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Weekly Scripture Reading
Torah: Leviticus 13-14
Prophets: Isaiah 28-29
Historical Writings: Judges 16-17
New Testament: Acts 5-6
Wisdom Writings: Job 12
Non-Canonical: Jubilees 36-37
The following translation is from The Scriptures | ISR98
Leviticus 13-14
13 | 1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying,
2 “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it shall become on the skin of his body like a leprous infection, then he shall be brought to Aharon the priest or to one of his sons the priests.
3 “And the priest shall look at the infection on the skin of the body. And if the hair on the infection has turned white, and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous infection. And the priest shall look at him, and pronounce him unclean.
4 “But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall shut up the infected one seven days.
5 “And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day and see, if the infection appears to be as it was, and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall shut him up another seven days.
6 “And the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day and see, if the infection has darkened, and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is a scab, and he shall wash his garments and be clean.
7 “But if the scab spreads further over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.
8 “And the priest shall look and see, if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is leprosy.
9 “When the infection of leprosy is on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest.
10 “And the priest shall look and see, if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling,
11 it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He does not shut him up, for he is unclean.
12 “And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy shall cover all the skin of the infected one, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks,
13 then the priest shall look and see, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce the infected one clean. It has all turned white, he is clean.
14 “But the day raw flesh appears on him, he is unclean.
15 “And the priest shall look at the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean – the raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy.
16 “Or when the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest.
17 “And the priest shall look at him and see, if the infection has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the infected one clean, he is clean.
18 “And when the body has a boil in the skin, and it is healed,
19 and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be seen by the priest.
20 “And the priest shall look and see, if it appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection which has broken out of the boil.
21 “But if the priest looks at it and sees no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall shut him up seven days;
22 and if it has spread further over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection.
23 “But if the bright spot stays in its place, it has not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
24 “Or when the body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn shall become a bright spot, reddish-white or white,
25 then the priest shall look at it and see, if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. And the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection.
26 “But if the priest looks at it and sees there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall shut him up seven days.
27 “And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day. If it spreads further over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection.
28 “But if the bright spot stays in its place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. And the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.
29 “And when a man, or a woman, has an infection on the head or in the beard,
30 then the priest shall look at the infection and see, if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is thin yellow hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is an eruption, a leprosy of the head or beard.
31 “But when the priest looks at the infection of the eruption and sees that it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up the one with the infection of the eruption seven days.
32 “And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection and see, if the eruption has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the eruption does not appear deeper than the skin,
33 then he shall shave himself, but the eruption he does not shave. And the priest shall shut up the one with the eruption another seven days.
34 “And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the eruption and see, if the eruption has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. And he shall wash his garments, and he shall be clean.
35 “But if the eruption spreads further over the skin after his cleansing,
36 then the priest shall look at him and see, if the eruption has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair, he is unclean.
37 “But if the eruption appears to have stayed, and there is black hair grown up in it, the eruption has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38 “And when a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, white bright spots,
39 then the priest shall look and see, if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin, he is clean.
40 “And when a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald, he is clean.
41 “And if the hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, he is clean.
42 “And when there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead.
43 “And the priest shall look at it and see, if the swelling of the infection is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,
44 he is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, without fail, his infection is on his head.
45 “As for the leper who has the infection, his garments are torn, and his head is uncovered, and he has to cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
46 “He is unclean – all the days he has the infection he is unclean. He is unclean, and he dwells alone, his dwelling place is outside the camp.
47 “And when a garment has an infection of leprosy in it, in a woollen garment or in a linen garment,
48 or in the warp or in the weft of linen or wool, or in leather or in any leather-work,
49 and the infection shall be greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object, it is an infection of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest.
50 “And the priest shall look at the infection and shut up the infected one seven days.
51 “And he shall look at the infection on the seventh day. And when the infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp or in the weft, or in the leather or any leather-work, the infection is an active leprosy, it is unclean.
52 “And he shall burn that garment, or the warp or the weft, in wool or in linen, or any leather object in which the infection is, for it is an active leprosy. It is burned with fire.
