LXX Concordance for θεὸς

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[fn]

God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so.

God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of the water he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

God made the two great lights ​— ​the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night ​— ​as well as the stars.

So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

So God created man in his own image;

he created him in the image of God;

he created them male and female.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

On the seventh[fn] day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested[fn] on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.

The LORD God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place.

“In fact, God knows that when[fn] you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you? ”

So the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done? ”

And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The LORD God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them.

So the LORD God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

And Abel also presented an offering ​— ​some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent?

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel? ”

“I don't know,” he replied. “Am I my brother's guardian? ”

Then the LORD replied to him, “In that case,[fn] whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.

Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has given[fn] me another offspring[fn] in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

This is the document containing the family[fn] records of Adam.[fn] On the day that God created man,[fn] he made him in the likeness of God;

When the LORD saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time,

God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth.

Then the LORD said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation.

Those that entered, male and female of every creature, entered just as God had commanded him. Then the LORD shut him in.

God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside.

Then God spoke to Noah,

When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, he said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Then God said to Noah and his sons with him,

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations:

God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and every creature on earth.”

He also said:

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem;

Let Canaan be[fn] Shem's slave.

Therefore it is called Babylon,[fn][fn] for there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the LORD scattered them throughout the earth.

But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram's wife, Sarai.

After Lot had separated from him, the LORD said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,

and blessed be God Most High

who has handed over your enemies to you.

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

He also said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering![fn] I put my slave in your arms,[fn] and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the LORD judge between me and you.”

So she named the LORD who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,”[fn] for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me? ”[fn]

Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him:

“I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.

God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant.

God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah[fn] will be her name.

But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.[fn] I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.

When he finished talking with him, God withdrew[fn] from Abraham.

The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.

So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when he demolished the cities where Lot had lived.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”[fn]

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience.[fn] I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her.

“So when God had me wander from my father's house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me, ‘He's my brother.' ”

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children,

But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed[fn] about the boy and about your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac,

God heard the boy crying, and the[fn] angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid, for God has heard the boy crying from the place where he is.

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink.

At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham! ”

“Here I am,” he answered.

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide[fn] the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

“The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your offspring'[fn] ​— ​he will send his angel before you, and you can take a wife for my son from there.

“LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “make this happen for me today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives.”

“Today when I came to the spring, I prayed: LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only you will make my journey successful!

After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.

and the LORD appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.”

May God give to you —

from the dew of the sky

and from the richness of the land —

an abundance of grain and new wine.

“May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

The LORD was standing there beside him,[fn] saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying.

Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I'm making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear,

Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, he has heard me and given me a son,” so she named him Dan.[fn]

God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.

“God has given me a good gift,” Leah said. “This time my husband will honor me because I have borne six sons for him,” and she named him Zebulun.[fn]

Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.

But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor with you, stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

He said to them, “I can see from your father's face that his attitude toward me is not the same as before, but the God of my father has been with me.

“and that he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not let him harm me.

“God has taken away your father's herds and given them to me.

“I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.' ”

“In fact, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you.”

But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself! ” God warned him. “Don't say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

“I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Watch yourself! Don't say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'

“If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work,[fn] and he issued his verdict last night.”

“Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I. Let it be a witness between the two of us.”

and also Mizpah,[fn] for he said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight.

“The God of Abraham, and the gods of Nahor ​— ​the gods of their father[fn] ​— ​will judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,'

When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you? ”

He answered, “The children God has graciously given your servant.”

“Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need.” So Jacob urged him until he accepted.

God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

Jacob built an altar there and called the place El-bethel[fn] because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him.

Then God withdrew[fn] from him at the place where he had spoken to him.

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

“It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

“Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.

Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh[fn] and said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family.”

He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It's here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us? ”

Then the steward said, “May you be well. Don't be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about? ” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

“What can we say to my lord? ” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants' iniquity. We are now my lord's slaves ​— ​both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

“And now don't be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

“God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.[fn]

“Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.

That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob! ” he said.

And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”

And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons God has given me here.”

So Israel said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.”

Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.”

Then he blessed Joseph and said:

The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

So he blessed them that day, putting Ephraim before Manasseh when he said, “The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' ”

“by the God of your father who helps you,

and by the Almighty who blesses you

with blessings of the heavens above,

blessings of the deep that lies below,

and blessings of the breasts and the womb.

“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result ​— ​the survival of many people.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous.

God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Then he continued, “I am the God of your father,[fn] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship[fn] God at this mountain.”

