LXX Concordance for ὅτι

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

God called the expanse “sky.”[fn] Evening came and then morning: the second day.

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.

to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

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.

God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.

And the man said:

This one, at last, is bone of my bone

and flesh of my flesh;

this one will be called “woman,”

for she was taken from man.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can't eat from any tree in the garden'? ”

“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.”

And he said, “I heard you[fn] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

So the LORD God said to the serpent:

Because you have done this,

you are cursed more than any livestock

and more than any wild animal.

You will move on your belly

and eat dust all the days of your life.

And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it':

The ground is cursed because of you.

You will eat from it by means of painful labor[fn]

all the days of your life.

“You will eat bread[fn] by the sweat of your brow

until you return to the ground,

since you were taken from it.

For you are dust,

and you will return to dust.”

“If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Lamech said to his wives:

Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words.

For I killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.

the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves.

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.

but the dove found no resting place for its foot. It returned to him in the ark because water covered the surface of the whole earth. He reached out and brought it into the ark to himself.

When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth's surface had gone down.

In the six hundred first year,[fn] in the first month, on the first day of the month, the water that had covered the earth was dried up. Then Noah removed the ark's cover and saw that the surface of the ground was drying.

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.

“Whoever sheds human blood,

by humans his blood will be shed,

for God made humans in his image.

Eber had two sons. One was named Peleg,[fn] for during his days the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

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.

There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.

So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?

But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,

So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let's not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.

Lot looked out and saw that the entire plain[fn] of the Jordan as far as Zoar was well watered everywhere like the LORD's garden and the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

“for I will give you and your offspring[fn] forever all the land that you see.

“Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled[fn] his 318 trained men, born in his household, and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.

“that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.'

But he said, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it? ”

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.[fn]

He slept with[fn] Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her.

The angel of the LORD said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael,[fn] for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction.

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]

“Your name will no longer be Abram;[fn] your name will be Abraham,[fn] for I will make you the father of many nations.

“If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

But the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I'm old? '

“For I have chosen[fn] him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. This is how the LORD will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.”

“for we are about to destroy this place because the outcry against its people is so great before the LORD, that the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”

Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

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.

Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”

“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.' ”

for the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him[fn] in his old age.”

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,

He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from me so that this act[fn] will serve as my witness that I dug this well.”

Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”

“Let the girl to whom I say, ‘Please lower your water jug so that I may drink,' and who responds, ‘Drink, and I'll water your camels also' ​— ​let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

“and who responds to me, ‘Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels also' ​— ​let her be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master's son.

Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The LORD was receptive to his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.

Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I'm exhausted.” That is why he was also named Edom.[fn]

When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”

Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister'? ”

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”

And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us, for you are much too powerful for us.”[fn]

They replied, “We have clearly seen how the LORD has been with you. We think there should be an oath between two parties ​— ​between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you:

Esau noticed that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to get a wife there. When he blessed him, Isaac commanded Jacob, “Do not marry a Canaanite girl.”

Esau realized that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,

“Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

He told Rachel that he was her father's relative, Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.

Laban said to him, “Just because you're my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

When the LORD saw that Leah was neglected, he opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to conceive.

She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “The LORD heard that I am neglected and has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.[fn]

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. “Give me sons, or I will die! ” she said to Jacob.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Leah said, “I am happy that the women call me happy,” so she named him Asher.[fn]

But Leah replied to her, “Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes? ”

“Well then,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes.”

“In the future when you come to check on my wages, my honesty will testify for me. If I have any female goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not black, they will be considered stolen.”

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 Jacob deceived[fn] Laban the Aramean, not telling him that he was fleeing.

On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

“If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live! Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it.” Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

She said to her father, “Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

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

“Please rescue me from my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children.

When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob's hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip.

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel[fn] because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”

That is why, still today, the Israelites don't eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket: because he struck Jacob's hip socket at the thigh muscle.[fn]

“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.

Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and I have nursing flocks and herds. If they are driven hard for one day, the whole herd will die.

Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.”

But he replied, “Why do that? Please indulge me,[fn] my lord.”

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent until they returned.

Jacob's sons returned from the field when they heard about the incident. They were deeply grieved and very angry, for Shechem had committed an outrage against Israel by raping Jacob's daughter, and such a thing should not be done.

But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully because he had defiled their sister Dinah.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a long-sleeved robe[fn] for him.

“Come on, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and his brothers agreed.