53 “But if the priest looks and sees that the infection has not spread in the garment, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object,
54 then the priest shall give command, and they shall wash that in which the infection is. And he shall shut it up another seven days.
55 “And the priest shall look at the infection after it has been washed and see, if the infection has not changed its appearance, though the infection has not spread, it is unclean, and burn it in the fire – it is eaten away, in its inside or outside.
56 “And if the priest shall look and see that the infection has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, or out of the warp, or out of the weft, or out of the leather.
57 “And if it is still seen in the garment, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object, it is a spreading infection. Burn it with fire, that in which the infection is.
58 “And if you wash the garment, or the warp or the weft, or any leather object, if the infection has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean.
59 “This is the Torah of the infection of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”
14 | 1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
2 “This shall be the Torah of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest,
3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look and see, if the leprosy is healed in the leper,
4 then the priest shall command, and he shall take for him who is to be cleansed two live and clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
5 “And the priest shall command, and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water.
6 “Let him take the live bird and the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.
7 “And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird loose in the open field.
8 “And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his garments, and shall shave off all his hair and wash himself in water, and shall be clean. Then after that he comes into the camp, but shall stay outside his tent seven days.
9 “And on the seventh day it shall be that he shaves all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shaves off. And he shall wash his garments and wash his body in water, and shall be clean.
10 “And on the eighth day he takes two male lambs, perfect ones, and one ewe lamb a year old, a perfect one, and three-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.
11 “And the priest who is cleansing shall present the man who is to be cleansed, with these offerings, before יהוה, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
12 “And the priest shall take one male lamb and bring it as a guilt offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before יהוה.
13 “And he shall slaughter the lamb in the place where he slaughters the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a set-apart place. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest. It is most set-apart.
14 “And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
15 “And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.
16 “And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before יהוה.
17 “And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest puts some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering.
18 “And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of him who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall make atonement for him before יהוה.
19 “And the priest shall make the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterwards he slaughters the burnt offering.
20 “And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
21 “But if he is poor and is unable to afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil,
22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford, and one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
23 “And he shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before יהוה.
24 “And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before יהוה.
25 “And he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
26 “Then the priest pours some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.
27 “And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before יהוה.
28 “And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering.
29 “And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before יהוה.
30 “And he shall prepare one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he is able to afford,
31 that which he is able to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, with the grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before יהוה.
32 “This is the Torah for one who had an infection of leprosy, who is unable to afford for his cleansing.”
33 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying,
34 “When you come into the land of Kena‛an, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession,
35 then shall the one who owns the house come and inform the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me that there is some plague in the house.’
36 “And the priest shall command, and they shall empty the house, before the priest goes in to look at the plague, so that all that is in the house is not made unclean. And after that the priest goes in to look at the house.
37 “And he shall look at the plague and see, if the plague is on the walls of the house with sunken places, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall,
38 then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days.
39 “And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look and see, if the plague has spread on the walls of the house,
40 then the priest shall command, and they shall remove the stones with the plague in them, and they shall throw them outside the city, into an unclean place,
41 while he lets the house be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city.
42 “And they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and take other mortar and plaster the house.
43 “And if the plague comes back and breaks out in the house, after he has removed the stones, after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered,
44 then the priest shall come and look and see, if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house, it is unclean.
45 “And he shall break down the house, its stones, and its timber, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall bring them outside the city to an unclean place.
46 “And he who goes into the house, all the days while it is shut up, becomes unclean until evening.
47 “And he who lies down in the house has to wash his garments, and he who eats in the house has to wash his garments.
48 “However, if the priest indeed comes in and looks at it and sees that the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
49 “And to cleanse the house, he shall take two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
50 “And he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water,
51 and he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and shall sprinkle the house seven times.
52 “He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the live bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet,
53 and he shall let the live bird loose outside the city in the open field, and shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.
54 “This is the Torah for any infection of leprosy, and eruption,
55 and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
56 and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot,
57 to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the Torah of leprosy.”