“They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

“This will take place,” he continued, “so that they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Aaron repeated everything the LORD had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people.

Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.”

They answered, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, or else he may strike us with plague or sword.”

“May the LORD take note of you and judge,” they said to them, “because you have made us reek to Pharaoh and his officials ​— ​putting a sword in their hand to kill us! ”

Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the LORD.

“I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians.

It was this Aaron and Moses whom the LORD told, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions.”

“Tell him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let my people go, so that they may worship[fn] me in the wilderness. But so far you have not listened.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him: This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

And the LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh. Tell him: This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may worship me.

“Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead,[fn] so that the LORD's instruction may be in your mouth; for the LORD brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.”

The LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night.

The LORD is my strength and my song;[fn]

he has become my salvation.

This is my God, and I will praise him,

my father's God, and I will exalt him.

“I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.”

and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh's sword”).[fn]

“Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.

Moses went up the mountain to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites:

As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.

The LORD directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD; otherwise many of them will die.

Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,

Moses responded to the people, “Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not[fn] sin.”

“But if he did not intend any harm,[fn] and yet God allowed it to happen, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.

and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself.

“And they will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man fasten his sword to his side; go back and forth through the camp from entrance to entrance, and each of you kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.' ”

The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed:

The LORD ​— ​the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth,

“Because the LORD is jealous for his reputation, you are never to bow down to another god.[fn] He is a jealous God.

Moses then said to the Israelites, “Look, the LORD has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the LORD had placed wisdom, all whose hearts moved them, to come to the work and do it.

“For I am the LORD your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. Do not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground.

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

“You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statutes by following them; I am the LORD your God.

“You must keep my instruction to not do any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them; I am the LORD your God.”

“Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

“Do not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien; I am the LORD your God.

“Do not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God; I am the LORD.

“Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you are to fear your God; I am the LORD.

“Do not go about spreading slander among your people; do not jeopardize[fn] your neighbor's life; I am the LORD.

“When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you are to consider the fruit forbidden.[fn] It will be forbidden to you for three years; it is not to be eaten.

“But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way its yield will increase for you; I am the LORD your God.

“You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the LORD.

“Do not turn to mediums[fn] or consult spiritists,[fn] or you will be defiled by them; I am the LORD your God.

“You will regard the alien who resides with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

“You are to have honest balances, honest weights, an honest dry measure,[fn] and an honest liquid measure;[fn] I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.

“And I promised you: You will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God who set you apart from the peoples.

“You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be mine.

“Say to them: If any man from any of your descendants throughout your generations is in a state of uncleanness yet approaches the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person will be cut off from my presence; I am the LORD.

“They must keep my instruction, or they will be guilty and die because they profane it; I am the LORD who sets them apart.

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap all the way to the edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien; I am the LORD your God.”

“so that your generations may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.”

“You are to have the same law for the resident alien and the native, because I am the LORD your God.”

“You are not to cheat one another, but fear your God, for I am the LORD your God.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

“For the Israelites are my servants. They are my servants that I brought out of the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

“Do not make worthless idols for yourselves, set up a carved image or sacred pillar for yourselves, or place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to live in freedom.[fn]

“Yet in spite of this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or abhor them so as to destroy them and break my covenant with them, since I am the LORD their God.

“You are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your fellowship sacrifices and on your joyous occasions, your appointed festivals, and the beginning of each of your months. They will serve as a reminder for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”

“I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.”

Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to him, who is set apart, and the one he will let come near him. He will let the one he chooses come near him.

“Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to himself, to perform the work at the LORD's tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them?

But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “God, God who gives breath to all,[fn] when one man sins, will you vent your wrath on the whole community? ”

Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you? ”

Then God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”

But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? ”

Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face.

Balaam said to him, “Look, I have come to you, but can I say anything I want? I must speak only the message God puts in my mouth.”

Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the LORD will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill.

He answered, “Shouldn't I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth? ”

The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”

God is not a man, that he might lie,

or a son of man, that he might change his mind.

Does he speak and not act,

or promise and not fulfill?

He considers no disaster for Jacob;

he sees no trouble for Israel.[fn]

The LORD their God is with them,

and there is rejoicing over the King among them.

God brought him out of Egypt;

he is like[fn] the horns of a wild ox for them.

He will feed on enemy nations

and gnaw their bones;

he will strike them with his arrows.

“May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all,[fn] appoint a man over the community

“The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb: ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

“The LORD your God has so multiplied you that today you are as numerous as the stars of the sky.