All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

So she took off her widow's clothes, veiled her face, covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

He went over to her and said, “Come, let me sleep with you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

She said, “What will you give me for sleeping with me? ”

When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he did successful,

When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside,

“When he heard me screaming for help,[fn] he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

“but when I screamed for help,[fn] he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with him in his master's house, “Why do you look so sad today? ”

“For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”[fn]

“When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up.

“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.”

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other?

Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken:[fn] ‘You are spies! '

Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”

They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

“The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph's house. They said, “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon.

They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

“What have you done? ” Joseph said to them. “Didn't you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination? ”

But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.

“Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

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

Look! Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I'm[fn] the one speaking to you.

They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt! ” Jacob was stunned,[fn] for he did not believe them.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,

Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought it was a mistake[fn] and took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's.

“May I never enter their council;

may I never join their assembly.

For in their anger they kill men,

and on a whim they hamstring oxen.

“He saw that his resting place was good

and that the land was pleasant,

so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load

and became a forced laborer.

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.”

“‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers' transgression and their sin ​— ​the suffering they caused you.' Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when their message came to him.

So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live? ”

When they returned to their father Reuel,[fn] he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today? ”

She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom,[fn] for he said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land.”

Then the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.

But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? ”

“However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, even under force from a strong hand.

Moses answered, “What if they won't believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you'? ”

“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.”

Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn't Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you.

The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low and worshiped.

“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! ”

“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.

“The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the Israelites from among them.”

“This is what the LORD says: Here is how you will know that I am the LORD. Watch. I am about to strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood.

“Tomorrow,” he answered.

Moses replied, “As you have said, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God,

But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

“But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where my people are living; no flies will be there. This way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land.

Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not let the people go.

“For this time I am about to send all my plagues against you,[fn] your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like me on the whole earth.

Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth[fn] belongs to the LORD.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials.

“and so that you may tell[fn] your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the LORD.”

Pharaoh's officials asked him, “How long must this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Don't you realize yet that Egypt is devastated? ”

He said to them, “The LORD would have to be with you if I would ever let you and your families go! Look out ​— ​you're heading for trouble.

Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We're all going to die! ”

“In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean? ' say to him, ‘By the strength of his hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

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.”

“I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So the Israelites did this.

“The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

When Pharaoh's horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the water of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger! ”

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

“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.”

“For six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

The LORD then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.”

He said, “Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward[fn] the LORD's throne. The LORD will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the LORD rescued them.

Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

Then the LORD told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.

“If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her.

“If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

“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.

“Tell the Israelites: You must observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the LORD who consecrates you.

“It is a sign forever between me and the Israelites, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.”

When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods[fn] for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt ​— ​we don't know what has happened to him! ”

Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin? ”

Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them get out of control, making them a laughingstock to their enemies.[fn]

“Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.”

“How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”

And the LORD responded, “Look, I am making a covenant. In the presence of all your people I will perform wonders that have never been done[fn] in the whole earth or in any nation. All the people you live among will see the LORD's work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring.

As Moses descended from Mount Sinai ​— ​with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain ​— ​he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the LORD.[fn]

and the Israelites would see that Moses's face[fn] was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil over his face again until he went to speak with the LORD.

and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the LORD commanded to be done.”

Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

“But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring two quarts[fn] of fine flour[fn] as an offering for his sin. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

“an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the LORD; and a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD is going to appear to you.”

“Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? For it is especially holy, and he has assigned it to you to take away the guilt of the community and make atonement for them before the LORD.

“But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves you are not to eat these:

camels, though they chew the cud,

do not have divided hooves ​— ​they are unclean for you;

“Do not eat any of the creatures that swarm on the earth, anything that moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet,[fn] for they are abhorrent.

“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.

“it is a chronic serious disease on the skin of his body, and the priest must pronounce him unclean. He need not quarantine him, for he is unclean.

“the priest will look, and if the skin disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the stricken person clean. Since he has turned totally white, he is clean.

“When the priest examines the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean; this is a serious skin disease.

“the priest is to examine the person. If the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.

“He is to burn the fabric, the warp or weft in wool or linen, or any leather article, which is contaminated. Since it is harmful mildew it must be burned.

“But when the priest comes and examines it, if the contamination has not spread in the house after it was replastered, he is to pronounce the house clean because the contamination has disappeared.[fn]

“Since the life of every creature is its blood, I have told the Israelites: You are not to eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.

“You are not to have sexual intercourse with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, for they are your family.[fn]

“Any person who does any of these detestable practices is to be cut off from his people.

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

“Anyone who eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person is to be cut off from his people.

“If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman who is a slave designated for another man, but she has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be punishment.[fn] They are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.

“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.