Isaiah 28-29
28 | 1 Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephrayim, and to the fading flower of its splendid comeliness that is on the head of the fertile valley, to those who are overcome with wine!
2 See, יהוה has one who is mighty and strong, like a downpour of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who casts down to the earth with the hand.
3 The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephrayim, is trampled under foot;
4 and the fading flower of its splendid comeliness that is on the head of the fertile valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which, when one sees it, he eats it up while it is still in his hand.
5 In that day יהוה of hosts is for a crown of splendour and a head-dress of comeliness to the remnant of His people,
6 and a spirit of right-ruling to him who sits in right-ruling, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 And these too have gone astray through wine, and through strong drink wandered about. Priest and prophet have gone astray through strong drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they wander about through strong drink, they go astray in vision, they stumble in right-ruling.
8 For all tables shall be covered with vomit, no place without filth.
9 Whom would He teach knowledge? And whom would He make to understand the message? Those weaned from milk, those taken from the breasts!
10 For it is: command upon command, command upon command, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
11 For with a jabbering lip and a foreign tongue He speaks to this people,
12 to whom He said, “This is the rest, give rest to the weary,” and, “This is the refreshing.” But they would not hear.
13 But the Word of יהוה was to them, “Command upon command, command upon command, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” so that they go and shall stumble backward, and be broken and snared and taken captive.
14 Therefore hear the Word of יהוה, you men of scorn, who rule this people who are in Yerushalayim,
15 because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with the grave we have effected a vision. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it does not come to us, for we have made lying our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
16 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am laying in Tsiyon a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a settled foundation. He who trusts shall not hasten away.
17 And I shall make right-ruling the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet. And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lying, and the waters overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your vision with the grave not stand. When an overflowing scourge passes through, then you shall be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it passes through it shall take you, for it shall pass through every morning, and by day and by night. And it shall be only trembling to understand the message.”
20 For the bed shall be too short for a man to stretch out on, and the covering shall be too narrow to wrap himself in it.
21 For יהוה rises up as at Mount Peratsim, and He is wroth as at the Valley of Giḇ‛on, to do His work, His strange work, and to do His deed, His strange deed.
22 And now, do not be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard from the Master יהוה of hosts, a destruction decreed upon all the earth.
23 Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my Word.
24 Does the ploughman keep ploughing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has levelled its surface, does he not sow the caraway and scatter the cummin, plant the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26 For He instructs him for right-ruling, his Elohim teaches him.
27 For caraway is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a wagon wheel rolled over cummin, but caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cummin with a rod.
28 Grain is crushed, so one does not go on threshing it forever, nor break it with his wagon wheel, nor crush it with his horsemen.
29 Even this has come from יהוה of hosts, who did wonders in counsel, who made wisdom great.
29 | 1 Woe to Ari’ĕl, to Ari’ĕl, the city where Dawiḏ dwelt! Add year to year, let festivals come around.
2 “And I shall distress Ari’ĕl, and there shall be mourning and sorrow, and it shall be to Me as Ari’ĕl.
3 “And I shall encamp against you all around, I shall lay siege against you with a mound, and I shall raise siege-works against you.
4 “And you shall be brought low and speak out of the ground, and your speech shall be low, out of the dust. And your voice shall be like a medium’s, out of the ground, and your speech whisper out of the dust.
5 “But the crowd of those strange to you shall be like fine dust, and the crowd of the ruthless ones as chaff blowing away. And it shall be in an instant, suddenly!”
6 You shall be visited by יהוה of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm, and flame of devouring fire.
7 Then the crowd of all the gentiles who fight against Ari’ĕl, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
8 And it shall be as when a hungry man dreams, and see, he eats; but he awakes, and his being is empty; or as when a thirsty man dreams, and see, he drinks; but he awakes, and see, he is faint, and his being is longing. Thus shall the crowd of all the gentiles be who fight against Mount Tsiyon.
9 Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 For יהוה has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets. And He has covered your heads, the seers.