“We then set out from Horeb and went across all the great and terrible wilderness you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the LORD our God had commanded us. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,

“They took some of the fruit from the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us back a report: ‘The land the LORD our God is giving us is good.'

“The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw him do for you in Egypt.

“You answered me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight just as the LORD our God commanded us.' Then each of you put on his weapons of war and thought it would be easy to go up into the hill country.

“For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these past forty years, and you have lacked nothing.'

“just as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir did for us, and the Moabites who live in Ar, until we cross the Jordan into the land the LORD our God is giving us.'

“The LORD our God handed him over to us, and we defeated him, his sons, and his whole army.

“There was no city that was inaccessible to[fn] us, from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead. The LORD our God gave everything to us.

“So the LORD our God also handed over King Og of Bashan and his whole army to us. We struck him until there was no survivor left.

“I commanded you at that time: The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your valiant men will cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers the Israelites.

“until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession that I have given you.

“Lord GOD, you have begun to show your greatness and your strong hand to your servant, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours?

“Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.

“Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed every one of you who followed Baal of Peor.

“For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call to him?

“But the LORD selected you and brought you out of Egypt's iron furnace to be a people for his inheritance, as you are today.

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

“He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them by oath, because the LORD your God is a compassionate God.

“Or has a god attempted to go and take a nation as his own out of another nation, by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

“Today, recognize and keep in mind that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.

“The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

“Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,

“You said, ‘Look, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that God speaks with a person, yet he still lives.

“Go near and listen to everything the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.'

“This is the command ​— ​the statutes and ordinances ​— ​the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess.

“Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.

“for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise, the LORD your God will become angry with you and obliterate you from the face of the earth.

“When your son asks you in the future, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees, statutes, and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you? '

“Know that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.

“the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.

“Don't be terrified of them, for the LORD your God, a great and awesome God, is among you.

“Carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land the LORD swore to your ancestors.

“For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe.

“No one will be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put fear and dread of you in all the land where you set foot, as he has promised you.

“For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you possess it and settle in it,

“Be careful to follow these statutes and ordinances in the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess all the days you live on the earth.

“Instead, turn to the place the LORD your God chooses from all your tribes to put his name for his dwelling and go there.

“Indeed, you have not yet come into the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you.

“do not listen to that prophet's words or to that dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul.

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.'

“the first husband who sent her away may not marry her again after she has been defiled, because that would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt on the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

“Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

“Now if you faithfully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all his commands I am giving you today, the LORD your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth.

“Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

“you did not eat food or drink wine or beer ​— ​so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.

“The LORD will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, his anger and jealousy will burn against that person, and every curse written in this scroll will descend on him. The LORD will blot out his name under heaven,

The Rock ​— ​his work is perfect;

all his ways are just.

A faithful God, without bias,

he is righteous and true.

The LORD alone led him,

with no help from a foreign god.

How could one pursue a thousand,

or two put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

unless the LORD had given them up?

“See now that I alone am he;

there is no God but me.

I bring death and I give life;

I wound and I heal.

No one can rescue anyone from my power.

He said about Benjamin:

The LORD's beloved rests[fn] securely on him.

He[fn] shields him all day long,

and he rests on his shoulders.[fn]

There is none like the God of Jeshurun,

who rides the heavens to your aid,

the clouds in his majesty.

“Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you to inherit.' ”

“Remember what Moses the LORD's servant commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and he will give you this land.'

“until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they too possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the LORD's servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan.”

“We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. Certainly the LORD your God will be with you, as he was with Moses.

“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan.

He said, “You will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites

“For the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over.

When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard how the LORD had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.

“Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart.

On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,

and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

“But as for the rest of you, don't stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don't let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has handed them over to you.”

So Joshua conquered the whole region ​— ​the hill country, the Negev, the Judean foothills,[fn] and the slopes ​— ​with all their kings, leaving no survivors. He completely destroyed every living being, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

He did not, however, give any inheritance to the tribe of Levi. This was their inheritance, just as he had promised: the food offerings made to the LORD, the God of Israel.

They came before the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our male relatives.” So they gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers, in keeping with the LORD's instruction.

Joseph's descendants said to Joshua, “Why did you give us only one tribal allotment as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has been blessing us greatly.”

So Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long will you delay going out to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, gave you?

“Now that he has given your brothers rest, just as he promised them, return to your homes in your own land that Moses the LORD's servant gave you across the Jordan.

