LXX Concordance for αὐτόν

So God created man in his own image;

he created him in the image of God;

he created them male and female.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out to the field.”[fn] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

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.

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;

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

“This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”

“I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

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.

“Where is your wife Sarah? ” they asked him.

“There, in the tent,” he answered.

“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.”

They called out to Lot and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have sex with them! ”

“and I will also make a nation of the slave's son because he is your offspring.”

“Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

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

“Here I am,” he answered.

She replied, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink.

“Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master in her[fn] old age, and he has given him everything he owns.

But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, “The water is ours! ” So he named the well Esek[fn] because they argued with him.

“Then take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies.”

He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.

So he came closer and kissed him. When Isaac smelled[fn] his clothes, he blessed him and said:

Ah, the smell of my son

is like the smell of a field

that the LORD has blessed.

Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. “Who was it then,” he said, “who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed! ”

But Isaac answered Esau, “Look, I have made him a master over you, have given him all of his relatives as his servants, and have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son? ”

“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.

“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.

They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him.

“So now, come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of the pits.[fn] We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams! ”

“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.

His father recognized it. “It is my son's robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces! ”

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.

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

“I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable![fn] If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept,[fn] and afterward his brothers talked with him.

But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their dependents and their wives.

Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly[fn] see. Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them.

“Judah is a young lion —

my son, you return from the kill.

He crouches; he lies down like a lion

or a lioness ​— ​who dares to rouse him?

“Gad will be attacked by raiders,

but he will attack their heels.

Then Joseph, leaning over his father's face, wept and kissed 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 where is he? ” he asked his daughters. “Why then did you leave the man behind? Invite him to eat dinner.”

“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.

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

“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 tell him: This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

The LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh when you see him going out to the water. Tell him: This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship[fn] me.

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.

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? ”

“But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him.

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.

When Moses's hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been[fn] and went into the tent.

“What you're doing is not good,” Moses's father-in-law said to him.

“However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

“When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

“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.

“You must not exploit a resident alien or oppress him, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.

“These must be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary area, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and for his future descendants.

“Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.

“The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they can be anointed and ordained[fn] in them.

“They must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this is to be a permanent statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”

“If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don't make us go up from here.

“Clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he can serve me as a priest.

“Or if he touches human uncleanness ​— ​any uncleanness by which one can become defiled ​— ​without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt.

“This is the offering that Aaron and his sons are to present to the LORD on the day that he is anointed: two quarts[fn] of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.

He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed and consecrated him.

Aaron's sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. He poured out the blood at the base of the altar.

Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. Aaron's sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it on all sides of the altar.

Finally, he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the people's fellowship sacrifice. Aaron's sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it on all sides of the altar.

“The priest will examine the sore on the skin of his body. If the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is in fact a serious skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean.

“But if the scab spreads further on his skin after he has presented himself to the priest for his cleansing, he is to present himself again to the priest.

“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 examine the scaly outbreak on the seventh day, and if it has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest is to pronounce the person clean. He is to wash his clothes, and he will be clean.

“When an alien resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.

“But if the people of the country look the other way when that man[fn] gives any of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death,

“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.

“so that he does not corrupt his bloodline[fn] among his people, for I am the LORD who sets him apart.”

“or whoever touches any swarming creature that makes him unclean or any person who makes him unclean ​— ​whatever his uncleanness ​— ​

“he has the right of redemption after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him.

“If the one who consecrated the field decides to redeem it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and the field will transfer back to him.

“In the Year of Jubilee the field will return to the one he bought it from, the original owner.

“But if that individual has no relative to receive compensation, the compensation goes to the LORD for the priest, along with the atonement ram by which the priest will make atonement for the guilty person.

All the livestock for the fellowship sacrifice totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication gift for the altar after it was anointed.

“Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.”

and said to him, “We are unclean because of a human corpse. Why should we be excluded from presenting the LORD's offering at its appointed time with the other Israelites? ”

But he replied to him, “I don't want to go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.”