11 And the entire vision is to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men give to one who knows books, saying, “Read this, please.” And he said, “I am unable, for it is sealed.”
12 And the book is given to one who does not know books, saying, “Read this, please.” And he said, “I have not known books.”
13 And יהוה says, “Because this people has drawn near with its mouth, and with its lips they have esteemed Me, and it has kept its heart far from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of men that is taughta!
14 “Therefore, see, I am again doing a marvellous work among this people, a marvellous work and a wonder. And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their clever men shall be hidden.”
15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from יהוה, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
16 How perverse of you! Should the potter be reckoned as the clay? Should what is made say of its Maker, “He did not make me”? And what is formed say of Him who formed it, “He did not understand”?
17 Is it not yet a little while, and Leḇanon shall be turned into garden land, and garden land be reckoned as a forest?
18 And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom, and out of darkness.
19 And the meek ones shall increase their joy in יהוה, and the poor among men rejoice in the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl.
20 For the ruthless one is brought to naught, the scorner is consumed, and all who watch for evil shall be cut off,
21 those who make a man to sin in word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the righteous with empty reasoning.
22 Therefore thus said יהוה, who ransomed Aḇraham, concerning the house of Ya‛aqoḇ, “Ya‛aqoḇ is no longer put to shame, no longer does his face grow pale.
23 “For when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they shall set apart My Name, and set apart the Set-apart One of Ya‛aqoḇ, and fear the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
24 “And those who went astray in spirit shall come to understanding, and the grumblers accept instruction.”
Judges 14-15
14 | 1 And Shimshon went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he went up and informed his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. And now, take her for me for a wife.”
3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you should take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Shimshon said to his father, “Take her for me, for she is pleasing in my eyes.”
4 However, his father and mother did not know that it was of יהוה, that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines were ruling over Yisra’ĕl.
5 Then Shimshon went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah, and saw a young lion came roaring at him.
6 And the Spirit of יהוה came mightily upon him, and he tore it apart as the tearing apart of a young goat, with naught in his hand. But he did not make known to his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down and spoke to the woman, and she pleased Shimshon well.
8 And when he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion, and saw a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.
9 And he took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. And he came to his father and mother, and gave them, and they ate. But he did not make known to them that he took the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
10 So his father went down to the woman. And Shimshon gave a feast there, for young men used to do so.
11 And it came to be, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Shimshon said to them, “Please let me put forth a riddle to you. If you clearly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I shall give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of garments.
13 “But if you are unable to explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of garments.” And they said to him, “Put forth your riddle and let us hear it.”
14 And he said to them, “Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” And for three days they were unable to explain the riddle.
15 And it came to be on the seventh day that they said to Shimshon’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or else we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is it not?”
16 And Shimshon’s wife wept before him, and said, “You only hate me, and do not love me! You have put forth a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother, and should I explain it to you?”
17 And she had wept before him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it came to be on the seventh day that he informed her, because she pressed him so much. She then explained the riddle to the sons of her people.
18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”
19 Then the Spirit of יהוה came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashqelon and smote thirty of their men, stripped them, and gave the changes of garments to those who had explained the riddle. And his displeasure burned, and he went back up to his father’s house.
20 And Shimshon’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.
15 | 1 And it came to be, after some time, in the days of wheat harvest, that Shimshon visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, “Let me go in to my wife, into her room.” But her father would not permit him to go in.
2 And her father said, “Indeed, I thought that you hated her intensely; so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please, take her instead.”
3 And Shimshon said to them, “This time I am blameless regarding the Philistines if I do evil to them!”
4 And Shimshon went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned them tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails,
5 and set the torches on fire, and sent them out into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, even the vineyards and olive-trees.
6 And the Philistines said, “Who did this?” And they answered, “Shimshon, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took away his wife and gave her to his companion.” Then the Philistines went up and burned her and her father with fire.
7 And Shimshon said to them, “Though you do this, yet I shall take revenge on you, and after that I cease.”
8 And he smote them hip and thigh, a great slaughter, and went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Ěytam.
