ·help us or punish us [do good or evil].’


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Their wealth will be ·stolen [plundered] and their houses ·destroyed [ruined; laid waste]. They may build houses, but they will not live in them. They may plant vineyards, but they will not drink any wine from them.


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The Lord’s Day of Judging “The ·Lord’s day of judging [great day of the Lord; ] is ·coming soon [near]; it is near and coming fast. The cry will be ·very sad [bitter] on the day of the Lord; ·even soldiers will cry [or soldiers will shout a battle cry].


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That day will be a day of ·anger [wrath], a day of ·terror [distress] and ·trouble [anguish], a day of ·destruction [devastation] and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,


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a day of ·alarms [trumpet blasts; a ram’s horn] and battle cries. ·‘Attack [or …against] the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities! ·Attack [or …against] the corner towers!’


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I will ·make life hard [bring distress] on ·the people [or humanity]; they will ·walk [grope] around like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their ·insides [flesh] will be dumped like ·trash [refuse; dung].


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On the day ·that God will show his anger [of the Lord’s wrath], neither their silver nor gold will save them. ·The Lord’s anger will be like a fire [In the fire of his jealousy; ] that will ·burn up [consume; devour] the whole world; suddenly he will bring an end, yes, an end to ·everyone on [all who live on] earth.”


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The Lord Asks People to Change Gather together, gather, you ·unwanted [shameful; undesirable] people.


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Do it before ·it’s too late [the decree takes effect], before ·you are blown away like chaff [or the day passes like chaff], before the Lord’s ·terrible [fierce; burning] anger reaches you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes to you.


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·Come to [Seek] the Lord, all you who are ·not proud [humble; meek], who obey his ·laws [commands]. ·Do what is right [Seek righteousness]. ·Learn [Seek] to be humble. Maybe you will ·escape [be protected; be hidden] on the day the Lord shows his anger.


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Philistia Will Be Punished ·No one will be left in the city of Gaza [Gaza will be abandoned; Gaza sounds like Hebrew for “abandoned”; all four of these were cities in Philistia], and the city of Ashkelon will be ·destroyed [desolated; a heap of ruins]. Ashdod will be empty by noon, and the people of Ekron will be ·chased away [uprooted; Ekron sounds like Hebrew for “uprooted”].


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·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] you who live by the ·Mediterranean Sea [sea], you ·Philistines [nation of Cerethites; either another name for the Philistines or a neighboring people group; the name suggests they came from the island of Crete; ; ]! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. “I will destroy you so that no ·one [inhabitant] will be left.”


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The land by the ·Mediterranean Sea, in which you live [sea], will become pastures, ·fields [or shelters; or having wells] for shepherds, and pens for ·sheep [flocks].


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It will ·belong to [be for] the ·descendants of Judah who are left alive [remnant of the house of Judah]. There they will ·let their sheep eat grass [graze; find pasture]. At night they will ·sleep [lay down] in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will ·pay attention to [care for] them and will ·make their life good again [restore their fortunes; or return their exiles].


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Moab and Ammon Will Be Punished “I have heard the ·insults [taunts] of Moab[the country] and the ·threats [insults; reproach] of the ·people [sons/descendants] of Ammon. They have ·insulted [taunted] my people and ·have taken [or harrassed; threatened; or boasted about] their ·land [borders].”


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So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], the God of Israel, says, “As surely as I live, Moab will ·be destroyed [become] like Sodom, and ·Ammon [the sons/descendant of Ammon] will ·be destroyed [become] like Gomorrah [two cities destroyed for their great wickedness; ]— a heap of weeds, a pit of salt, and a ·ruin [wasteland] forever. ·Those of my people who are left alive [The remnant of my people] will ·take whatever they want from [plunder] them; ·those who are left from my nation [the survivors] will ·take their land [inherit/possess them].”


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This is what Moab and Ammon get for being proud, because they ·insulted [taunted] and ·made fun of [boasted against] the people of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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The Lord will ·frighten [terrify; be awesome against] them, because he will ·destroy [or weaken; or starve] all the gods of the earth. Then everyone in ·faraway places [or the coastlands of the nations] will ·worship [bow down to] him wherever they are.


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Cush and Assyria Will Be Destroyed “You ·Cushites [Ethiopians] also will be ·killed [slain] by my sword.”


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Then the Lord will ·turn [stretch out his hand] against the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a ·ruin [desolation] as dry as a desert.


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Flocks and herds will lie down there, and all ·wild animals [kinds of beasts]. The ·owls [horned owls; or pelicans] and ·crows [or screech owls; or hedgehogs] will sit on ·the stone pillars [her columns/capitals]. The owl will hoot through the windows, ·trash [rubble; devastation] will be in the ·doorways [thresholds], and the ·wooden boards [cedar work] of the buildings will be ·gone [or exposed].


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This is the ·happy [boisterous; exultant] and ·safe [secure] city that ·thinks [said in her heart] ·there is no one else as strong as it is [“I am it, and there is no one besides me”]. But what a ruin it will be, a place where wild animals live. All those who pass by will ·make fun [scoff; hiss] and shake their fists.


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Jerusalem Will Be Punished ·How terrible for [Woe to] the ·wicked, stubborn [rebellious and polluted/defiled] ·city of Jerusalem [city], which ·hurts its own people [oppresses].


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It obeys no voice; it ·can’t be taught to do right [receives/accepts no correction]. It doesn’t trust the Lord; it doesn’t ·worship [draw near to] its God.


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Its ·officers [princes] are like roaring lions. Its ·rulers [or judges] are ·like hungry wolves that attack in the evening [evening wolves], and in the morning ·nothing is left of those they attacked [there is no gnawing].


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Its prophets are proud; they are ·people who cannot be trusted [treacherous people]. Its priests ·don’t respect [profane] ·holy things [or the sanctuary]; they ·break [do violence to] God’s ·teachings [law; Torah].


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But the Lord is ·good [righteous; just], and he is there in that city. He does no ·wrong [iniquity; injustice]. Every morning he ·governs the people fairly [provides justice]; ·every day [at the light/dawn] he ·can be trusted [never fails]. But evil people ·are not ashamed of what they do [know no shame].


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“I have ·destroyed [cut off] nations; their ·towers [fortresses; strongholds] were ruined. I made their streets ·empty [deserted] so no one ·goes there [passes through] anymore. Their cities are ·ruined [desolate]; no one lives there at all.


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I said, ‘Surely now ·Jerusalem [you] will ·respect [fear] me [] and will accept my ·teaching [correction].’ Then the place where they lived would not be destroyed, and I would not have to punish them. But they were still eager to ·do evil [act corruptly] in everything they did.


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Just ·wait [be patient],” says the Lord. “Someday I will stand up ·as a witness [to testify; or to plunder]. I have decided that I will gather nations and assemble kingdoms. I will pour out my ·anger [wrath; indignation] on them, all my ·strong [fierce; burning] anger. My anger will be like fire that will ·burn up [consume; devour] the whole world.


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A New Day for God’s People “Then I will ·give [restore to] the ·people of all nations [nations] pure ·speech [lips; pure because they worship God instead of idols] so that all of them will ·speak [call on] the name of the Lord and worship me ·together [as one; side-by-side].


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People will come from ·where the Nile River begins [the rivers of Cush/Ethiopia]; my worshipers, ·my scattered people [the daughter of my dispersed ones] will come with ·gifts [offerings] for me.


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·Then [On that day] Jerusalem will not be ashamed of the ·wrongs [rebellious deeds] done against me, because I will remove from this city those who ·like to brag [arrogantly boast]; there will never be any more ·proud people [haughty] on my holy ·mountain in Jerusalem [mountain; hill; Zion, the location of the Temple].


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But I will leave in ·the city [your midst] the humble and ·those who are not proud [meek; lowly], and they will ·trust [or find refuge] in the [name of the] Lord.


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·Those who are left alive in [The remnant of] Israel won’t do wrong or tell lies; ·they won’t trick people with their words [No deceitful tongue will be found in their mouth]. They will ·eat [or graze; feed their flocks] and lie down with no one to make them afraid.”


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A Happy Song ·Sing [or Shout joyfully], Jerusalem. Israel, shout ·for joy [out]! ·Jerusalem [Daughter Jerusalem], be happy and rejoice with all your heart.


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The Lord has ·stopped punishing you [taken away your judgments]; he has ·sent [swept; cleared; turned] your enemies away. The King of Israel, the Lord, is with you; you will never again be afraid of ·being harmed [disaster; evil].


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On that day Jerusalem will be told, “Don’t be afraid, ·city of Jerusalem [Zion; the location of the Temple]. Don’t ·give up [let your hands grow weak/hang limp].


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The Lord your God is ·with you [in your midst]; the mighty One will save you. He will ·rejoice over you [take delight in you]. ·You will rest [or He will quiet you; or He won’t rebuke you] in his love; he will sing and be joyful about you.”


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“I will take away the sadness ·planned for you [or over the loss of your appointed festivals], which would have made you very ashamed.


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At that time I will ·punish [deal with] all those who ·harmed [oppressed] you. I will ·save my people who cannot walk [rescue the lame] and gather ·my people who have been thrown out [the scattered; perhaps shepherd imagery]. I will give them praise and ·honor [fame; renown] in every place where they were shamed.


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At that time I will gather you; at that time I will ·bring you back home [gather you]. I will give you ·honor [fame; renown] and praise ·from people everywhere [among all the peoples/nations of the earth] when I ·make things go well again for you [restore your fortunes; or return your exiles], ·as you will see with your own [before your] eyes,” says the Lord.


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It Is Time to Build the Temple The prophet Haggai spoke the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah [; ; ], and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [also known as Jeshua; ; ; ; ]. This message came in the second year that Darius was king [520 bc], on the first day of the sixth month [August 29; Elul 1 on the Hebrew calendar]:


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“This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘The people say the right time has not come to rebuild the ·Temple [house] of the Lord.’”


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“Is it right for you to be living in ·fancy [paneled] houses while ·the Temple [this house] is still in ruins?”