Then the LORD descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the Spirit who was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they never did it again.

“You are to offer a loaf from your first batch of dough as a contribution; offer it just like a contribution from the threshing floor.

They placed him in custody because it had not been decided what should be done to him.

“The staff of the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of the Israelites' complaints that they have been making about you.”

“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, “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.”

“‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.' ”

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.

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.

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.

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the LORD say? ”

Then Balak told Balaam, “Don't curse them and don't bless them! ”

He crouches, he lies down like a lion

or a lioness ​— ​who dares to rouse him?

Those who bless you will be blessed,

and those who curse you will be cursed.

“Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey him.

laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

“If anyone strikes a person with an iron object and death results, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death.

“or without looking drops a stone that could kill a person and he dies, but he was not his enemy and didn't intend to harm him,

“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.'

“But commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit this land that you will see.'

“When you have children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, and if you act corruptly, make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, angering him,

“So keep the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.

“I fell down like the first time in the presence of the LORD for forty days and forty nights; I did not eat food or drink water because of all the sin you committed, doing what was evil in the LORD's sight and angering him.

“The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. But I prayed for Aaron at that time also.

“do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity,[fn] and do not spare him or shield him.

“then exchange it for silver, take the silver in your hand, and go to the place the LORD your God chooses.

“You are to cook and eat it in the place the LORD your God chooses, and you are to return to your tents in the morning.

“The witnesses' hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you.

“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.

“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.

“If your brother does not live near you or you don't know him, you are to bring the animal to your home to remain with you until your brother comes looking for it; then you can return it to him.

“Let him live among you wherever he wants within your city gates. Do not mistreat him.

“He may be flogged with forty lashes, but no more. Otherwise, if he is flogged with more lashes than these, your brother will be degraded in your sight.

“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.'

“You will become engaged to a woman, but another man will rape her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not enjoy its fruit.

Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him.

Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

“I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.

“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.”

After returning to Joshua they reported to him, “Don't send all the people, but send about two thousand or three thousand[fn] men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don't wear out all our people there.”

“Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe, and I will send them out. They are to go and survey the land, write a description of it for the purpose of their inheritance, and return to me.

When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely.

The Asherites lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, because they failed to drive them out.

Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne.

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?

Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Don't be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

The power of the Israelites continued to increase against King Jabin of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east came and attacked them.

Then the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior.”

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead Baal's case for him? Would you save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead his own case because someone tore down his altar.”

“Now announce to the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' ” So twenty-two thousand of the troops turned back, but ten thousand remained.

He captured a youth from the men of Succoth and interrogated him. The youth wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

Zebul replied, “What do you have to say now? You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? ' Aren't these the troops you despised? Now go and fight them! ”

When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.

He quickly called his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, or they'll say about me, ‘A woman killed him.' ” So his armor-bearer ran him through, and he died.

But the king of the Ammonites would not listen to Jephthah's message that he sent him.

Then she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD brought vengeance on your enemies, the Ammonites.”

The woman ran quickly to her husband and told him, “The man who came to me the other day has just come back! ”

the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and at last, on the seventh day, he explained it to her, because she had nagged him so much. Then she explained it to her people.

When the Gazites heard that Samson was there, they surrounded the place and waited in ambush for him all that night at the city gate. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let's wait until dawn; then we will kill him.”

The Philistine leaders went to her and said, “Persuade him to tell you[fn] where his great strength comes from, so we can overpower him, tie him up, and make him helpless. Each of us will then give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”

While the men in ambush were waiting in her room, she called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ”[fn] But he snapped the bowstrings as a strand of yarn snaps when it touches fire. The secret of his strength remained unknown.

Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” But while the men in ambush were waiting in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

She fastened the braids with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” He awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin, with the loom and the web.

Because she nagged him day after day and pleaded with him until she wore him out,[fn]

Samson said to the young man who was leading him by the hand, “Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.”