“The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD![fn] He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today, if it was in rebellion or treachery against the LORD

So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar: It[fn] is a witness between us that the LORD is God.

“and you have seen for yourselves everything the LORD your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the LORD your God who was fighting for you.

“The LORD your God will force them back on your account and drive them out before you so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

“One of you routed a thousand because the LORD your God was fighting for you, as he promised.[fn]

“know for certain that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you, a sharp stick[fn] for your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you disappear from this good land the LORD your God has given you.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.

“For the LORD our God brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through.

He told them, “Follow me, because the LORD has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you.” So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn't the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites?

That day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites.

the LORD sent a prophet to them. He said to them, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt and out of the place of slavery.

“I said to you: I am the LORD your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites whose land you live in. But you did not obey me.' ”

That night God did as Gideon requested: only the fleece was dry, and dew was all over the ground.

But the olive tree said to them,

“Should I stop giving my oil

that people use to honor both God and men,

and rule[fn] over the trees? ”

God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully,

In this way, God brought back Abimelech's evil ​— ​the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers.

“Then the LORD God of Israel handed over Sihon and all his troops to Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of the entire land of the Amorites who lived in that country.

“The LORD God of Israel has now driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, and will you now force us out?

God listened to Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman. She was sitting in the field, and her husband, Manoah, was not with her.

So God split a hollow place in the ground at Lehi, and water came out of it. After Samson drank, his strength returned, and he revived. That is why he named it Hakkore Spring,[fn] which is still in Lehi today.

Now the Philistine leaders gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said:

Our god has handed over

our enemy Samson to us.

“When you get there, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has handed it over to you. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”

and cried out, “Why, LORD God of Israel, has it occurred[fn] that one tribe is missing in Israel today? ”

Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you've made of him.”

There is no one holy like the LORD.

There is no one besides you!

And there is no rock like our God.

“Therefore, this is the declaration of the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather's family would walk before me forever. But now,' this is the LORD's declaration, ‘no longer! For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disgraced.

“What was the message he gave you? ” Eli asked. “Don't hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.”

“When these signs have happened to you, do whatever your circumstances require[fn] because God is with you.

When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed his heart,[fn] and all the signs came about that day.

and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

“But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us' ​— ​even though the LORD your God is your king.

So Saul said to the LORD, “God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant today? If the unrighteousness is in me or in my son Jonathan, LORD God of Israel, give Urim; but if the fault is in your people Israel, give Thummim.”[fn] Jonathan and Saul were selected, and the troops were cleared of the charge.

Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan! ”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees,[fn] for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”

“Today, the LORD will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses[fn] of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,

“By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.”

Then David said, “LORD God of Israel, your servant has reliable information that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

“May God punish me[fn] and do so severely if I let any of his males[fn] survive until morning.”

Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today!

“Otherwise, as surely as the LORD God of Israel lives, who prevented me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, Nabal wouldn't have had any males[fn] left by morning light.”

“Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the LORD who has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD, for today they have banished me from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go and worship other gods.'

“Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up? ” Samuel asked Saul.

“I'm in serious trouble,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn't answer me anymore, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I've called on you to tell me what I should do.”

“May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don't do for David what the LORD swore to him:

Then they came to urge David to eat food while it was still day, but David took an oath: “May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset! ”

This is why you are great, Lord GOD. There is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms.

since you, LORD of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed this to your servant when you said, “I will build a house for you.” Therefore, your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you.

Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul.

“We will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can't be recovered. But God would not take away a life; he would devise plans so that the one banished from him does not remain banished.

“And tell Amasa, ‘Aren't you my flesh and blood?[fn] May God punish me and do so severely if you don't become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab! ' ”

and buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After this, God was receptive to prayer for the land.

The God of Israel spoke;

the Rock of Israel said to me,

“The one who rules the people with justice,

who rules in the fear of God,

“Amen,” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the king. “May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it.

“The king's servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more well known than your name, and may he make his throne greater than your throne.' Then the king bowed in worship on his bed.

Then King Solomon took an oath by the LORD: “May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life.

“So I plan to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God, according to what the LORD promised my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the temple for my name.'

When Hiram heard Solomon's words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD today! He has given David a wise son to be over this great people! ”

He said:

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel!

He spoke directly to my father David,

and he has fulfilled the promise by his power.

He said,

He said:

LORD God of Israel,

there is no God like you

in heaven above or on earth below,

who keeps the gracious covenant

with your servants who walk before you

with all their heart.