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “·Think about what you have done [Consider your ways].


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You have planted much, but you harvest little. You eat, but you do not become full. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you are not warm enough. You earn ·money [wages], ·but then you lose it all as if you had [to] put it into a purse full of holes.”


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Go up to the mountains, bring back wood, and build the ·Temple [house]. Then I will be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord.


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“You look for much, but ·you find little [it came to little]. When you bring it home, I ·destroy it [blew it away]. Why?” asks the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “Because you all ·work hard for [are busy with; run to] your own houses while my house is still in ruins!


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Because of what you have done, the sky holds back its ·rain [dew] and the ground holds back its crops.


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I have called for a ·time without rain [drought] on the land, and on the ·mountains [hill country], and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, the plants which the earth produces, the people, the ·farm animals [livestock], and all the work of your hands.”


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Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [], and all the ·rest of the people who were left alive [remnant of the people; those who returned from exile in Babylon] obeyed the [voice of the] Lord their God and the message from Haggai the prophet, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people ·feared [were in awe of] the Lord.


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Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “The Lord says, ‘I am with you.’”


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The Lord stirred up [the spirit of] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the ·rest of the people who were left alive [remnant of the people; ]. So they came and worked on the ·Temple [house] of their God, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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The Beauty of the Temple On the twenty-first day of the seventh month [Oct. 17, 520 bc; Tishri 21 on the Hebrew calendar; the same date Solomon finished the temple 440 years earlier (960 bc); ; ], the Lord spoke his word through Haggai the prophet, saying,


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“Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [], and to the ·rest of the people who are left alive [remnant of the people; ]. Say,


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‘Do any of you remember ·how great the Temple was [the former glory of this house] before it was destroyed? What does it look like now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’


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But the Lord says, ‘Zerubbabel, be ·brave [strong]. Also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be ·brave [strong]. And all you people who live in the land, be ·brave [strong],’ says the Lord. ‘Work, because I am with you,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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‘I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit ·is still with [remains among] you. So don’t be afraid.’


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“This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘In a short time I will once again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.


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I will shake all the nations, and ·they will bring their wealth [the treasures of the nations shall come]. Then I will fill this ·Temple [house] with glory [God’s manifest presence],’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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‘The ·new Temple [glory of this second/latter house] will be greater than the one before,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].”


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On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month [December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar] in the second year Darius was king, the Lord spoke his word to Haggai the prophet, saying,


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“This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘Ask the priests ·for a teaching [about the law; for guidance/instruction].


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Suppose a person carries in the fold of his clothes some meat made holy for the Lord. If that fold touches bread, ·cooked food [stew], wine, olive oil, or some other food, will that be made holy?’” The priests answered, “No.”


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Then Haggai said, “If a person who is ·unclean [ceremonially] from touching a dead body touches any of these foods, will the food become unclean, too?” The priests answered, “Yes, it would become unclean.”


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Then Haggai answered, “The Lord says, ‘This is also true for the people of this nation. They are ·unclean [defiled], and everything they do with their hands is unclean to me. Whatever they offer at the altar is also ·unclean [defiled].


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“‘·Think about [Consider; Set your heart on] this from now on! Think about how it was before you started laying stones on top of stones to build the ·Temple [house] of the Lord.


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A person used to come to a ·pile of grain expecting to find twenty basketfuls [heap of twenty measures/ephahs], but there were only ten. And a person used to come to the wine vat to take out fifty ·jarfuls [measures; baths], but only twenty were there.


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I ·destroyed your work [struck all the work of your hands] with ·diseases [blight], mildew, and hail, but you still did not come back to me,’ says the Lord.


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‘It is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month [December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar], the day in which the people finished working on the foundation of the ·Temple [house] of the Lord. From ·now [this day] on, think about these things:


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Do you have seeds for crops still in the barn? Your vines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not given fruit yet. But from ·now [this day] on I will bless you!’”


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The Lord Makes a Promise to Zerubbabel Then the Lord spoke his word a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month [December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar]. He said,


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I will ·destroy [overthrow] the ·foreign [thrones of] kingdoms and ·take away [shatter] the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will destroy the chariots and their riders. The horses will fall with their riders, ·as people kill each other with swords [each one by the sword of his brother].’


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The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, ‘On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you ·important like [like] my signet ring, because I have chosen you!’ says the Lord All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].”


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The Lord Calls His People Back In the eighth month [October/November on our calendar; the Hebrew month of Cheshvan] of the second year Darius was king [520 bc; Darius was king of Persia 522–486 bc], the ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo [a priestly family; , ]. The Lord said,


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So tell the people: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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Don’t be like your ·ancestors [fathers]. ·In the past the [The former/earlier] prophets said to them: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘·Stop [Turn from] your evil ways and evil actions.’ But they wouldn’t listen or pay attention to me, says the Lord.


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Your ·ancestors [fathers] ·are dead [where are they…?], and those prophets ·didn’t [do they…?] live forever.


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I commanded my words and ·laws [statutes] to my servants the prophets, and ·they preached to [or they came true to; did they not overtake…?] your ·ancestors [fathers], who returned to me. They said, ‘The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] did as he ·said he would [determined to do]. He punished us for ·the way we lived and for what we did [our ways and deeds].’”


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The Vision of the Horses It was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month [February 15, 519 bc], which is the month of Shebat, in Darius’s second year as king []. The ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo.


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During the night I had a vision. I saw a man ·riding [or sitting on] a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle trees in a ravine, with red, brown, and white horses behind him [].


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I asked, “What are these, ·sir [or my lord]?” The ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me answered, “I’ll show you what they are.”


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Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord ·sent [sent to walk/patrol] through all the earth.”


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Then they spoke to the ·Lord’s angel [or angel of the Lord; an OT figure closely identified with the Lord himself; ; ], who was standing among the myrtle trees. They said, “We have ·gone [walked; patrolled] through all the earth, and [look; behold] everything is calm and quiet.”


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Then the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; ] asked, “Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], how long will ·it be before you show [you withhold] mercy to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with them for seventy years now.”


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So the Lord answered the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me, and his words were comforting and good.


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Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking to me said to me, “Announce this: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘I ·have a strong love [am very jealous/zealous; ] for Jerusalem.


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And I am very angry with the nations that feel so ·safe [secure; at ease]. I was only a little angry at them, but they ·made things worse [added to/increased the calamity/disaster].’


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“So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy. My ·Temple [house] will be rebuilt,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], ‘and the measuring line will be ·used to rebuild [stretched out over] Jerusalem.’


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“Also announce: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘My towns will ·be rich again [overflow with prosperity]. The Lord will comfort Jerusalem again, and I will again choose Jerusalem.’”


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The Vision of the Horns Then I looked up and saw four ·animal horns [horns; animal horns symbolized strength].


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I asked the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me, “What are these?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”


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I asked, “What are they coming to do?” He answered, “They have come to ·scare [terrify] and throw down the horns. These horns scattered the people of Judah so that no one could even lift up his head. These horns stand for the nations that ·attacked [lifted up their horns against] the people of Judah and scattered them.”


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The Vision of the Measuring Line Then I looked up and saw a man holding a line for measuring things.


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I asked him, “Where are you going?” He said to me, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”


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Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me left, and another ·angel [messenger] came out to meet him.


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The second ·angel [messenger] said to him, “Run and tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will become a city without walls, because there will be so many people and ·cattle [livestock] in it.


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“·Oh no! Oh no [or Come! Come; or Up! Up]! Run away from ·Babylon [the land of the north], because I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord.


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“·Oh no [or Come; or Up], ·Jerusalem [Zion; the location of the Temple]! Escape, you who live in ·Babylon [Daughter Babylon].”


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “After ·he has honored me and [or the Glorious One; or for his own glory he] sent me against the nations who ·took your possessions [plundered you]—because whoever touches you ·hurts [touches] ·what is precious to me [the apple of his eye; the pupil/little man of his eye]—


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I will ·shake my hand [raise my fist] against them so that their slaves will ·rob [plunder] them.” Then you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] sent me.


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“Shout and be glad, ·Jerusalem [Daughter Zion]. [For look/Behold] I am coming, and I will live among you,” says the Lord.


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“At that time people from many nations will join with the Lord and will become my people. Then I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] has sent me to you.


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The Lord will ·take [possess; inherit] Judah as his own part of the holy land, and ·Jerusalem will be his chosen city again [will again choose Jerusalem].


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Be silent, ·everyone [all flesh], in the presence of the Lord. He ·is coming [has roused himself] out of ·the holy place where he lives [his holy dwelling].”


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The Vision of the High Priest Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing in front of the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; ]. And ·Satan [or the Accuser/Adversary; ; ] was standing by Joshua’s [] right ·side [hand] to accuse him.


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The Lord said to ·Satan [or the Accuser/Adversary], “The Lord ·says no to [rebuke] you, ·Satan [Adversary; Accuser]! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem ·says no to [rebukes] you! ·This man was [Isn’t this man…?] like a burning stick ·pulled [snatched] from the fire.”


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The ·angel [messenger] said to those standing in front of him, “Take off those ·dirty [filthy] clothes.” Then ·the angel [he] said to Joshua, “Look, I have taken away your ·sin [iniquity] from you, and I am giving you beautiful, ·fine clothes [festal robes; fine vestments].”


text:
Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and dressed him while the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; ] stood there.


text:
“This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘If you ·do as I tell you [walk in my ways] and ·serve me [carefully keep my requirements], you will be in charge of my ·Temple [house] and my courtyards. And I will let you be with ·these angels [these] who are standing here.


text:
“‘Listen, Joshua, the high priest, and your ·friends [colleagues; associates] who are sitting in front of you. They are ·symbols [a sign] of what will happen. [Look; Behold] I am going to bring my servant, the Branch [the Messiah; ; ; ; ; ].


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Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua, a stone with seven ·sides [eyes]. I will ·carve a message [engrave an inscription] on it,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. ‘And in one day I will ·take away the sin [remove the iniquity] of this land.’


text:
“The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, ‘In that day, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your own grapevine and under your own fig tree [symbols of security and prosperity; ; ].’”


text:
The Vision of the Lampstand Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep.