“Where do you come from? ” Micah asked him.

He answered him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm going to stay wherever I can find a place.”

So they detoured there and went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.

They told him, “Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut.[fn] Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel? ”

Then her husband got up and followed her to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him to her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.

But his master replied to him, “We will not stop at a foreign city where there are no Israelites. Let's move on to Gibeah.”

He answered him, “We're traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I'm going to the house of the LORD.[fn] No one has taken me into his home,

While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, wicked men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him! ”

They went up, wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of him, “Should we again attack our brothers the Benjaminites? ”

And the LORD answered, “Fight against them.”

They retreated before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities[fn] slaughtered those between them.

She fell facedown, bowed to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you notice me, although I am a foreigner? ”

“When he lies down, notice the place where he's lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

“He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

After some time,[fn] Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[fn] because she said, “I requested him from the LORD.”

Her husband, Elkanah, replied, “Do what you think is best, and stay here until you've weaned him. May the LORD confirm your[fn] word.” So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him.

He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.[fn]

“As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won't eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately ​— ​you can find him now.”

Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected.[fn] Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him.

The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him,

He fought bravely, defeated the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who plundered them.

The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul's days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.

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.”

Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have? ”

“There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he's tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won't sit down to eat until he gets here.”

so Saul's servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

“If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”

David said to Saul, “Don't let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine! ”

“I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur,[fn] strike it down, and kill it.

When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy[fn] and handsome.

Saul realized[fn] that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him,

Jonathan spoke well of David to his father, Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David. He hasn't sinned against you; in fact, his actions have been a great advantage to you.

When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, “He's sick.”

Jonathan once again swore to David[fn] in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.

But Achish's servants said to him, “Isn't this David, the king of the land? Don't they sing about him during their dances:

Saul has killed his thousands,

but David his tens of thousands? ”

Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD because they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn't tell me.” But the king's servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the LORD.

But David's men said to him, “Look, we're afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces! ”

saying, “Don't be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I'll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.”

and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.

so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the LORD told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.' ” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul's robe.

“Now consider carefully[fn] what you should do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him! ”

Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king. Nabal's heart was cheerful,[fn] and he was very drunk, so she didn't say anything[fn] to him until morning light.

But David said to Abishai, “Don't destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and be innocent? ”

When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

Saul then said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.”

His servants replied, “There is a woman at En-dor who is a medium.”

But the woman said to him, “You surely know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you setting a trap for me to get me killed? ”

The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.

David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

David asked him, “Where have you come from? ”

He replied to him, “I've escaped from the Israelite camp.”

“So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he couldn't survive. I took the crown that was on his head and the armband that was on his arm, and I've brought them here to my lord.”

Then David summoned one of his servants and said, “Come here and kill him! ” The servant struck him, and he died.

Some time later, David inquired of the LORD: “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah? ”

The LORD answered him, “Go.”

Then David asked, “Where should I go? ”

“To Hebron,” the LORD replied.

Abner was very angry about Ish-bosheth's accusation. “Am I a dog's head[fn] who belongs to Judah? ” he asked. “All this time I've been loyal to the family of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and haven't betrayed you to David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!

Ish-bosheth did not dare respond to Abner because he was afraid of him.

Your hands were not bound,

your feet not placed in bronze shackles.

You fell like one who falls victim to criminals.

And all the people wept over him even more.

“I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done

he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Toi and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him.

Then the king summoned Saul's attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master's grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family.

David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home.

When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going.

Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master's servants, but he did not go home.

David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don't let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.' Encourage him.”

Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for his guest.[fn]

On the seventh day the baby died. But David's servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, “Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn't listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.”

His servants asked him, “Why have you done this? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.”

“But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I'll go to him, but he will never return to me.”

Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare a meal in my presence so I can watch and eat from her hand.' ”

When King David heard about all these things, he was furious.[fn]

The king replied to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he wasn't willing to go, though he did bless him.