9 The Philistines then went up and encamped in Yehuḏah, and spread out against Leḥi.
10 And the men of Yehuḏah said, “Why have you come up against us?” And they answered, “We have come up to bind Shimshon, to do to him as he has did to us.”
11 Then three thousand men of Yehuḏah went down to the cleft of the rock of Ěytam and said to Shimshon, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? Why have you have done this to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so I did to them.”
12 And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, to give you into the hand of the Philistines.” And Shimshon said to them, “Swear to me not to fall on me yourselves.”
13 And they spoke to him, saying, “No, but we are certainly going to bind you, and shall give you into their hand but certainly not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.
14 When he came to Leḥi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. And the Spirit of יהוה came mightily upon him. And the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands.
15 And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and smote a thousand men with it.
16 And Shimshon said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, one heap, two heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have smitten a thousand men!”
17 And it came to be, when he had ended speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, and called that place Ramath Leḥi.
18 And he became very thirsty, and cried out to יהוה and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant. And now, am I to die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”
19 And Elohim split the hollow place that is in Leḥi, and water came out, and he drank. And his spirit came back, and he revived. So he called its name Ěn Haqqore, which is in Leḥi to this day.
20 And he ruled Yisra’ĕl twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
Acts 5-6
5 | 1 But a certain man named Ḥananyah, with Shappirah his wife, sold a possession.
2 And he kept back from the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the feet of the emissaries.
3 But Kĕpha said, “Ḥananyah, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Set-apart Spirit and keep back from the price of the land for yourself?
4 “While it remained, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your authority? Why have you conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to Elohim.”
5 Then Ḥananyah, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all those who heard of this.
6 But the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out and buried him.
7 And it came to be, about three hours later, that his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place.
8 And Kĕpha responded to her, “Say to me whether you sold the land for so much?” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 So Kĕpha said to her, “Why have you agreed to try the Spirit of יהוה? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out.”
10 And immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, they buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the assembly and upon all who heard of this.
12 And through the hands of the emissaries many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one mind in Shelomoh’s Porch.
13 But of the rest no one had the courage to join them, however, the people made much of them.
14 And more believers were added to the Master, large numbers of both men and women,
15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Kĕpha, passing by, might fall on some of them.
16 A large number also gathered from the surrounding cities to Yerushalayim, bringing sick ones and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
17 But the high priest rose up, and all those with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and they were filled with jealousy,
18 and seized the emissaries and put them in the public jail.
19 But a messenger of יהוה opened the prison doors at night and brought them out, and said,
20 “Go and stand in the Set-apart Place and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
21 Now when they heard, they went into the Set-apart Place early in the morning, and were teaching. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and sent to the prison for them to be brought.
22 But having come, the officers did not find them in the prison, and they went back and reported it,
23 saying, “We found the prison shut in all safety, and the watches standing outside before the doors. But having opened them, we found no one inside!”
24 And as the high priest and the captain of the Set-apart Place and the chief priests heard these words, they were puzzled and wondered what this might be.
25 But one came and reported to them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the Set-apart Place and teaching the people!”
26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them, not with force, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.
27 And having brought them, they set them before the council and the high priest asked them,
28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this Name? And look, you have filled Yerushalayim with your teaching, and intend to bring the blood of this Man upon us!”
29 And Kĕpha and the other emissaries answering, said, “We have to obey Elohim rather than men.a
30 “The Elohim of our fathers raised up יהושע whom you laid hands on, hanging Him on a timber.
31 “Him, a Prince and a Saviour, Elohim has exalted to His right hand, to give repentance to Yisra’ĕl and forgiveness of sins.
32 “And we are His witnesses to these matters, and so also is the Set-apart Spirit whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.”a
33 And those hearing were cut to the heart, and took counsel to kill them.
34 But a certain one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamli’ĕl, a teacher of the Torah, respected by all the people, and ordered them to put the emissaries outside for a little while,
35 and said to them, “Men of Yisra’ĕl, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do to these men.
36 “For before these days Toḏah rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, did join him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were dispersed, and came to naught.