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He asked me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a solid gold ·lampstand [menorah] with a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps and also seven ·places [pipes; spouts] for wicks.


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Then he told me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘·You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power [Not by might, nor by power], but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
“Who are you, ·big [mighty; great] mountain? ·In front of [Compared with] Zerubbabel you will become ·flat land [a level plain], and he will bring out the ·topmost stone [capstone], ·shouting [or amid shouting], ‘·It’s beautiful! It’s beautiful [or Blessings, Blessings upon it; Grace, Grace to it]!’”


text:
“[The hands of] Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this ·Temple [house; ], and he will complete it []. Then you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] has sent me to you.


text:
“·The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant [For who despises the day of small things?]. ·They [or These seven eyes] will ·be happy [rejoice] when they see Zerubbabel with ·tools [or his plumb line; or the chosen capstone], building the Temple. “(These are the seven eyes of the Lord, which look back and forth across the earth.)”


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Then I asked the ·angel [messenger], “What are the two olive ·trees [or branches] on the right and left of the lampstand?”


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·I also [or Again I] asked him, “What are the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes, from which the olive oil ·flows to the lamps [pours out]?”


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So he said, “They are symbols of the two ·who have been appointed to serve [anointed ones who stand by] the Lord of all the earth.”


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The Vision of the Flying Scroll I ·looked up again [turned and lifted my eyes] and saw a flying scroll.


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·The angel [He] asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] long and ·fifteen feet [ten cubits] wide.”


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And he said to me, “This is the curse that ·will go [or is going out] all over the land. One side says every thief will be ·taken away [banished; purged]. The other side says everyone who ·makes false promises [swears falsely] will be ·taken away [banished; purged].


text:
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, ‘I will send it to the houses of thieves and to those who ·use my name to make false promises [swear falsely]. The scroll will stay in that person’s house and destroy it with its wood and stones.’”


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The Vision of the Woman Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me came forward and said to me, “·Look up [Lift up your eyes] and see what is ·going out [or coming; appearing].”


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“What is it?” I asked. He answered, “It is a ·measuring basket [ephah] going out.” He also said, “It is ·a symbol of the people’s sins [their iniquity; or their appearance; their eye] in all the land.”


text:
The angel said, “The woman ·stands for [is] wickedness.” Then he pushed her back into the basket and put the lid back down.


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Then I ·looked up [lifted my eyes] and saw two women going out with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and the ·sky [heaven].


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“They are going to Babylonia to build a ·temple [house] for it,” he answered. “When ·the temple [it] is ready, they will set the basket there ·in its place [or on its base/pedestal].”


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The Vision of the Four Chariots I looked up again and saw four chariots ·going [coming] out between two mountains, mountains of bronze.


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White horses pulled the third chariot, and strong, ·spotted [dappled] horses pulled the fourth chariot.


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He said, “These are the four spirits of heaven. They have just come from ·the presence of [or presenting themselves before] the Lord of the whole world.


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The chariot pulled by the black horses will go to the land of the north. The white horses will go ·to the land of the west [or after them], and the spotted horses will go to the land of the south.”


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When the powerful horses went out, they were ·eager [seeking] to go through all the earth. So he said, “Go ·through all [or and patrol] the earth,” and they did.


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Then he ·called [cried out] to me, “Look, the horses that went north have caused my ·spirit to rest [anger to be appeased; or Spirit to rest] in the land of the north.”


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“Take silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who were captives in Babylon. Go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah, who came from Babylon [may refer to the three men rather than to Josiah].


text:
Make the silver and gold into a crown, and put it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.


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Tell him this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘A man whose name is the Branch [] will branch out from where he is, and he will build the Temple of the Lord.


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It is he who will build the Temple of the Lord and will ·receive honor [or be clothed in splendor/majesty]. He will sit on his throne and rule [referring to Zerubbabel and ultimately to the Messiah]. And there will be a priest on his throne [referring to Joshua the high priest and ultimately to the Messiah]. And ·these two will work together in peace [the counsel of peace will be between the two].’


text:
The crown will be kept in the Temple of the Lord to remind ·Heldai [Helem; probably another name for Heldai], Tobijah, Jedaiah, and ·Josiah [Hen; perhaps a nickname for Josiah, meaning “gracious one”] son of Zephaniah.


text:
People living far away will come and build the Temple of the Lord. Then you will know the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] has sent me to you. This will happen if you completely obey the [voice of the] Lord your God.”


text:
The People Should Show Mercy In the fourth year Darius was king, on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is called Kislev [December 7, 518 bc], the ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to Zechariah.


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The city of Bethel sent Sharezer, Regem-Melech, and their men to ·ask the Lord a question [or seek the Lord’s favor].


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They went to the prophets and priests who were at the ·Temple [house] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. The men said, “For years in the fifth month of each year we have ·shown our sadness [mourned; wept] and fasted. Should we continue to do this?”


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The ·Lord All-Powerful spoke his word [word of the Lord All-Powerful/of Heaven’s Armies/of hosts came] to me, saying,


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“Tell the priests and the people in the land: ‘For seventy years you fasted and ·cried [mourned] in the fifth and seventh months, but ·that was not [was it…?] really for me.


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Wasn’t this the same thing the Lord said through the ·earlier [former] prophets, when Jerusalem and the surrounding towns were at peace and wealthy, and people lived in the ·southern area [Negev] and the ·western hills [or lowland; Shephelah]?’”


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“This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘·Do what is right and true [Administer true justice]. Be kind and ·merciful [compassionate] to each other.


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Don’t ·hurt [oppress] widows and ·orphans [the fatherless], foreigners or the poor [; ; ; ]; don’t ·even think of doing evil to [or secretly plot evil against] somebody else.’


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“But they refused to pay attention; they ·were stubborn [turned their backs; gave a stubborn shoulder] and ·did not want to listen anymore [covered their ears].


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They made their hearts ·as hard as rock [like flint] and would not listen to the ·teachings [law; Torah] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. And they would not hear the words he sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] became very angry.


text:
“‘When I called to them, they would not listen. So when they called to me, I would not listen,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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‘I scattered them like a ·hurricane [whirlwind] ·to other countries [among all the nations] they did not know. This good land was left so ·ruined behind them [desolate] that no one ·could live there [or traveled through it]. They had made the ·desired [pleasant] land ·a ruin [desolate; a wasteland].’”


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The Lord Will Bless Jerusalem ·A message from [The word of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] came to me, saying,


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “I ·have a very strong love [am jealous/zealous/passionate] for ·Jerusalem [Zion; ]. My strong love [jealousy; zeal; passion] for her ·is like a fire burning in me [or will mean wrath for her enemies].”


text:
This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem and ·live in [dwell in the midst of] it. Then it will be called the City of ·Truth [or Faithfulness], and the mountain of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] will be called the Holy Mountain [Zion, the location of the Temple].”


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “Old men and old women will again sit along Jerusalem’s streets, each carrying a cane because of age [long life due to peace and security].


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “·Those who are left alive then [The remnant] may think it is too ·difficult [marvelous] to happen, but ·it is not [is it…?] too ·difficult [marvelous] for me,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “[Look; Behold] I will save my people from countries in the east and west.


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I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their ·loyal [faithful; true] and ·good [righteous] God.”


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “·Work hard [Let your hands be strong], you who are hearing these words today. The prophets spoke these words when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], for the building of the Temple.


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Before that time there was no money to hire people or animals. People could not ·safely [peacefully] come and go because of the enemies; I had turned everyone against his neighbor.


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But I will not do to ·these people who are left [this remnant of the people] what I did in the past,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
“They will plant their seeds in peace, their grapevines will have fruit, the ground will give good crops, and the sky will send ·rain [dew]. I will give ·all this [this as an inheritance/possession] to the ·people who are left alive [remnant of this people].


text:
Judah and Israel, your names have been ·used as curses in [or viewed as accursed by] other nations. But I will save you, and you will become a blessing. So don’t be afraid; ·work hard [let your hands be strong].”


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “When your ·ancestors [fathers] made me angry, I planned to ·punish [bring disaster on] you. I did not ·change my mind [relent],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
These are the things you should do: Tell each other the truth. In ·the courts [your gates; court was held at the city gate] judge with truth and ·complete fairness [sound justice; judgments of peace].


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Do not ·make plans to hurt [plan/plot evil in your hearts against] your neighbors, and don’t love false ·promises [oaths]. I hate all these things,” says the Lord.


text:
·A message from [The word of the] Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] came to me again.


text:
This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “The ·special days when you fast in [fasts of] the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become good, joyful, happy feasts ·in [for the house of] Judah. ·But you must [So; Therefore] love truth and peace.”


text:
This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “·Many people from [Inhabitants of] many cities will still come to Jerusalem.


text:
·People [The inhabitants] from one city will go and say to those from another city, ‘·We are going [Let us go] to ·pray to [entreat] the Lord and to ·ask for help from [or worship; seek] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. ·Come and go with us [I, even I (am going)].’


text:
Many people and powerful nations will come to worship the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] in Jerusalem and to ·pray for help from [or worship; seek] the Lord.”


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This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “At that time, ten men from ·different countries [all languages of the nations] will come and take hold of a ·Judean [Jew] by his coat. They will say to him, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”


text:
Punishment on Israel’s Enemies ·This message is [An oracle/burden of] the word of the Lord. The message is against the land of Hadrach [region north of Israel] and ·the city of Damascus [Damascus its resting place]. ·All [For the eyes of all] people, including all the tribes of Israel ·belong to [or are on] the Lord.


text:
The message is also against the city of Hamath, on the border, and against Tyre and Sidon [cities on the coast northwest of Israel], ·with their skill [or though they are very wise/clever].


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Tyre has built a ·strong wall [fortress; stronghold] for herself. She has piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud in the streets.