Now Absalom commanded his young men, “Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don't be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong and valiant! ”

“Your servant had two sons. They were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

When he shaved his head ​— ​he shaved it at the end of every year because his hair got so heavy for him that he had to shave it off ​— ​he would weigh the hair from his head and it would be five pounds[fn] according to the royal standard.

Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab was unwilling to come to him. So he sent again, a second time, but he still would not come.

Then Joab came to Absalom's house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire? ”

He added, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would make sure he received justice.”

While he was offering the sacrifices, Absalom sent for David's adviser Ahithophel the Gilonite, from his city of Giloh. So the conspiracy grew strong, and the people supporting Absalom continued to increase.

Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you wicked man!

“I will attack him while he is weary and discouraged,[fn] throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king

“Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. Not even one will be left ​— ​neither he nor any of the men with him.

ten young men who were Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber above the city gate and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son! ”

So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned to his home.

Joab asked Amasa, “Are you well, my brother? ” Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.

a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him.”

“That is not the case. There is a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, who has rebelled against King David. Deliver this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.”

The woman replied to Joab, “Watch! His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”

But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

“Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

“I'm certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant[fn] know who will sit on my lord the king's throne after him.”

As the time approached for David to die, he ordered his son Solomon,

“So don't let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”

Then King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

It was reported to King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the LORD's tabernacle and is now beside the altar.”

Then Solomon sent[fn] Benaiah son of Jehoiada and told him, “Go and strike him down! ”

So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn't I make you swear by the LORD and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die'? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.'

Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon's hand.

So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life[fn] or riches for yourself, or the death[fn] of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice,

“During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him.

The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion[fn] for her son. “My lord, give her the living baby,” she said, “but please don't have him killed! ”

But the other one said, “He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two! ”

The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was thirty feet long extending across the temple's width, and fifteen feet deep[fn] in front of the temple.

The temple's construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

When he finished building the temple, he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar.

He cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet[fn] high and 18 feet[fn] in circumference.[fn]

When a man sins against his neighbor

and is forced to take an oath,[fn]

and he comes to take an oath

before your altar in this temple,

For you, Lord GOD, have set them apart as your inheritance

from all peoples of the earth,

as you spoke through your servant Moses

when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.

On the fifteenth day[fn] he sent the people away. So they blessed the king and went to their homes[fn] rejoicing and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the LORD had done for his servant David and for his people Israel.

“ ‘However, I will not take the whole kingdom from him but will let him be ruler all the days of his life for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose and who kept my commands and my statutes.

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

When the king heard the message that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Arrest him! ” But the hand he stretched out against him withered, and he could not pull it back to himself.

Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of the LORD your God and pray for me so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God pleaded for the favor of the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.

Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him, and he got on it.

He said to him, “I am also a prophet like you. An angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat food and drink water.' ” The old prophet deceived him,

When he left,[fn] a lion attacked[fn] him along the way and killed him. His corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it; the lion was standing beside the corpse too.

Then he laid the corpse in his own grave, and they mourned over him, “Oh, my brother! ”

But through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani the word of the LORD also had come against Baasha and against his house because of all the evil he had done in the LORD's sight. His actions angered the LORD, and Baasha's house became like the house of Jeroboam, because he had struck it down.

At that time the people of Israel were divided: half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.

Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the LORD and said, “LORD my God, please let this boy's life come into him again! ”

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the LORD's altar that had been torn down:

Then the LORD said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.

“‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well! ' ”

Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, so they quickly picked up on this[fn] and responded, “Yes, it is your brother Ben-hadad.”

Then he said, “Go and bring him.”

So Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot.

The prophet said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you released from your hand the man I had set apart for destruction, it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.' ”

So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard so I can have it for a vegetable garden, since it is right next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”

Then his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, “Why are you so upset that you refuse to eat? ”

Then seat two wicked men opposite him and have them testify against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king! ” Then take him out and stone him to death.