“I will turn[fn] against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling my sanctuary and profaning my holy name.

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

“You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them.

“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.

“You are to consider him holy since he presents the food of your God. He will be holy to you because I, the LORD who sets you apart, am holy.

“He must not leave the sanctuary or he will desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the LORD.

“No descendant of the priest Aaron who has a defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the LORD. He has a defect and is not to come near to present the food of his God.

“But because he has a defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. He is not to desecrate my holy places, for I am the LORD who sets them apart.”

“When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the holy offerings, for that is his food.

“by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution. For I am the LORD who sets them apart.”

“Neither you nor[fn] a foreigner are to present food to your God from any of these animals. They will not be accepted for you because they are deformed and have a defect.”

“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.”

“It is to be holy to you because it is the Jubilee; you may only eat its produce directly from the field.

“You are to increase its price in proportion to a greater amount of years, and decrease its price in proportion to a lesser amount of years, because what he is selling to you is a number of harvests.

“Whatever property one of the Levites can redeem[fn] ​— ​a house sold in a city they possess ​— ​is to be released at the Jubilee, because the houses in the Levitical cities are their possession among the Israelites.

“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.

“But when they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their ancestors ​— ​their unfaithfulness that they practiced against me, and how they acted with hostility toward me,

“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.

“He is not to defile himself for his father or mother, or his brother or sister, when they die, while the mark of consecration to his God is on his head.

“He is to rededicate his time of consecration to the LORD and to bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. But do not count the initial period of consecration because it became defiled.

But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since their responsibility was service related to the holy objects carried on their shoulders.

“For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.

“But the man who is ceremonially clean, is not on a journey, and yet fails to observe the Passover is to be cut off from his people, because he did not present the LORD's offering at its appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.

They camped at the LORD's command, and they set out at the LORD's command. They carried out the LORD's requirement according to his command through Moses.

Moses said to Hobab, descendant of Reuel the Midianite and Moses's relative by marriage, “We're setting out for the place the LORD promised, ‘I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”

So that place was named Taberah,[fn] because the LORD's fire had blazed among them.

“Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth so you should tell me, ‘Carry them at your breast, as a nursing mother carries a baby,' to the land that you swore to give their ancestors?

The LORD answered Moses, “Bring me seventy men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you.

“Tell the people: Consecrate yourselves in readiness for tomorrow, and you will eat meat because you wept in the LORD's hearing, ‘Who will feed us meat? We were better off in Egypt.' The LORD will give you meat and you will eat.

“but for a whole month ​— ​until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you ​— ​because you have rejected the LORD who is among you, and wept before him, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt? ' ”

So they named that place Kibroth-hattaavah,[fn] because there they buried the people who had craved the meat.

Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman).

“However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there.

Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “Let's go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it! ”

“Only don't rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us. Don't be afraid of them! ”

But Moses replied to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them.

“none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me,

“But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.

They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let's go to the place the LORD promised, for we were wrong.”

“The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The LORD won't be with you, since you have turned from following him.”

“The priest will then make atonement for the entire Israelite community so that they may be forgiven, for the sin was unintentional. They are to bring their offering, a food offering to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their unintentional sin.

“He will certainly be cut off, because he has despised the LORD's word and broken his command; his guilt remains on him.”

They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have gone too far! Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the LORD's assembly? ”

“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?

“Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he[fn] that you should complain about him? ”

“Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us?

Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD sent me to do all these things and that it was not of my own will:

“But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them along with all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised the LORD.”

At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too! ”

“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away.

The LORD told Aaron, “You will not have an inheritance in their land; there will be no portion among them for you. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.

“For I have given them the tenth that the Israelites present to the LORD as a contribution for their inheritance. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.”

“then you and your household may eat it anywhere. It is your wage in return for your work at the tent of meeting.

“Anyone who touches a body of a person who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person will be cut off from Israel. He remains unclean because the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, and his uncleanness is still on him.

“But a person who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person will be cut off from the assembly because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”

“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my command at the Waters of Meribah.

When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food! ”

The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.

Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only up to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified.[fn]

For fire came out of Heshbon,

a flame from the city of Sihon.

It consumed Ar of Moab,

the citizens of Arnon's heights.

But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous, and Moab dreaded the Israelites.

“Please come and put a curse on these people for me because they are more powerful than I am. I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are blessed and those you curse are cursed.”

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? ”

The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil.[fn]

Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back.”

When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city[fn] on the Arnon border at the edge of his territory.

I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,

and I watch them from the hills.

There is a people living alone;

it does not consider itself among the nations.