37 “After him, Yehuḏah of Galil rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were scattered.
38 “And now I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this work is of men, it shall be overthrown,
39 but if it is of Elohim, you are unable to overthrow it, lest you even be found to fight against Elohim.”
40 And they heeded his advice, and having called for the emissaries, beating them, they commanded that they should not speak in the Name of יהושע, and let them go.
41 Then indeed they went rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.
42 And daily in the Set-apart Place, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and bringing the Good News: יהושע the Messiah!
6 | 1 And in those days, when the taught ones were increasing, there arose a grumbling against the Heḇrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were overlooked in the daily serving.
2 So the twelve summoned the group of the taught ones and said, “It is not pleasing for us to leave the Word of Elohim and serve tables.
3 “Therefore, brothers, seek out from among you seven men who are known to be filled with the Set-apart Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint for this duty,
4 but we shall give ourselves continually to prayer and to serving the Word.”
5 And the word pleased the entire group. And they chose Stephanos, a man filled with belief and the Set-apart Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nikanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nikolaos, a convert from Antioch,
6 whom they set before the emissaries. And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 And the Word of Elohim spread, and the number of the taught ones increased greatly in Yerushalayim, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the belief.
8 And Stephanos, filled with belief and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
9 But some of those of the so-called Congregation of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Kilikia and Asia), rose up, disputing with Stephanos,
10 but they were unable to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 Then they instigated men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Mosheh and Elohim.”
12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, so they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
13 And they set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this set-apart place and the Torah,
14 for we have heard him saying that this יהושע of Natsareth shall overthrow this place and change the institutes which Mosheh delivered unto us.”
15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadily at him, saw his face was like the face of a heavenly messenger.
Job 12
12 | 1 And Iyoḇ answered and said,
2 “Truly you are the people, and wisdom would die with you!
3 But I, like you, have a heart too; I am not less than you. And who does not know such as these?
4 I have become a laughing-stock to my friends – one who has called on Eloah and He answered him! A laughing-stock is the righteous, the perfect one!
5 A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease – prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke Ěl are complacent, to him who brings Eloah into his hand!
7 But now ask the beasts, and they teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and they declare it to you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it teaches you; and the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Who among all these does not know that the hand of יהוה has done this,
10 in whose hand is the life of all that live, and the breath of all mankind?
11 Does the ear not try words? And the mouth taste food for itself?
12 With the aged is wisdom, and understanding with length of days.
13 With Him are wisdom and might, He has counsel and understanding.
14 Look, He breaks down, and it is not rebuilt. If He imprisons a man, there is no release.
15 Look, He withholds the waters, and they dry up. And He sends them out, and they overwhelm the earth.
16 With Him are strength and ability. The misled and the misleader are His.
17 He leads counsellors away stripped, and makes judges go mad.
18 He loosens the bonds of sovereigns, and binds a girdle on their loins;
19 who leads away priests as a spoil, and overthrows the mighty;
20 turning aside the lip of the trusted ones, and takes away the discernment of the elders;
21 pouring scorn on nobles, and loosens the girdle of the strong;
22 revealing deep matters out of darkness, and He brings the shadow of death to light;
23 making nations great, and He destroys them; spreading out the nations, and He leads them out.
24 turning aside the heart of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and He makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 They grope in darkness, having no light, and He makes them stagger like a drunkard.
Jubilees 36-37
(CEPHER TRANSLATION)
36 | 1 AND in the sixth year of this week Yitschaq called his two sons Esau and Ya`aqov, and they came to him, and he said unto them: My sons, I am going the way of my fathers, to the eternal house where my fathers are.
2 Wherefore bury me near Avraham my father, in the double cave in the field of Ephron the Chittiy, where Avraham purchased a sepulchre to bury in; in the sepulchre which I dug for myself, there bury me.
3 And this I command you, my sons, that ye practice righteousness and uprightness on the earth, so that YAHUAH may bring upon you all that YAHUAH said that he would do to Avraham and to his seed.