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

“Get up and go to meet King Ahab of Israel, who is in Samaria. He's in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.

Ahab said to Elijah, “So, my enemy, you've found me, have you? ”

He replied, “I have found you because you devoted yourself to do what is evil in the LORD's sight.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king shouldn't say that! ” Jehoshaphat replied.

“Then a spirit came forward, stood in the LORD's presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.'

The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back? ”

They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”

He said, “It's Elijah the Tishbite.”

Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today? ”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today? ”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are fifty strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the LORD has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”

He answered, “Don't send them.”

He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”

After they had brought him one,

So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your mantle under your belt, take my staff with you, and go. If you meet anyone, don't stop to greet him, and if a man greets you, don't answer him. Then place my staff on the boy's face.”

Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy's flesh became warm.

Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”

But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean'? ”

So the king said, “Go and see where he is, so I can send men to capture him.”

When he was told, “Elisha is in Dothan,”

When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do? ”

When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike this nation with blindness.”[fn] So he struck them with blindness, according to Elisha's word.

“So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her the next day, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him,' but she has hidden her son.”

The king had appointed the captain, his right-hand man, to be in charge of the city gate, but the people trampled him in the gate. He died, just as the man of God had predicted when the king had come to him.

When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too! ” So they shot him in his chariot[fn] at Gur Pass near Ibleam, but he fled to Megiddo and died there.

The next morning when he went out and stood at the gate, he said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these?

When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and then asked, “Is your heart one with mine? ”[fn]

“It is,” Jehonadab replied.

Jehu said, “If it is,[fn] give me your hand.”

So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him.

“Completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”[fn]

Jehoiada brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,[fn] and made him king. They anointed him and clapped their hands and cried, “Long live the king! ”

Joash[fn] was seven years old when he became king.

It was his servants Jozabad[fn] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer who attacked him. He died and they buried him with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.

Then Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders used to come into the land in the spring of the year.

Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He struck him down publicly,[fn] killed him, and became king in his place.

Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and struck down Shallum son of Jabesh there. He killed him and became king in his place.

They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire[fn] and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the LORD's sight and angered him.

“Now look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it. This is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him.

“Now, have I attacked this place to destroy it without the LORD's approval? The LORD said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.' ”

They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

“This is the word the LORD has spoken against him:

Virgin Daughter Zion

despises you and scorns you;

Daughter Jerusalem

shakes her head behind your back.

In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.' ”

Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did these men come from and what did they say to you? ”

Hezekiah replied, “They came from a distant country, from Babylon.”

He sacrificed his son in the fire,[fn] practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a huge amount of evil in the LORD's sight, angering him.

“‘This is what the LORD says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, fulfilling[fn] all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read,

“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,

During his reign, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt marched up to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went to confront him, and at Megiddo when Neco saw him he killed him.

Judah's sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the LORD's sight, so he put him to death.

They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him.

Their father Ephraim mourned a long time, and his relatives[fn] came to comfort him.

“I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done

he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items.

Then David said, “I'll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. However, when David's emissaries arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,

When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. He came up to the Arameans and lined up against them. When David lined up to engage them, they fought against him.

After this, a war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim,[fn] and the Philistines were subdued.

Then David said to Ornan, “Give me this threshing-floor plot so that I may build an altar to the LORD on it. Give it to me for the full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped.”

“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.

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,

If a man sins against his neighbor

and is forced to take an oath[fn]

and he comes to take an oath

before your altar in this temple,

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

So they summoned him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam:

and spoke to them according to the young men's advice, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy,[fn] but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.”

Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief, leader among his brothers, intending to make him king.

“They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and every evening, and they set the rows of the Bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table. They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have abandoned him.

So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Asa and all Judah and Benjamin, hear me. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.

All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They had sought him with all sincerity, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

“For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.”

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king shouldn't say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.

“Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.'

“The LORD asked him, ‘How? '

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.