Since Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned[fn] toward the wilderness.

“For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”

Those registered were 23,000, every male one month old or more; they were not registered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

For the LORD had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

“Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah's followers, who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.

“But if her father prohibits her on the day he hears about it, none of her vows and none of the obligations she put herself under are binding. The LORD will release her because her father has prohibited her.

“But if her husband prohibits her when he hears about it, he will cancel her vow that is binding or the rash commitment she herself made, and the LORD will release her.

“If her husband says nothing at all to her from day to day, he confirms all her vows and obligations, which are binding. He has confirmed them because he said nothing to her when he heard about them.

“none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did remain loyal to the LORD.'

“If you turn back from following him, he will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them.”

“Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east.”

“For the tribe of Reuben's descendants and the tribe of Gad's descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families,[fn] and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance.

“No inheritance belonging to the Israelites is to transfer from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of his ancestral tribe.

“Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.

“Joshua son of Nun, who attends you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit it.

“Don't provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a foot of it,[fn] because I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his possession.

“When you get close to the Ammonites, don't show any hostility to them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the Ammonites' land as a possession; I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.' ”

“You can sell us food in exchange for silver so we may eat, and give us water for silver so we may drink. Only let us travel through on foot,

“But King Sihon of Heshbon would not let us travel through his land, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to hand him over to you, as has now taken place.

“But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.'

“(Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed[fn] was made of iron. Isn't it in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide by a standard measure.[fn])

“But your wives, dependents, and livestock ​— ​I know that you have a lot of livestock ​— ​will remain in the cities I have given you

“Don't be afraid of them, for the LORD your God fights for you.

“Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west, north, south, and east, and see it with your own eyes, for you will not cross the Jordan.

“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.

“Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.'

“Diligently watch yourselves ​— ​because you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb ​— ​

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

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will quickly perish from the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not live long there, but you will certainly be destroyed.

“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.

“You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.

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

“At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to report the word[fn] of the LORD to you, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And he said:

“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,

“Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

“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.

“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.

“For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

“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.

“You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God is delivering over to you and not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

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

“Burn up the carved images of their gods. Don't covet the silver and gold on the images and take it for yourself, or else you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God.

“He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

“Keep in mind that the LORD your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

“but remember that the LORD your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

“But understand that today the LORD your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; he will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the LORD has told you.

“Understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.

“The LORD said to me, ‘Get up and go down immediately from here. For your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned from the way that I commanded them; they have made a cast image for themselves.'

“I saw how you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made a calf image for yourselves. You had quickly turned from the way the LORD had commanded for you.

“I was afraid of the fierce anger the LORD had directed against you, because he was about to destroy you. But again the LORD listened to me on that occasion.

“Understand today that it is not your children who experienced or saw the discipline of the LORD your God:

His greatness, strong hand, and outstretched arm;

“Your own eyes have seen every great work the LORD has done.

“You will rejoice before the LORD your God ​— ​you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levite who is within your city gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.

“But don't eat the blood, since the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

“You must not do the same to the LORD your God, because they practice every detestable act, which the LORD hates, for their gods. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

“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.

“Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

“for you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

“But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves, you are not to eat these:

camels, hares, and hyraxes,

though they chew the cud, they do not have hooves —

they are unclean for you;

“You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to a resident alien within your city gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

“But if the distance is too great for you to carry it, since the place where the LORD your God chooses to put his name is too far away from you and since the LORD your God has blessed you,

“Do not neglect the Levite within your city gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.

“Then the Levite, who has no portion or inheritance among you, the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates may come, eat, and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

“This is how to cancel debt: Every creditor[fn] is to cancel what he has lent his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD's release of debts has been proclaimed.

“There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD is certain to bless you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance ​— ​

“When the LORD your God blesses you as he has promised you, you will lend to many nations but not borrow; you will rule many nations, but they will not rule you.

“Give to him, and don't have a stingy heart[fn] when you give, and because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.[fn]

“Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.

“Do not regard it as a hardship[fn] when you set him free, because he worked for you six years ​— ​worth twice the wages of a hired worker. Then the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.

“Set aside the month of Abib[fn] and observe the Passover to the LORD your God, because the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night in the month of Abib.

“Do not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of hardship ​— ​because you left the land of Egypt in a hurry ​— ​so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.

“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; carefully follow these statutes.

“Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.

“you are to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people.

“For the LORD your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes to stand and minister in his name from now on.[fn]

“Otherwise, the avenger of blood in the heat of his anger[fn] might pursue the one who committed manslaughter, overtake him because the distance is great, and strike him dead. Yet he did not deserve to die,[fn] since he did not previously hate his neighbor.