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But [look; behold] the Lord will take away all she has and ·destroy her power on [or throw her fortifications into] the sea. That city will be ·destroyed [consumed; devoured] by fire.


text:
·The city of Ashkelon [Ashkelon] will see it and be afraid. ·The people of Gaza [Gaza] will ·shake with fear [writhe in anguish], and ·the people of Ekron [Ekron] ·will lose hope [or their hope will wither]. No king will be left in Gaza, and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.


text:
·Foreigners [A mixed/mongrel people] will live in Ashdod, and I will ·destroy [cut off] the pride of the Philistines.


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I will ·stop them from drinking blood [take the blood from their mouths; ; , ] and ·from eating forbidden food [its abominations from between its teeth]. Those left alive will belong to God. They will be ·leaders [or like a clan] in Judah, and Ekron will become like the Jebusites [ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem who were assimilated into Judah].


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I will ·protect [encamp around] my ·Temple [house] from armies who would come or go. No ·one [oppressor] will ·hurt [overrun; pass over] my people again, because now I ·am watching them [see with my eyes].


text:
The King Is Coming Rejoice greatly, ·people of Jerusalem [Daughter Zion]! Shout for joy, ·people of Jerusalem [Daughter Jerusalem]! [Look; Behold] Your king is coming to you. He ·does what is right [is righteous/just], and he saves. He is ·gentle [lowly; humble] and riding on a donkey, on ·the colt [a colt, the foal] of a donkey [; ].


text:
I will ·take away [cut off] the chariots from Ephraim and the ·horses [warhorses] from Jerusalem. The bows used in war will be broken. The king will ·talk about [announce; bring] peace to the nations. His ·kingdom [dominion; rule] will go from sea to sea, and from the ·Euphrates River [River] to the ends of the earth.


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As for you, because of the blood of ·the agreement [my covenant/treaty] with you I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.


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You prisoners who have hope, return to ·your place of safety [the fortress/stronghold]. Today I ·am telling you [announce; declare] that I will ·give you back twice as much as before [return double what you lost].


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I will ·use [bend] Judah like a bow and Ephraim like the arrows. ·Jerusalem [Zion; the location of the Temple], I will ·use your men [rouse your sons/children] ·to fight the men of [against your sons/children,] Greece. I will use you like a warrior’s sword.


text:
Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrows will shoot like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, and he will march in the ·storms [whirlwinds] of the south.


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The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] will protect them; they will ·destroy [eat and subdue] the enemy with slingshots. They will drink and shout like drunks. They will be filled like a bowl used for sprinkling blood ·at [or and drenched with blood like] the corners of the altar.


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On that day the Lord their God will save them as ·if his people were sheep [the flock of his people]. They will shine in his land like jewels in a crown.


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They will be so ·pretty [fine; good] and beautiful. The young men will grow strong on the grain and the young women on new wine.


text:
The Lord’s Promises Ask the Lord for rain during the ·springtime [latter] rains. The Lord is the one who makes the storm clouds. He sends the showers and gives everyone ·green [plants in the] fields.


text:
·Idols [Household gods; Teraphim; ] ·tell lies [or give worthless counsel]; fortune-tellers see ·false [lying] visions and tell about false dreams. The comfort they give is ·worth nothing [in vain]. So the people ·are [wander] like lost sheep. They are ·abused [oppressed; or in distress], because there is no shepherd.


text:
The Lord says, “·I am angry [My anger burns] at my shepherds, and I will punish the ·leaders [lead goats]. I, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], care for my flock, the ·people [house] of Judah. I will make them like my ·proud [majestic] war horses.


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Together they will be like ·soldiers [mighty men] ·marching to battle [or trampling their enemies] through muddy streets. The Lord is with them, so they will fight and ·defeat [put to shame] the horsemen.


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“I will strengthen the ·people [house] of Judah and save the ·people [house] of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I ·care about [have compassion on] them. It will be as though I had never ·left [rejected] them, because I am the Lord their God, and I will ·answer [hear] them.


text:
The people of Ephraim will be strong like ·soldiers [mighty men]; ·they will be glad [their hearts will rejoice] as when they have drunk wine. Their children will see it and rejoice; they will ·be happy [rejoice] in the Lord.


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I will ·call [signal/whistle for] my people and gather them together. I will ·save [redeem] them, and they grow as numerous as they were before.


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I have scattered them among the nations, but in those faraway places, they will remember me. They and their children will ·live [survive; sprout forth] and return.


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I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon until there isn’t enough room for them all.


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·They [or The Lord; He] will come through the sea of trouble [as at the Red/or Reed Sea; ]. The waves of the sea will be calm, and the ·Nile River [depths of the Nile/River] will dry up. I will ·defeat [bring down; humble] Assyria’s pride and destroy Egypt’s ·power over other countries [scepter; ruling authority].


text:
I will make my people strong [in the Lord], and they will ·live as I say [walk in my name],” says the Lord.


text:
·Cry [Wail], pine trees, because the cedar has fallen, because the ·tall [majestic; glorious] trees are ruined. ·Cry [Wail], oaks in Bashan, because the ·mighty [thick; dense] forest has been cut down [trees probably symbolize wicked rulers].


text:
Listen to the shepherds ·crying [wailing] because their ·rich pastures [or glory; magnificence] are destroyed. Listen to the lions roaring because the ·lovely land [lush thicket] of the Jordan River is ruined.


text:
The Two Shepherds This is what the Lord my God says: “·Feed [Shepherd] the flock that are ·about to be killed [set aside for slaughter].


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Their buyers ·kill [slaughter] them and ·are not punished [are not held liable; or feel no remorse]. Those who sell them say, ‘·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, I am rich.’ Even the shepherds don’t ·feel sorry for [have compassion on; or spare] their sheep.


text:
I don’t ·feel sorry [have compassion] anymore for the ·people [inhabitants] of this country,” says the Lord. “I will let everyone ·be under the power [fall into the hand] of his neighbor and king. They will ·bring trouble to [devastate] the country, and I will not save anyone from ·them [their hand].”


text:
So I ·fed [shepherded] the flock ·about to be killed [marked for slaughter], particularly the ·weakest [oppressed] ones. Then I took two ·sticks [staffs]; I called one ·Pleasant [or Favor] and the other Union, and I ·fed [shepherded] the flock.


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In one month I got rid of three shepherds. The flock ·did not pay attention to [or detested; loathed] me, and I ·got impatient [grew weary] with them.


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I said, “I will no longer ·take care of you like a shepherd [shepherd you]. Let those that are dying die, and let those that are ·to be destroyed be destroyed [perishing perish]. Let those that are left eat ·each other [the flesh of his neighbor].”


text:
Then I broke the ·stick [staff] named ·Pleasant [or Favor] to ·break [revoke] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] God made with all the ·nations [peoples].


text:
That day it was ·broken [revoked]. The ·weak [oppressed] ones in the flock who were watching me knew this ·message was from [was the word of] the Lord.


text:
Then I said, “If ·you want [it seems right to you; it is good in your eyes] to pay me, pay me. If not, ·then don’t [keep it].” So they ·paid [weighed out to] me thirty pieces of silver [; ].


text:
The Lord said to me, “Throw the money to the potter.” ·That is how little they thought I was worth […this magnificent price at which they valued me”; sarcastic, since the sum was about the cost of a slave]. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the ·Temple [house] of the Lord [, ].


text:
Then I broke the second ·stick [staff], named Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.


text:
because [look; behold] I am going to ·get [raise up] a new shepherd for the country. He will not care for the ·dying sheep [lost; perishing], or look for the young ones, or heal the injured ones, or feed the healthy. But he will ·eat [devour the flesh of] the ·best [fat] sheep and tear off their hoofs.


text:
“·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] the ·useless [worthless] shepherd who abandoned the flock. A sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will ·lose all its strength [wither away], and his right eye will go blind.”


text:
Jerusalem Will Be Saved ·This message is [The oracle/burden of] the word of the Lord ·to [or concerning] Israel. This is what the Lord says, who stretched out the ·skies [heavens], and laid the foundations of the earth [], and ·put [forms] the human spirit within:


text:
“I will make Jerusalem like a cup of ·poison [staggering; reeling; drunkenness] to the nations around her. They will come and ·attack [besiege] Jerusalem and Judah.


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·One [And it shall be on that] day all the nations on earth will come together to attack Jerusalem, but I will make it like a ·heavy [immovable] rock; anyone who tries to ·move [carry] it will ·get hurt [be injured].


text:
At that time I will ·confuse [strike with panic] every horse and cause its rider to go crazy,” says the Lord. “I will ·watch over [open my eyes to] the ·people [house] of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the ·enemies [nations; peoples].


text:
Then the ·leaders [or clans] of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] is their God.’


text:
“At that time I will make the ·leaders [or clans] of Judah like a ·fire burning [firepot on] a stack of wood or like a ·fire burning straw [burning torch among sheaves]. They will ·destroy [consume; devour] all the people around them left and right. But the people of Jerusalem will remain ·safe [settled in their place].


text:
“The Lord will save the ·homes [tents] of Judah first so that the ·honor given to [glory of] ·David’s family [the house of David] and to the people of Jerusalem won’t be greater than the ·honor given to [glory of] Judah [the defenseless countryside would be saved before the fortified city, showing the victory was due to the Lord].


text:
·At that time [On that day] the Lord will ·protect [defend] the people in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest of them will be strong like David. And the ·family [house] of David will be like God, like ·an [or the] angel of the Lord in front of them [; ; ].


text:
·At that time [On that day] I will ·go [set out; begin] to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.


text:
Crying for the One They Pierced “I will pour out on ·David’s family [the house of David] and the ·people in [inhabitants of] Jerusalem a spirit of ·kindness [grace] and ·mercy [prayer; supplication]. They will look at me, the one they have ·stabbed [pierced], and they will ·cry [mourn/lament for him] like someone ·crying [mourning; lamenting] over the death of an only ·child [son]. They will ·be as sad [grieve bitterly] as someone who has lost a firstborn son.


text:
·At that time [On that day] there will be much crying in Jerusalem, like the crying for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo [either where Judah mourned the death of king Josiah (), or ritualistic mourning associated with the Canaanite storm god (; )].


text:
The land will ·cry [mourn], each ·family [clan] by itself: the ·family [clan] of [the house of] David by itself and their wives by themselves, the ·family [clan] of Nathan [] by itself and their wives by themselves,


text:
the ·family [clan] of Levi [, ] by itself and their wives by themselves, the ·family [clan] of Shimei [a clan of Levites; ] by itself and their wives by themselves,


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“·At that time [In that day] a fountain will be open for ·David’s descendants [the house of David] and for the ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem to cleanse them of their sin and ·uncleanness [impurity; defilement].”