So he did what was evil in the LORD's sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu's soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

Jehoshabeath,[fn] the king's daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king's sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah's sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.

Jehoiada died when he was old and full of days; he was 130 years old at his death.

He waged war against the king of the Ammonites. He overpowered the Ammonites, and that year they gave him 7,500 pounds[fn] of silver, 60,000 bushels[fn] of wheat, and 60,000 bushels of barley. They paid him the same in the second and third years.

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:

Then King Tiglath-pileser[fn] of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support.

“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 passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a huge amount of evil in the LORD's sight, angering him.

He prayed to him, and the LORD was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the LORD is God.

“‘I will indeed gather you to your ancestors, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants.' ”

Then they reported to the king.

This is the text of the letter they sent to him:

To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men from the region west of the Euphrates River:

They sent him a report, written as follows:

To King Darius:

All greetings.

He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him.

I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him.”

“And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple's fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.”[fn] The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.

I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

“If it meets the king's approval, he should personally issue a royal decree. Let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be revoked: Vashti is not to enter King Ahasuerus's presence, and her royal position is to be given to another woman who is more worthy than she.

After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials.

The king's attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”

“Have him enter,” the king ordered.

“Very well,” the LORD told Satan, “he is in your power; only spare his life.”

Now when Job's three friends ​— ​Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite ​— ​heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

If he is uprooted[fn] from his place,

it will deny knowing him, saying, “I never saw you.”

As for you, if you redirect your heart

and spread out your hands to him in prayer —

For what does he care about his family once he is dead,

when the number of his months has run out?

When others are humiliated and you say, “Lift them up,”

God will save the humble.[fn]

By his breath the heavens gained their beauty;

his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.[fn]

If there is an angel on his side,

one mediator out of a thousand,

to tell a person what is right for him[fn]

in order to turn him back from the Pit,

so he may shine with the light of life.

For he repays a person according to his deeds,

and he gives him what his conduct deserves.[fn]

But when God is silent, who can declare him guilty?

When he hides his face, who can see him?

Yet he watches over both individuals and nations,

how much less when[fn] you complain[fn]

that you do not see him,

that your case is before him

and you are waiting for him.

He causes this to happen for punishment,

for his land, or for his faithful love.

The Almighty ​— ​we cannot reach him —

he is exalted in power!

He will not violate justice and abundant righteousness,

I cannot be silent about his limbs,

his power, and his graceful proportions.

One scale is so close to another[fn]

that no air can pass between them.

The folds of his flesh are joined together,

solid as metal[fn] and immovable.

“Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then my servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”

All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to him and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the LORD had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver[fn] and a gold earring.

Know that the LORD has set apart

the faithful for himself;

the LORD will hear when I call to him.

what is a human being that you remember him,

a son of man[fn] that you look after him?

he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket.

He lurks in order to seize a victim;

he seizes a victim and drags him in his net.

My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,”

and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

The LORD is my rock,

my fortress, and my deliverer,

my God, my rock where I seek refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold.

God ​— ​his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is pure.

He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

You have given him his heart's desire

and have not denied the request of his lips.Selah

His glory is great through your victory;

you confer majesty and splendor on him.

“He relies on[fn] the LORD;

let him save him;

let the LORD[fn] rescue him,

since he takes pleasure in him.”

You who fear the LORD, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

All you descendants of Israel, revere him!

I will give praise in the great assembly

because of you;

I will fulfill my vows

before those who fear you.[fn]

Such is the generation of those who inquire of him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[fn]Selah

The secret counsel of the LORD

is for those who fear him,

and he reveals his covenant to them.

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him from all his troubles.

Taste and see that the LORD is good.

How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

The LORD redeems the life of his servants,

and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.

All my bones will say,

“LORD, who is like you,

rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,

the poor or the needy from one who robs him? ”

Do not let them say in their hearts,

“Aha! Just what we wanted.”