“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

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

“But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce food. You may cut them down to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.

“Then the priests, the sons of Levi, will come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and pronounce blessings in his name, and they are to give a ruling in[fn] every dispute and case of assault.

“He must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the neglected wife, by giving him two shares[fn][fn] of his estate, for he is the firstfruits of his virility; he has the rights of the firstborn.

“you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not defile the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

“A woman is not to wear male clothing, and a man is not to put on a woman's garment, for everyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD your God.

They will also fine him a hundred silver shekels and give them to the young woman's father, because that man gave an Israelite virgin a bad name. She will remain his wife; he cannot divorce her as long as he lives.

they will bring the woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her father's house. You must purge the evil from you.

“take the two of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death ​— ​the young woman because she did not cry out in the city and the man because he has violated his neighbor's fiancée. You must purge the evil from you.

“Do nothing to the young woman, because she is not guilty of an offense deserving death. This case is just like one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him.

“This is because they did not meet you with food and water on the journey after you came out of Egypt, and because Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim was hired to curse you.

“Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you were a resident alien in his land.

“For the LORD your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you; so your encampments must be holy. He must not see anything indecent among you or he will turn away from you.

“Do not bring a female prostitute's wages or a male prostitute's[fn] earnings into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.

“If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because he will require it of you, and it will be counted against you as sin.

“If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, he may write her a divorce certificate, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.

“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.

“Do not take a pair of grindstones or even the upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a life as security.

“You are to pay him his wages each day before the sun sets, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be held guilty.

“Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.

“When you knock down the fruit from your olive tree, do not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow.

“Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.

“For everyone who does such things and acts unfairly is detestable to the LORD your God.

“When you come before the priest who is serving at that time, say to him, ‘Today I declare to the LORD your[fn] God that I have entered the land the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.'

“‘The one who sleeps with his father's wife is cursed, for he has violated his father's marriage bed.'[fn]

And all the people will say, ‘Amen! '

“Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you bear the LORD's name, and they will stand in awe of you.

“You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because locusts will devour it.

“All these curses will come, pursue, and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the LORD your God and keep the commands and statutes he gave you.

“Though you were as numerous as the stars of the sky, you will be left with only a few people, because you did not obey the LORD your God.

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

“Indeed, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and passed through the nations where you traveled.

“When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt,[fn] thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.' This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land.

“Then people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, which he had made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

“The LORD your God will make you prosper abundantly in all the work of your hands, your offspring,[fn] the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, the LORD will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your ancestors,

“This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach.

“I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan.

“love the LORD your God, obey him, and remain faithful[fn] to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

“Be strong and courageous; don't be terrified or afraid of them. For the LORD your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”

“I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.

“For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the LORD now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead!

“For I know that after my death you will become completely corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. Disaster will come to you in the future, because you will do what is evil in the LORD's sight, angering him with what your hands have made.”

For I will proclaim the LORD's name.

Declare the greatness of our God!

He said, “I will hide my face from them;

I will see what will become of them,

for they are a perverse generation —

unfaithful children.

“For fire has been kindled because of my anger

and burns to the depths of Sheol;

it devours the land and its produce,

and scorches the foundations of the mountains.

Israel is a nation lacking sense

with no understanding at all.

But their “rock” is not like our Rock,

as even our enemies concede.

“Vengeance and retribution belong to me.[fn]

In time their foot will slip,

for their day of disaster is near,

and their doom is coming quickly.”

“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.

Rejoice, you nations, concerning his people,[fn]

for he will avenge the blood of his servants.[fn]

He will take vengeance on his adversaries;[fn]

he will purify his land and his people.[fn]

“For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

“Although from a distance you will view the land that I am giving the Israelites, you will not go there.”

They summon the peoples to a mountain;

there they offer acceptable sacrifices.

For they draw from the wealth of the seas

and the hidden treasures of the sand.

He chose the best part for himself,

because a ruler's portion was assigned there for him.

He came with the leaders of the people;

he carried out the LORD's justice

and his ordinances for Israel.

“Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

“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.' ”

and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.[fn]

They told Joshua, “The LORD has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”[fn]

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because the LORD will do wonders among you tomorrow.”

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

“you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the LORD's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan's water was cut off.' Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”

“you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'

“This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD's hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

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.

“This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you what is set apart.

“The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the LORD's covenant and committed an outrage in Israel.”

When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city.

When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.

Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them.

But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.

Now King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them.

Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don't give up on your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.”