4 And love one another, my sons, your brothers as a man who loves his own soul, and let each seek in what he may benefit his brother, and act together on the earth; and let them love each other as their own souls.
5 And concerning the question of idols, I command and admonish you to reject them and hate them, and love them not, for they are full of deception for those that worship them and for those that bow down to them.
6 Remember ye, my sons, YAHUAH ELOHIYM of Avraham your father, and how I too worshipped him and served him in righteousness and in joy, that he might multiply you and increase your seed as the stars of heaven in multitude, and establish you on the earth as the plant of righteousness which will not be rooted out unto all the generations forever.
7 And now I shall make you swear a great oath for there is no oath which is greater than it by the name glorious and honoured and great and splendid and wonderful and mighty, which created the heavens and the earth and all things together that ye will fear him and worship him.
8 And that each will love his brother with affection and righteousness, and that neither will desire evil against his brother from henceforth forever all the days of your life so that ye may prosper in all your deeds and not be destroyed.
9 And if either of you devises evil against his brother, know that from henceforth everyone that devises evil against his brother shall fall into his hand, and shall be rooted out of the land of the living, and his seed shall be destroyed from under heaven.
10 But on the day of turbulence and execration and indignation and anger, with flaming devouring fire as he burnt Cedom, so likewise will he burn his land and his city and all that is his, and he shall be blotted out of the cepher of the discipline of the children of men, and not be recorded in the cepher of life, but in that which is appointed to destruction, and he shall depart into eternal execration; so that their condemnation may be always renewed in hate and in execration and in wrath and in torment and in indignation and in plagues and in disease forever.
11 I say and testify to you, my sons, according to the judgment which shall come upon the man who wishes to injure his brother.
12 And he divided all his possessions between the two on that day and he gave the larger portion to him that was the firstborn, and the tower and all that was about it, and all that Avraham possessed at the Well of the Oath.
13 And he said: ‘This larger portion I will give to the firstborn.’
14 And Esau said: I have sold to Ya`aqov and given my birthright to Ya`aqov; to him let it be given, and I have not a single word to say regarding it, for it is his.
15 And Yitschaq said, May a blessing rest upon you, my sons, and upon your seed this day, for ye have given me rest, and my heart is not pained concerning the birthright, lest you should work wickedness on account of it.
16 May EL ELYON bless the man that works righteousness, him and his seed forever.’
17 And he ended commanding them and blessing them, and they ate and drank together before him, and he rejoiced because there was one mind between them, and they went forth from him and rested that day and slept.
18 And Yitschaq slept on his bed that day rejoicing; and he slept the eternal sleep, and died one hundred and eighty years old. he completed twenty five weeks and five years; and his two sons Esau and Ya`aqov buried him.
19 And Esau went to the land of Edom, to the mountains of Se`iyr, and dwelt there.
20 And Ya`aqov dwelt in the mountains of Chevron, in the tower of the land of the sojournings of his father Avraham, and he worshipped YAHUAH with all his heart and according to the visible commands according as he had divided the days of his generations.
21 And Le’ah his woman died in the fourth year of the second week of the forty fifth jubilee, and he buried her in the double cave near Rivqah his mother to the left of the grave of Sarah, his father’s mother and all her sons and his sons came to mourn over Le’ah his woman with him and to comfort him regarding her, for he was lamenting her for he loved her exceedingly after Rachel her sister died;
22 For she was perfect and upright in all her ways and honoured Ya`aqov, and all the days that she lived with him he did not hear from her mouth a harsh word, for she was gentle and peaceable and upright and honourable.
23 And he remembered all her deeds which she had done during her life and he lamented her exceedingly; for he loved her with all his heart and with all his soul.
37 | 1 AND on the day that Yitschaq the father of Ya`aqov and Esau died, the sons of Esau heard that Yitschaq had given the portion of the elder to his younger son Ya`aqov and they were very angry.
2 And they strove with their father, saying: Why has your father given Ya`aqov the portion of the elder and passed over you, although you are the elder and Ya`aqov the younger?