Do not let them say,

“We have swallowed him up! ”

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act,

Be silent before the LORD and wait expectantly for him;

do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,

by the person who carries out evil plans.

The Lord laughs at him

because he sees that his day is coming.

The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous

and intends to kill him;

Then I[fn] passed by and noticed he was gone;

I searched for him, but he could not be found.

The LORD helps and delivers them;

he will deliver them from the wicked and will save them

because they take refuge in him.

They prepared a net for my steps;

I was despondent.

They dug a pit ahead of me,

but they fell into it!Selah

Rescue me from my enemies, my God;

protect me from those who rise up against me.

Trust in him at all times, you people;

pour out your hearts before him.

God is our refuge.Selah

The righteous one rejoices in the LORD

and takes refuge in him;

all those who are upright in heart

will offer praise.

saying, “God has abandoned him;

chase him and catch him,

for there is no one to rescue him.”

May he live long!

May gold from Sheba be given to him.

May prayer be offered for him continually,

and may he be blessed all day long.

May his name endure forever;

as long as the sun shines,

may his fame increase.

May all nations be blessed by him

and call him blessed.

They enraged him with their high places

and provoked his jealousy with their carved images.

“I have found David my servant;

I have anointed him with my sacred oil.

“I will also make him my firstborn,

greatest of the kings of the earth.

You have made his splendor[fn] cease

and have overturned his throne.

I will say[fn] concerning the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress,

my God in whom I trust:

Because he has his heart set on me,

I will deliver him;

I will protect him because he knows my name.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his faithful love

toward those who fear him.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

But from eternity to eternity

the LORD's faithful love is toward those who fear him,

and his righteousness toward the grandchildren

Until the time his prediction came true,

the word of the LORD tested him.

He sent Moses his servant,

and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people

and praise him in the council of the elders.

I will fervently thank the LORD with my mouth;

I will praise him in the presence of many.

He has provided food for those who fear him;

he remembers his covenant forever.

Praise the LORD, all nations!

Glorify him, all peoples!

Happy are those who keep his decrees

and seek him with all their heart.

She grabs him and kisses him;

she brazenly says[fn] to him,

She seduces him with her persistent pleading;

she lures with her flattering talk.

The one who searches for what is good seeks favor,

but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him.

Anxiety in a person's heart weighs it down,

but a good word cheers it up.

A wicked envoy falls into trouble,

but a trustworthy courier brings healing.

The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker,

but one who is kind to the needy honors him.

A mocker doesn't love one who corrects him;

he will not consult the wise.

A king's fury is a messenger of death,

but a wise person appeases it.

The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,

and one who rejoices over calamity

will not go unpunished.

A person's gift opens doors[fn] for him

and brings him before the great.

Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person,

but a fool consumes them.[fn]

The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;

a man cursed by the LORD will fall into it.

As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears,

for it makes wings for itself

and flies like an eagle to the sky.

for destruction will come suddenly from them;

who knows what distress these two can bring?

Thistles had come up everywhere,

weeds covered the ground,

and the stone wall was ruined.

To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy

is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;

he refreshes the life of his masters.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

The one who digs a pit will fall into it,

and whoever rolls a stone —

it will come back on him.

As a crucible refines silver,

and a smelter refines gold,

so a person should refine his praise.

Whoever increases his wealth through excessive interest

collects it for one who is kind to the poor.

Every word of God is pure;[fn]

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies?[fn]

For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.

God gives a person riches, wealth, and honor so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy.

Whatever exists was given its name long ago,[fn] and it is known what mankind is. But he is not able to contend with the one stronger than he.

Consider the work of God,

for who can straighten out

what he has made crooked?

For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person's troubles are heavy on him.

All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one person has authority over another to his harm.

The words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious,

but the lips of a fool consume him.

Send your bread on the surface of the water,

for after many days you may find it.

In my bed at night[fn]

I sought the one I love;

I sought him, but did not find him.[fn]