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The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “·At that time [On that day] I will ·get rid of [remove; cut off] the names of the idols from the land; no one will remember them anymore. I will also remove the prophets and ·unclean spirits [or spirit of uncleanness/impurity] from the land [unlike true prophecy from the Spirit of God].


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If a person continues to prophesy, his own father and mother, the ones who gave birth to him, will tell him, ‘You have told lies ·using [in] the Lord’s name, so you must die.’ When he prophesies, his own father and mother who gave birth to him will ·stab [pierce] him.


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“·At that time [On that day] the prophets will be ashamed of their visions and prophecies. They won’t wear the prophet’s clothes made of hair [like Elijah () and Elisha (); cf. John the Baptist ()] to ·trick [deceive] people.


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Each of them will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer ·and have been a farmer since I was young [for a man sold me in my youth; as an indentured servant to work the land].’


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But someone will ask, ‘What are the ·deep cuts [wounds] ·on your body [or on your chest; between your hands; pagan prophets often cut themselves to appeal to their gods]?’ And each will answer, ‘I was ·hurt [wounded] at my friend’s house.’


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The Shepherd Is Killed “·Sword, hit the [Awake, Sword, against my] shepherd. ·Attack […against] the man who is my ·friend [associate],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “·Kill [Strike] the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter [; ], and I will ·punish [turn my hand against] the little ones.”


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The Lord says, “Two-thirds of the people through all the land will die. They will be ·gone [struck down; cut off], and one-third will be left.


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The third that is left I will ·test with [bring into the] fire, ·purifying [refining] them like silver, testing them like gold. Then they will call on ·me [my name], and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”


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The Day of Punishment The ·Lord’s day of judging [day of the Lord; ] is coming when ·the wealth you have taken [your plunder] will be divided ·among you [in your midst; or right in front of you; while you watch].


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I will bring all the nations together to ·fight [wage war against] Jerusalem. They will capture the city and ·rob [plunder; loot] the houses and ·attack [rape] the women. Half the people will be taken away ·as captives [into exile], but the rest of the people won’t be taken from the city.


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On that day ·he [his feet] will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will split in two, forming a deep valley that runs east and west. Half the mountain will move toward the north, and half will move toward the south.


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You will ·run [flee] through this mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel [unknown location east of Jerusalem]. You will run just as you did from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah []. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones [either angels or believers; ; ; ; ] with him.


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There will be no other day like it, ·and the Lord knows when it will come [a day known to the Lord]. There will be no day or night; even at evening it will still be light.


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At that time ·fresh [bubbling; or living; life-giving] water will flow from Jerusalem. Half of it will flow east to the ·Dead [eastern] Sea, and half will flow west to the ·Mediterranean [western] Sea. It will flow summer and winter.


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Then the Lord will be king over the whole world. ·At that time [On that day] ·there will be only one Lord [the Lord will be one; ], and his name ·will be the only name [one].


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All the land south of Jerusalem from Geba [six miles northeast of Jerusalem, the northern boundary of Judah] to ·Rimmon [thirty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem] will be ·turned into a plain [or like the Arabah; the Jordan Valley, from Mount Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba]. Jerusalem will be raised up, but it will stay in the same place. The city will reach from the Benjamin Gate and to the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.


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People will live there, and it will never be destroyed again. Jerusalem will ·be safe [dwell in security].


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But the Lord will bring a terrible ·disease [plague] on the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still standing up. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.


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·At that time [On that day] the Lord will cause panic. Everybody will grab ·his [the hand of his] neighbor, and they will ·attack each other [raise his hand against the hand of his neighbor].


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·The people of Judah [Judah] will fight in Jerusalem. And the wealth of the nations around them will be collected—much gold, silver, and clothes.


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A similar ·disease [plague] will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals in the camps.


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All of those left alive of the ·people [nations] who came to fight Jerusalem will come back to Jerusalem year after year to worship the King, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], and to celebrate the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles; ].


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Anyone from the nations who does not go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], will not have rain fall on his land.


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If the Egyptians do not go to Jerusalem, they will not have rain. Then the Lord will send them the same ·terrible disease [plague] he sent the other nations that did not celebrate the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles].


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This will be the punishment for Egypt and any nation that does not go up to celebrate the Feast of Shelters.


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·At that time [On that day] the horses’ bells will have written on them: holy to the lord. The cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be like the holy altar bowls.


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Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], and everyone who offers sacrifices will be able to take food from them and cook in them. ·At that time [On that day] there will not be any ·buyers or sellers [or Canaanite] in the Temple of the Lord [; ] ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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This ·message [oracle; burden] is the word of the Lord given to Israel through Malachi [“my messenger”].


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God Loves Israel The Lord said, “I have loved you.” But you ask, “How have you loved us?” The Lord said, “Esau and Jacob were brothers. I loved Jacob,


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but I ·hated [rejected] Esau []. I ·destroyed [laid waste] his mountain country and left his ·land [inheritance] to the ·wild dogs [jackals] of the ·desert [wilderness].”


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The people of Edom [descendants of Esau] might say, “We were ·destroyed [crushed; shattered], but we will go back and rebuild the ruins.” But the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “If they rebuild them, I will ·destroy [demolish] them. ·People will say, ‘Edom is a wicked country. The Lord is always angry with the Edomites.’ [or They will be known as, ‘The Wicked Land’ and ‘The people always under God’s wrath.’]


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You will see these things with your own eyes. And you will say, ‘The Lord is great, even ·outside [beyond] the borders of Israel!’”


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The Priests Don’t Respect God The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “A son honors his father [; ], and a ·servant [slave] honors his master.” ·I am a [If I am your] father, so why don’t you honor me? ·I am a [If I am your] master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests ·do not respect me [despise my name]. “But you ask, ‘How have we ·shown you disrespect [despised your name]?’


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“You have shown it by bringing ·unclean [defiled] food to my altar. “But you ask, ‘What makes it ·unclean [defiled]?’ “It is ·unclean [defiled] because you ·don’t respect [treat as contemptible] the altar of the Lord.


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When you ·bring [offer] blind animals as sacrifices, ·that is [is that not…?] wrong. When you ·bring [offer] crippled and sick animals, ·that is [is that not…?] wrong []. Try giving them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? ·He wouldn’t [Would he…?] accept you,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“Now ·ask [plead with] God to ·be kind [show favor] to you, but he won’t ·accept [show favor to] you with such offerings,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so that you would not light ·useless [worthless; meaningless] fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you and will not accept ·your gifts [an offering from your hand],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“From the east to the west ·I [my name] will be honored among the nations. Everywhere they will bring incense and ·clean [pure; undefiled] offerings to me, because ·I will be honored [my name will be great] among the nations,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“But you ·don’t honor [profane] me. You say about the Lord’s ·altar [table], ‘It is ·unclean [defiled], and the food ·has no worth [is despicable/contemptible].’


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You say, ‘We are tired of doing this,’ and you ·sniff [sneer] at it in disgust,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “And you bring ·hurt [or stolen], crippled, and sick animals as gifts. You bring them as ·gifts [offerings], but I won’t accept them from ·you [your hands],” says the Lord.


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“The person who cheats will be cursed. He has a male animal in his flock and promises to offer it, but then he offers to the Lord an animal that ·has something wrong with it [is blemished; ]. I am a great king,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], “and ·I am [my name is] feared ·by all [among] the nations.


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Listen to me. Pay attention to what I say. Honor my name,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “If you don’t, I will send a curse on you and on your blessings. I have already cursed them, because you don’t ·pay attention to what I say [take my warning to heart].


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“I will ·punish [discipline; rebuke] your descendants. I will smear your faces with ·the animal insides [offal; entrails; or dung] left from your feasts, and you will be thrown away with it.


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Then you will know that I am giving you this ·command [warning] so my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with Levi will continue,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“My ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with ·the Levites [him; Levi] was to bring life and peace so they would ·honor [fear] me. And they did ·honor [fear] me and ·fear me [stood in awe of my name; ].


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·They taught the true teachings [True law/instruction/Torah was in his mouth] and ·spoke no lies [no iniquity was found on his lips]. With peace and ·honesty [integrity] they ·did what I said they should do [walked with me], and they kept many people from sinning.


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“·A priest [The lips of a priest] should ·teach what he knows [preserve/guard knowledge; ], and people should ·learn the teachings [seek instruction] from ·him [his mouth], because he is the messenger of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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But you priests have ·stopped obeying me [turned from the way/path]. With your teachings you have caused many people to ·do wrong [stumble]. You have ·broken [corrupted] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with ·the tribe of Levi [Levi]!” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“You have not been careful to ·do what I say [follow my ways/paths], but instead you ·take sides [show favoritism/partiality] in ·court [legal] cases. So I have caused you to be ·hated [despised] and ·disgraced [humiliated] in front of everybody.”


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Judah Was Not Loyal to God ·We all have the same [Do we not have one….?] father; the ·same [one] God created us. So why do people ·break their promises to [betray] each other and ·show no respect for [profane; defile] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] our ·ancestors [fathers] made with God []?


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·The people of Judah [Judah] have ·broken their promises [been unfaithful]. They have done ·something God hates [an abomination/detestable thing] in Israel and Jerusalem: ·The people of Judah [Judah] ·did not respect [desecrated] the ·Temple [sanctuary; or holy things] that the Lord loves, and the men of Judah married ·women who worship [the daughter of] foreign gods.


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Whoever does this might bring offerings to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], but the Lord will still cut that person off from the ·community of Israel [tents of Jacob].