3 And he said unto them: Because I sold my birthright to Ya`aqov for a small mess of lentils, and on the day my father sent me to hunt and catch and bring him something that he should eat and bless me, he came with guile and brought my father food and drink, and my father blessed him and put me under his hand.
4 And now our father has caused us to swear, me and him, that we shall not mutually devise evil, either against his brother, and that we shall continue in love and in peace each with his brother and not make our ways corrupt.’
5 And they said unto him: We shall not hearken unto you to make peace with him; for our strength is greater than his strength, and we are more powerful than he; we shall go against him and slay him, and destroy him and his sons. And if you will not go with us, we shall do hurt to you also.
6 And now hearken unto us: let us send to Aram and Pelehsheth and Mo’av and Ammon, and let us choose for ourselves chosen men who are ardent for battle, and let us go against him and do battle with him, and let us exterminate him from the earth before he grows strong.’
7 And their father said unto them: Do not go and do not make war with him lest ye fall before him.
8 And they said unto him: This too, is exactly your mode of action from your youth until this day, and you are putting your neck under his yoke. We shall not hearken to these words.
9 And they sent to Aram, and to Aduram to the friend of their father, and they hired along with them one thousand fighting men, chosen men of war.
10 And there came to them from Mo’av and from the children of Ammon, those who were hired, one thousand chosen men, and from Pelehsheth, one thousand chosen men of war, and from Edom and from the Choriym one thousand chosen fighting men, and from the Kittiym mighty men of war.
11 And they said unto their father: Go forth with them and lead them, else we shall slay you.’
12 And he was filled with wrath and indignation on seeing that his sons were forcing him to go before them to lead them against Ya`aqov his brother.
13 But afterward he remembered all the evil which lay hidden in his heart against Ya`aqov his brother; and he remembered not the oath which he had sworn to his father and to his mother that he would devise no evil all his days against Ya`aqov his brother.
14 And notwithstanding all this, Ya`aqov knew not that they were coming against him to battle, and he was mourning for Le’ah, his woman, until they approached very near to the tower with four thousand warriors and chosen men of war.
15 And the men of Chevron sent to him saying: Behold your brother has come against you, to fight you, with four thousand girt with the sword, and they carry shields and weapons; for they loved Ya`aqov more than Esau.
16 So they told him; for Ya`aqov was a more liberal and merciful man than Esau. But Ya`aqov would not believe until they came very near to the tower.
17 And he closed the gates of the tower; and he stood on the battlements and spoke to his brother Esau and said: Noble is the comfort wherewith you have come to comfort me for my woman who has died. Is this the oath that you did swear to your father and again to your mother before they died? You have broken the oath, and on the moment that you did swear to your father were you condemned.
18 And then Esau answered and said unto him: Neither the children of men nor the beasts of the earth have any oath of righteousness which in swearing they have sworn an oath valid forever; but every day they devise evil one against another, and how each may slay his adversary and foe.
19 And you do hate me and my children forever. And there is no observing the tie of brotherhood with you.
20 Hear these words which I declare unto you, if the boar can change its skin and make its bristles as soft as wool, or if it can cause horns to sprout forth on its head like the horns of a stag or of a sheep, then will I observe the tie of brotherhood with you and if the breasts separated themselves from their mother, for you have not been a brother to me.
21 And if the wolves make peace with the lambs so as not to devour or do them violence, and if their hearts are towards them for good, then there shall be peace in my heart towards you.
22 And if the lion becomes the friend of the ox and makes peace with him, and if he is bound under one yoke with him and plows with him, then will I make peace with you.
23 And when the raven becomes white as the raza, then know that I have loved you and shall make peace with you.
24 You shall be rooted out, and your sons shall be rooted out, and there shall be no peace for you.
25 And when Ya`aqov saw that he was so evilly disposed towards him with his heart, and with all his soul as to slay him, and that he had come springing like the wild boar which comes upon the spear that pierces and kills it, and recoils not from it; then he spoke to his own and to his servants that they should attack him and all his companions.
Thank you for joining us as we read through the entire WORD of GOD! As for me and My House, we will serve the LORD.
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