Therefore, LORD God of Israel,

keep what you promised

to your servant, my father David:

You will never fail to have a man

to sit before me on the throne of Israel,

if only your sons take care to walk before me

as you have walked before me.

“May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors. May he not abandon us or leave us

“May all the peoples of the earth know that the LORD is God. There is no other!

and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand. I will give you ten tribes,

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers,[fn] said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, in whose presence I stand, there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command! ”

At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don't make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow! ”

Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria's dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.”

Now the king of Aram's servants said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hill country. That's why they were stronger than we were. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they are.

Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The LORD is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' ”

He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the LORD God of Elijah? ” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize[fn] that he is only picking a fight with me.”

Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there's no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.”

He announced, “May God punish me and do so severely if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

So Jehu got up and went into the house. The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD's people, Israel.

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?[fn] Have they rescued Samaria from my power?

Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD:

LORD God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you are God ​— ​you alone ​— ​of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

Now, LORD our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are God ​— ​you alone.

“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the LORD's temple.

“this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I am about to bring such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that everyone who hears about it will shudder.[fn]

She said to them, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to me,

“Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD: ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard,

Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only you would bless me, extend my border, let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not experience pain.”[fn] And God granted his request.

But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves with the gods of the nations[fn] God had destroyed before them.

David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of my God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? ” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies even though my hands have done no wrong, may the God of our ancestors look on it and judge.”

The ark of God remained with Obed-edom's family in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his family and all that he had.

So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies.” Therefore, they named that place The Lord Bursts Out.[fn]

“When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”

“For the LORD our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn't inquire of him about the proper procedures.”

He is the LORD our God;

his judgments govern the whole earth.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the LORD made the heavens.

And say, “Save us, God of our salvation;

gather us and rescue us from the nations

so that we may give thanks to your holy name

and rejoice in your praise.

So Nathan told David, “Do all that is on your mind, for God is with you.”

And who is like your people Israel? God, you came to one nation on earth to redeem a people for yourself, to make a name for yourself through great and awesome works by driving out nations before your people you redeemed from Egypt.

Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you.

LORD, you indeed are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

Then God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but when the angel was about to destroy the city,[fn] the LORD looked, relented concerning the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now! ” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Ornan[fn] the Jebusite.

For David said, “The LORD God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he has come to stay in Jerusalem forever.

These had their assigned duties for service when they entered the LORD's temple, according to their regulations, which they received from their ancestor Aaron, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

All these sons of Heman, the king's seer, were given by the promises of God to exalt him,[fn] for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

“but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.'

Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly. David said,

May you be blessed, LORD God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.

LORD our God, all this wealth that we've provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you.

LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you.

Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom. The LORD his God was with him and highly exalted him.

That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask. What should I give you? ”

God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king,

The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.

Hiram also said:

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

He said:

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel!

He spoke directly to my father David,

and he has fulfilled the promise

by his power.

He said,

He said:

LORD God of Israel,

there is no God like you

in heaven or on earth,

who keeps his gracious covenant

with your servants who walk before you

with all their heart.

Therefore, LORD God of Israel,

keep what you promised

to your servant, my father David:

“You will never fail to have a man

to sit before me on the throne of Israel,

if only your sons take care to walk in my Law

as you have walked before me.”

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him:

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple of sacrifice.

All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

“Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

“Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every possible distress.

Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing among them, for they had defected to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain? ”

They replied, “March up, and God will hand it over to the king.”

But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say whatever my God says.”[fn]

When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel! ” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him.

He said:

LORD, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you.

Then Jehoshaphat's kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.

Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying:

This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of King Asa of Judah

Although the Aramean army came with only a few men, the LORD handed over a vast army to them because the people of Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors. So they executed judgment on Joash.

So the LORD his God handed Ahaz over to the king of Aram. He attacked him and took many captives to Damascus.

Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with great force:

“for when you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”

“He has only human strength,[fn] but we have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

“Isn't Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, “The LORD our God will keep us from the grasp of the king of Assyria”?

“Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God should be able to deliver you from my power?

He also wrote letters to mock the LORD, the God of Israel, saying against him:

Just like the national gods of the lands that did not rescue their people from my power, so Hezekiah's God will not rescue his people from my power.

Manasseh set up a carved image of the idol, which he had made, in God's temple that God had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name forever[fn] in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

However, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

She said to them, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to me,

“Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD: ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard,

But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, king of Judah? I have not come against you today[fn] but I am fighting another dynasty.[fn] God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God who is with me; don't make him destroy you! ”

But the LORD, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The LORD, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LORD his God be with him.