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This is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with your tears. You ·cry [weep] and moan, because he does not ·accept [look with favor on] your offerings and is not pleased with what you bring.


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You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord ·sees how you treated [is the witness between you and] the wife ·you married when you were young [of your youth]. You ·broke your promise [have been unfaithful] to her, even though she was your partner and ·you had an agreement with her [your wife by solemn covenant].


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·God made [Did not God make…?] husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit for his purpose—so they would have ·children who are true to God [godly offspring]. So ·be careful [guard yourself in your spirit], and do not ·break your promise [be unfaithful] to the wife ·you married when you were young [of your youth].


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The Lord God of Israel says, “·I hate divorce. And I hate the person who [or The one who hates and divorces] ·does cruel things as easily as he puts on clothes [covers his clothes in violence],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. So be ·careful [on your guard]. And do not ·break your trust [be unfaithful].


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The Special Day of Judging You have ·tired [wearied] the Lord with your words. You ask, “How have we ·tired [wearied] him?” You did it by saying, “·The Lord thinks [In the Lord’s eyes] anyone who does evil is good, and he is pleased with them.” Or you asked, “Where is the God ·who is fair [of justice]?”


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The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way for me [; ; ; ]. Suddenly, the Lord you are ·looking for [seeking] will come to his Temple; the messenger of the ·agreement [covenant; treaty], ·whom you want [in whom you delight], will come.”


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·No one can live through [Who can endure…?] ·that time [the day of his coming]; ·no one can survive [who can stand…?] when he ·comes [appears]. He will be like a ·purifying [refiner’s] fire and like ·laundry [launderer’s] soap.


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Like someone who ·heats [refines] and purifies silver, he will purify the ·Levites [sons/descendants of Levi] and ·make them pure [refine them] like gold and silver. Then they will bring offerings to the Lord in ·the right way [righteousness].


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And the Lord will ·accept [be pleased with] the offerings from Judah and Jerusalem, as it was in ·the past [days of antiquity and former years].


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The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “Then I will come to you and judge you. I will be quick to testify against those who take part in ·evil magic [sorcery], adultery, and ·lying under oath [perjury], those who cheat workers of their pay and who cheat widows and orphans, those who ·are unfair to [turn away; deprive of justice] ·foreigners [aliens; immigrants], and those who do not ·respect [fear] me [].


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Stealing from God “I the Lord do not change. So you descendants of Jacob have not been ·destroyed [consumed].


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·Since the time [From the days] of your ·ancestors [fathers], you have ·disobeyed [turned away from; spurned] my ·rules [decrees; commands] and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’


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“·Should [or Can] a person rob God? But you are robbing me. “You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’ “You have robbed me in your offerings and ·the tenth of your crops [tithes].


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Bring to the storehouse a full ·tenth of what you earn [tithe] so there will be food in my house [the temple; ]. Test me in this,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]. “I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.


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I will stop the ·insects [pests; or plague; the devourer] so they won’t ·eat [destroy] your crops. The grapes won’t ·fall from your vines before they are ready to pick [or fail to produce a crop],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“All the nations will call you blessed, because you will have a ·pleasant country [delightful land],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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The Lord’s Promise of Mercy The Lord says, “You have said ·terrible things about [hard things against] me. “But you ask, ‘What have we said about you?’


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“You have said, ‘It is ·useless [futile] to serve God. ·It did no good to obey [What profit is there to keep] his laws and to ·show that we were sorry [walk about in mourning] for what we did before the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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So we say that proud people are ·happy [blessed]. Evil people ·succeed [prosper]. They ·challenge [test] God and ·get away with it [escape harm].’”


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Then those who ·honored [feared] the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened and heard them. The names of those who ·respected [feared] the Lord and honored ·him [his name] were written in his presence in a ·book to be remembered [scroll of remembrance].


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The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says, “They ·belong to me [shall be mine]; on that day they will be my ·very own [treasured possession; special treasure]. As a ·parent [father] ·shows mercy to [spares] his ·child [son] who serves him, I will ·show mercy to [spare] my people.


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You will again see the difference between ·good [the righteous] and ·evil people [the wicked], between those who serve God and those who don’t.


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The Day of the Lord’s Judging “[For look/behold] There is a day coming that will burn like a hot furnace, and all the ·proud [arrogant] and ·evil people [evildoers] will be like ·straw [chaff; stubble]. On that day they will be completely burned up so that not a root or branch will be left,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“But for you who ·honor me [fear/revere my name], ·goodness will shine on you like the sun [the sun of righteousness will rise], with healing in its ·rays [wings]. You will ·jump around [go out leaping], like ·well-fed calves [calves from the stall].


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Then you will ·crush [trample] the wicked like ashes under your feet on the day I will do this,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


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“Remember the ·teaching [law; Torah] of Moses my servant, those ·laws [decrees] and rules I gave to him on ·Mount Sinai [Horeb] for all the Israelites [].


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“But I will send you Elijah the prophet before that great and terrifying day of the ·Lord’s judging [Lord].


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Elijah will ·help parents love [turn the hearts of fathers/parents to] their children and ·children love [turn children to] their parents. Otherwise, I will come and ·put a curse on the land [strike the land with a curse/destruction].”


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The Family History of Jesus This is the ·family history [record of the ancestors; genealogy; book of the offspring/family; perhaps a title for the entire book] of Jesus ·Christ [the Messiah]. ·He came from the family of David, and David came from the family of Abraham […the son of David, the son of Abraham; “son” can mean descendant].


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Abraham ·was the father of [fathered; begot; and so throughout the genealogy; the word can refer to more distant ancestry] Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.


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Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. (Their mother was Tamar [].) Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.


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Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon.


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Salmon was the father of Boaz. (Boaz’s mother was Rahab [].) Boaz was the father of Obed. (Obed’s mother was Ruth [].) Obed was the father of Jesse.


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Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon. (Solomon’s mother had been Uriah’s wife [Bathsheba; ].)


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Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa.


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Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Joram [a variant spelling of Jehoram; ]. Joram was the ·ancestor [or father; see ] of Uzziah.


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Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah.


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Josiah was the ·grandfather [or father; see ] of Jeconiah [another name for Jehoiachin; see ; ] and his brothers. (This was at the time ·that the people were taken [of the exile/deportation; ] to Babylon.)


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After ·they were taken [the exile/deportation] to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the ·grandfather [or father; see ] of Zerubbabel [].


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Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor.


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Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of ·Akim [Achim]. ·Akim [Achim] was the father of Eliud.


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Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob.


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Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary ·was the mother of [gave birth to] Jesus, who is called the ·Christ [Messiah].


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So there were fourteen generations [in all] from Abraham to David. And there were fourteen generations from David until the ·people were taken [exile; deportation] to Babylon. And there were fourteen generations from the time ·when the people were taken [of the exile/deportation] to Babylon until ·Christ [the Messiah] was born.


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The Birth of Jesus Christ This is how the birth of Jesus ·Christ [the Messiah] came about. His mother Mary was ·engaged [pledged; betrothed; a formal agreement between families that required a “divorce” to annul] to marry Joseph, but before they ·married [came to live together], she ·learned she was [or was found/discovered to be] ·pregnant [with child] ·by the power of [through] the Holy Spirit.


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Because Mary’s husband, Joseph, was a ·good [righteous] man, he did not want to disgrace her in public, so he planned to ·divorce her [end the engagement] ·secretly [privately; quietly].


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While Joseph ·thought about [considered; decided; resolved to do] these things, [look; behold] an angel of the Lord ·came [appeared] to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, ·descendant [son] of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because ·the baby [what is conceived] in her is from the Holy Spirit.


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She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins [the name Jesus means “the Lord saves”].”


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“[Look; Behold] The virgin will ·be pregnant [conceive in her womb; ]. She will ·have [give birth to] a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which [in Hebrew] means “God is with us.”


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When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord’s angel had ·told [commanded] him to do. Joseph took Mary as his wife,


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but he did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And ·Joseph [he] named him Jesus.


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Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus ·When [After] Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king, some ·wise men [astrologers; magi; a class of wise men and priests who practiced astrology] from the east came to Jerusalem.


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They asked, “Where is the ·baby who was born to be the king [or newborn king] of the Jews? We saw his star ·in the east [or when it rose] and have come to ·worship him [pay him homage].”


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When King Herod heard this, he was ·troubled [very disturbed; frightened], as were all the people in Jerusalem.


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Herod ·called a meeting of [assembled] all the ·leading [chief] priests and ·teachers of the law [scribes] and ·asked [inquired of] them where the ·Christ [Messiah] would be born.


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They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. ·The prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures [For so it has been written by the prophet]:


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‘·But [or And] you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are ·not just an insignificant village in [by no means least among the rulers/ruling cities of] Judah []. [For; Because] A ruler will come from you who will ·be like a shepherd for [shepherd] my people Israel.’”


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Then Herod ·had a secret meeting with [privately summoned] the ·wise men [astrologers; magi; ] and ·learned [inquired] from them the exact time ·they first saw the star [the star appeared].


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He sent the ·wise men [astrologers; magi] to Bethlehem, saying, “·Look [Go and search] carefully for the child. When you find him, ·come tell [report to] me so I can [go and] ·worship [pay homage to] him too.”


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After the ·wise men [astrologers; magi] ·heard [listened to; had their interview with] the king, they ·left [went on their way; set out]. [And look] The star that they had seen ·in the east [or when it rose] went ·before [ahead of] them until it ·stopped [stood] above the place where the child was.


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When the ·wise men [astologers; magi] saw the star, they ·were filled with joy [were overjoyed; rejoiced with exceedingly great joy].


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They ·came to [entered] the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary, and they ·bowed down [knelt; fell] and ·worshiped [paid homage to] him. They opened their ·gifts [treasure chests; treasures] and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.


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·But God warned the wise men [Being warned; the passive verb implies God as subject] in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their own country by a different way.


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Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt After they left, an angel of the Lord ·came [appeared] to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and ·escape [flee] to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is ·starting [intending; going] to ·look [search] for the child so he can kill him.”


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And Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This happened to ·bring about [fulfill] what the Lord had said through the prophet: “I called my son out of Egypt [; Jesus fulfills the role of Israel by leading a spiritual Exodus].”


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Herod Kills the Baby Boys When Herod saw that the ·wise men [astologers; magi] had ·tricked [outwitted; outsmarted] him, he was furious. So he ·gave an order [or sent soldiers] to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and in the surrounding area who were two years old or younger. This was ·in keeping with [based on] the time he learned from the ·wise men [astologers; magi].


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·So [Then] what ·God had said [was spoken; the passive verb implies God as subject] through the prophet Jeremiah ·came true [was fulfilled]:


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“A ·voice [cry; sound] was heard in Ramah [the sending point from which the Jews went into exile to Babylon; ] ·of painful crying [weeping] and ·deep sadness [great mourning/lamentation]: Rachel ·crying [weeping] for her children. She refused to be comforted, because ·her children are dead [they are no more; ].”


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Joseph and Mary Return After Herod died, an angel of the Lord ·spoke [appeared] to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt.


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The angel said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, because the people who were ·trying to kill [seeking the life of] the child are now dead.”


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But he heard that Archelaus [reigned from 4 bc to ad 6] was now ·king [reigning] in Judea ·since his father Herod had died [in place of his father Herod]. So Joseph was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he ·went [withdrew] to the ·area [region; district] of Galilee,


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to a town called Nazareth, and lived there. And so what ·God had said [was spoken; the passive verb implies God as subject] through the prophets ·came true [was fulfilled]: “He will be called a Nazarene [a person from the town of Nazareth; perhaps a reference to , where the Hebrew word translated “branch” sounds like “Nazarene”].”


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The Work of John the Baptist ·About that time [In the course of time; In those days] John the Baptist began preaching in the ·desert area [wilderness] of Judea.


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John said, “·Change your hearts and lives [Repent] because the kingdom of heaven ·is near [has drawn near; is at hand].”


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·John the Baptist [For this] is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said: “This is a voice of one who ·calls out [shouts; cries out] in the ·desert [wilderness]: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make ·the road straight [a clear path] for him [].’”


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John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist [reminiscent of the prophet Elijah; ]. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey [signifies living off the land].


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Many people came from Jerusalem and Judea and all the ·area [region] around the Jordan River to hear John.


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Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the place where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, “You ·are snakes [brood/offspring of vipers]! Who warned you to ·run [slither; flee] away from God’s coming ·punishment [wrath; retribution]?


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·Do the things [Produce the fruit] ·that show you really have changed your hearts and lives [that prove your repentance; of repentance].


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And don’t ·think you can [presume to] say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father [a claim to be God’s special people].’ [For] I tell you that God could ·make [create; raise up] children for Abraham from these rocks.


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The ax ·is now ready to cut down [already lies at the root of] the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire [a metaphor for judgment].


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John Preaches About the Christ “I baptize you with water ·to show that your hearts and lives have changed [for repentence]. But there is one coming after me who is ·greater [mightier; more powerful] than I am, whose sandals I am not ·good enough [fit; qualified] to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.


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·He will come ready [The winnowing fork is in his hand] to clean the grain, ·separating the good grain from the chaff [to clear his threshing floor]. He will put ·the good part of the grain [the grain/wheat] into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with ·a fire that cannot be put out [never-ending/unquenchable fire; a metaphor for judgment, when Jesus will separate the righteous from the wicked].”


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Jesus Is Baptized by John ·At that time [Then] Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River ·and wanted John to baptize him [to be baptized by John].


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But John tried to ·stop [deter; dissuade; prevent] him, saying, “·Why do [Do] you come to me to be baptized? I need to be baptized by you!”


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Jesus answered, “Let it ·be this way for [happen] now. ·We should do all things that are God’s will [or In this way we will do what God requires; For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness].” So John ·agreed to baptize Jesus [gave in; consented; allowed it].


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As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then ·heaven [the sky/heavens] opened, and he saw God’s Spirit ·coming down [descending and lighting/settling] on him like a dove [either in the form of a dove, or in bird-like descent].


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And a voice from heaven said, “This is my ·Son, whom I love [dearly beloved Son; ; ], and I am ·very [well] pleased with him [].”


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The Temptation of Jesus Then the Spirit led Jesus [up; out] into the ·desert [wilderness] to be tempted [or tested] by the devil.


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Jesus fasted for forty days and nights [analogous to Israel’s forty years in the desert]. After this, he was ·very hungry [famished].


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The ·devil came to Jesus to tempt him [tempter/tester came to Jesus], saying, “If you are the Son of God, ·tell [command] these rocks to ·become bread [turn into loaves].”


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Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘A person lives not on bread alone, but by ·everything God says [every word that comes out of God’s mouth; ].’”


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Then the devil ·led [took] Jesus to the holy city [Jerusalem] and put him on ·a high place [the highest point; the pinnacle] of the Temple.


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The devil said, “If you are the Son of God, ·jump [throw yourself] down, because it is written in the Scriptures: ‘He ·has put his angels in charge of you [or will order his angels to protect you; will command his angel concerning you]. They will ·catch you in [lift you up with] their hands so that you will not hit your foot on a rock [].’”


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·Then [Again] the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their ·splendor [glory].


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Jesus said to him, “·Go away from me [Get out of here; Be gone], Satan! [For] It is written in the Scriptures, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him [].’”


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Jesus Begins Work in Galilee When Jesus heard that John had been ·put in prison [arrested], he ·went back [withdrew] to Galilee.


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He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, ·a town near Lake Galilee [by the sea], in the ·area near [region of] Zebulun and Naphtali [two northern tribes of Israel].


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“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali ·along [on the road by; the way of] the sea, beyond the Jordan River. ·This is Galilee where the Gentiles live [Galilee of the Gentiles/nations].


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These people who ·live [dwell; sit] in darkness ·will see [have seen] a great light. And on those ·living [dwelling; sitting] in ·a place covered with the shadows of death [a land overshadowed by death; a/the region and shadow of death], a light ·will shine [has dawned] on them [].”


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Jesus Chooses Some Followers From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “·Change your hearts and lives [Repent], because the kingdom of heaven is ·near [at hand].”


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As Jesus was walking by ·Lake Galilee [the Sea of Galilee], he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were ·throwing [casting] a net into the lake because they were fishermen.


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Jesus said, “Come ·follow me [be my disciples], and I will ·make you [teach you how to] ·fish for people [fishers of men].”


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As Jesus ·continued walking by Lake Galilee [went on from there], he saw two other brothers, ·James and John, the sons of Zebedee [James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John]. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, ·mending [or preparing] their nets. Jesus ·told them to come with him [called them].


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Jesus Teaches and Heals People Jesus went everywhere in Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the ·Good News about [Gospel of] the kingdom, and healing ·all [or every kind of] the people’s diseases and sicknesses.


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The ·news [fame] about Jesus spread ·all over [or as far as] Syria, and people brought all the sick to him. They were suffering from different kinds of diseases. Some were in great pain, some ·had demons [were demon-possessed], some were epileptics, and some were paralyzed. Jesus healed all of them.


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·Many people [Great crowds] from Galilee, the ·Ten Towns [Decapolis; the area east of Lake Galilee that once had ten main towns], Jerusalem, Judea, and ·the land across [beyond] the Jordan River followed him.


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Jesus Teaches the People When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on ·a hill [the mountain] and sat down. His ·followers [disciples] ·came to [gathered around] him,


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“·They are blessed [or Blessed are those…; and so through ] who ·realize their spiritual poverty [are the poor in spirit], for the kingdom of heaven ·belongs to them [is theirs].


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They are blessed who ·grieve [mourn], for ·God will comfort them [they will be comforted; the passive verb implies God as subject].


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They are blessed who are ·humble [meek; gentle], for ·the whole earth will be theirs [they shall inherit the earth; ].


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They are blessed who hunger and thirst after ·justice [righteousness], for they will be ·satisfied [filled].


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They are blessed who show mercy to others, for ·God will show mercy to them [they will be shown mercy; the passive verb implies God as subject].


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They are blessed ·whose thoughts are pure [or whose hearts are pure; the pure in heart], for they will see God.


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They are blessed who work for peace [Blessed are the peacemakers], for they will be called God’s ·children [or sons].


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They are blessed who are persecuted for ·doing good [doing what’s right; the sake of righteousness], for the kingdom of heaven ·belongs to them [is theirs].


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“·You are blessed [Blessed are you; or God will bless you] when people ·insult [mock; abuse; revile] you and ·hurt [persecute] you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things ·about [against] you because ·you follow [of] me.


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Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. ·People did the same evil things to [They likewise persecuted] the prophets who lived before you.


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You Are Like Salt and Light “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt ·loses its salty taste [becomes tasteless], ·it cannot [how can it…?] be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and ·walked on [trampled].


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“You are the light ·that gives light to [for; of] the world. A city that ·is built [stands; is set] on a hill cannot be hidden.


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And people don’t light a lamp and then hide it under a ·bowl [or basket]. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house.


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In the same way let your light shine ·before others [for people to see], so that they will see ·the good things you do [your good deeds/works] and will ·praise [glorify; give honor to] your Father in heaven.


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The Importance of the Law and the Prophets “Don’t think that I have come to ·destroy [abolish; do away with] ·the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets [the Law and the Prophets; referring to the OT]. I have not come to destroy them but to ·bring about what they said [fulfill/complete them].


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I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth ·are gone [pass away; disappear], not even ·the smallest letter [one jot; one iota; the smallest Greek letter] or the smallest ·part [stroke; tittle] of a letter will ·be lost [pass away; disappear] until everything ·has happened [is accomplished/achieved].


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[Therefore] Whoever ·refuses to obey [ignores; breaks; annuls] ·any command [one of the least of these commands] and teaches other people ·not to obey that command [to do likewise] will be ·the least important [called/considered least] in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever ·obeys [keeps; practices] the commands and teaches other people to obey them will be [considered; called] great in the kingdom of heaven.


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[For] I tell you that ·if you are no more obedient than [unless your righteousness surpasses/exceeds that of] the ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees, you will ·never [or certainly not] enter the kingdom of heaven.


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Jesus Teaches About Anger “You have heard that it was said to ·our people long ago [our ancestors; the ancients], ‘You ·must [shall] not murder [; ]. Anyone who murders another will be ·judged [subject to judgment].’


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But I tell you, ·if you are [everyone who is] angry with a brother or sister, you will be ·judged [subject to judgment]. ·If you say [Whoever says] ·bad things [“Fool!”; Raca; an Aramaic term of derision] to a brother or sister, you will be ·judged [subject/liable to judgment] by the ·council [Sanhedrin]. And if you call someone a ·fool [idiot; moron], you will be in danger of the fire of ·hell [Gehenna; a valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell].


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“So when you ·offer your gift to God [present your offering/sacrifice] at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,


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leave your ·gift [offering; sacrifice] there at the altar. Go and ·make peace [be reconciled] with that person [first], and then come and ·offer your gift [present your offering/sacrifice].


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“If your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] is taking you to court, ·become friends [reach agreement; settle matters] quickly, ·before you go [on the way] to court. Otherwise, your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to the ·guard [officer; warden] to ·put [throw] you in ·jail [prison].


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I tell you the truth, you will ·not [never; certainly not] leave there until you have paid ·everything you owe [the last penny; Greek: the last quadrans; a small copper coin of very low value].


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Jesus Teaches About Sexual Sin “You have heard that it was said, ‘You ·must [shall] not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery [; ].’


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But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman ·and wants to sin sexually with her [lustfully; with a desire for her], in his ·mind [heart] he has already ·done that sin [committed adultery] with her.


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If your right eye causes you to ·sin [stumble], ·take [tear; gouge] it out and throw it away. [For] It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into ·hell [Gehenna; ].


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If your right hand causes you to ·sin [stumble], cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into ·hell [Gehenna; ].


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Jesus Teaches About Divorce “It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written divorce ·paper [notice; certificate; ].’


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But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife ·forces [causes; makes] her ·to be guilty of [commit] adultery. ·The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has sexual relations with another man […except in the case of sexual immorality]. And anyone who marries that divorced woman ·is guilty of [commits] adultery.


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Make Promises Carefully “[Again] You have heard that it was said to ·our people long ago [our ancestors; the ancients], ‘Don’t break your ·promises [vows; oaths], but ·keep [fulfill] the ·promises [vows; oaths] you make to the Lord [; ; ].’


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But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all. ·Don’t swear an oath using the name of heaven […neither by heaven], because heaven is God’s throne.


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·Don’t swear an oath using the name of the earth […nor by earth], because the earth ·belongs to God [is his footstool; ]. ·Don’t swear an oath using the name of Jerusalem […nor by Jerusalem], because it is the city of the great King [].


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Don’t even swear by your own head, because you cannot make one hair on your head become white or black.


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·Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no [Let your word “yes” be “yes”; your “no” be “no”]. ·If you say more than yes or no, it [Anything more than this] is from the Evil One.


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Don’t Retaliate “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [; ; ].’


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But I tell you, don’t ·stand up against [resist; retaliate against] an evil person. If someone ·slaps [strikes] you on the right cheek [either an insult or an act of violence], turn to him the other cheek also.


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If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles [alluding to the practice of impressment, whereby a Roman soldier could command a civilian to carry his gear for a mile].


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If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t ·refuse to give to [turn away from] someone who wants to borrow from you.


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·If you do this, […so that] you will be ·true children [children; or sons] of your Father in heaven. [For] He causes ·the [his] sun to rise on evil people and on good people, and he sends rain ·to those who do right and to those who do wrong [on the just/righteous and the unjust/unrighteous].


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[For] If you love only the people who love you, ·you will get no reward [what reward is there for that?]. ·Even [Don’t even…?] the tax collectors do that.


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And if you ·are nice only to your friends [greet only your brothers; probably meaning fellow Jews], ·you are no better than other people [what more are you doing (than others)?]. Even ·those who don’t know God [the Gentiles; pagans] ·are nice to their friends [do the same].


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Jesus Teaches About Giving “·Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them [or Be careful not to do/parade your righteous deeds] in front of people to be ·seen [noticed] by them. If you do that, you will ·have no [lose the] reward from your Father in heaven.


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“[So] When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets [either figuratively (“blow their own horn”) or literally, since trumpets sometimes announced public events] in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and ·honor [admire] them. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [praise from people, rather than reward from God].


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So when you give to the poor, don’t let ·anyone know what you are [your left hand know what your right hand is] doing.


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Your giving should be done in ·secret [private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.


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Jesus Teaches About Prayer “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will ·see [notice] them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward.


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When you pray, you should go into your [private; inner] room and close the door and pray to your Father ·who cannot be seen [or who is in that secret place; or secretly; in private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.


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“And when you pray, don’t be like ·those people who don’t know God [the pagans/Gentiles/heathen]. They ·continue saying things that mean nothing [babble; repeat empty phrases], thinking ·that God will hear them [they will be heard; the passive verb implies God as subject] because of their many words.


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So when you pray, you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, ·may your name always be kept holy [Hallowed be your name].


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Forgive us for our ·sins [debts], just as we have forgiven ·those who sinned against us [our debtors; sin is pictured as a debt owed].


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And ·do not cause us to be tempted [lead us not into temptation; or do not put us to the test], but ·save [rescue; deliver] us from ·the Evil One [or evil].’ ,The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.,


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·Yes, [For] if you forgive others for their ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses], your Father in heaven will also forgive you.


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But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses].


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Jesus Teaches About Worship “When you fast [giving up eating for spiritual purposes], don’t put on a ·sad [gloomy; somber] face like the hypocrites. They make their faces ·look sad [disheveled; disfigured; unattractive] to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [].


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So when you fast [], ·comb your hair [put oil on/anoint your head; typical first century grooming] and wash your face.


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Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, ·whom you cannot see [who is hidden/in secret], will see you. Your Father sees what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.


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God Is More Important than Money “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them.


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But store ·your [for yourselves] treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them.


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“The eye is ·a light [the lamp] for the body. If your eyes are ·good [healthy; clear], your whole body will be full of light.


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But if your eyes are ·evil [unhealthy; bad], your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the ·only light you have [or light you think you have; light in you] is really darkness, then ·you have the worst darkness [how great that darkness is!].


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“No one can serve two ·masters [lords]. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will ·follow [be devoted/loyal to] one master and ·refuse to follow [despise] the other. You cannot serve both God and ·worldly riches [money; mammon].


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Don’t Worry “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.


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·Look at [Consider; Think of] the birds in the air. They don’t ·plant [sow] or ·harvest [reap] or ·store food in [gather into] barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And ·you know that you are [aren’t you…?] worth much more than the birds.


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·You cannot [Who of you can…?] add ·any time [or one step; one cubit; about eighteen inches] to your ·life [or height; the Greek probably refers to time instead of stature] by worrying about it.


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“And why do you worry about clothes? ·Look at [Consider; Think] how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t ·work [toil] or ·make clothes for themselves [spin thread].


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But I tell you that even Solomon ·with his riches [in all his glory] was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.


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·God clothes [If God clothes…?] the ·grass [wildflower] in the field, which is ·alive [here] today but tomorrow is thrown into the ·fire [furnace; oven]. ·So you can be even more sure that God will [Will he not much more…?] clothe you. ·Don’t have so little faith [or How little faith you have; You of little faith]!


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The ·people who don’t know God [Gentiles; pagans; unbelievers] ·keep trying to get [eagerly seek; run after] these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them.


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·Seek first [Be concerned above all else with] God’s kingdom and ·what God wants [his righteousness]. Then all ·your other needs will be met as well [these things will be given to you].


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So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will ·have its own worries [or worry about/take care of itself]. Each day has enough trouble of its own.


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You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and ·the amount you give to others will be given to you [or the standard you use for others will be the standard used for you; with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you].


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“Why do you notice the ·little piece of dust [speck; tiny splinter] in your ·friend’s [brother’s (or sister’s)] eye, but you don’t ·notice [consider] the ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye?


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How can you say to your ·friend [brother], ‘Let me take that ·little piece of dust [speck; splinter] out of your eye’? ·Look at yourself [Behold]! You still have that ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye.


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You hypocrite! First, take the ·wood [log; plank; beam] out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the ·dust [speck; splinter] out of your ·friend’s [brother’s] eye.


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“Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls ·before [to] ·pigs [swine]. ·Pigs will only trample on them, and dogs will turn to attack you [They will trample them and turn to attack you; pigs were ritually unclean and dogs were considered scavengers].


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Ask God for What You Need “·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [it will be given; the passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you.


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·Yes, [For; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.


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·Even though you are bad, you [If you, being evil,] know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!


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The Most Important Rule “[So always; So in everything] ·Do to others what [Treat others as] you want them to ·do to [treat] you. This ·is [sums up; is the essence of] the ·meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets [Law and the Prophets; referring to the OT].


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The Way to Heaven Is Hard “Enter through the narrow gate. [Because] The gate is wide and the road is ·wide [broad; spacious; or easy] that leads to ·hell [destruction; ruin], and many people enter through that gate.


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But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road.


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People Know You by Your Actions “·Be careful of [Beware of; Watch out for] false prophets. They come to you ·looking gentle like sheep [disguised like sheep; in sheep’s clothing], but ·they are really dangerous like wolves [underneath/inwardly they are ravenous/vicious/ferocious wolves].


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You will know these people by ·what they do [their fruit]. ·Grapes don’t come [Can you pick grapes…?] from thornbushes, ·and figs don’t come from [and figs from…?] ·thorny weeds [thistles].


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In the same way, every ·good [healthy; sound] tree produces good fruit, but a ·bad [rotten; diseased] tree produces bad fruit.


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A ·good [healthy; sound] tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a ·bad [rotten; diseased] tree cannot produce good fruit.


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“Not all those who say [to me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].


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On ·the last day [judgment day; that day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [Did we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [cast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [mighty works in your name…?].’


