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Weekly Scripture Reading
Torah: DEUTERONOMY 12-16
Prophets: MICAH 5-7
Historical Writings: 1 SAMUEL 21-23
New Testament: EPHESIANS 1-2
Wisdom Writings: JOB 37
Non-Canonical: 2 BARUK 48
The following translation is from The Scriptures | ISR98
DEUTERONOMY 12-16
12 | 1 “These are the laws and right-rulings which you guard to do in the land which יהוה Elohim of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the soil.
2 “Completely destroy all the places where the nations which you are dispossessing served their mighty ones, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
3 “And you shall break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and burn their Ashĕrim with fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their mighty ones and shall destroy their name out of that place.
4 “Do not do so to יהוה your Elohim,
5 but seek the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His Name there, for His Dwelling Place, and there you shall enter.
6 “And there you shall take your burnt offerings, and your offerings, and your tithes, and the contributions of your hand, and your vowed offerings, and your voluntary offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock.
7 “And there you shall eat before יהוה your Elohim, and shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which יהוה your Elohim has blessed you.
8 “Do not do as we are doing here today – each one doing whatever is right in his own eyesa.
9 “Because you have not yet entered the rest and the inheritance which יהוה your Elohim is giving you.
10 “But you shall pass over the Yardĕn, and shall dwell in the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to inherit, and He shall give you rest from all your enemies round about, and you shall dwell in safety.
11 “And it shall be, that unto the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell there, there you are to bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your offerings, and your tithes, and the contributions of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to יהוה.
12 “And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim, you and your sons and your daughters, and your male servants and your female servants, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
13 “Guard yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see,
14 except in the place which יהוה chooses, in one of your tribes, there you are to offer your burnt offerings, and there you are to do all that I command you.
15 “Only, whatever your being desires you shall slaughter and eat, according to the blessing of יהוה your Elohim which He has given you, within all your gates. The unclean and the clean do eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.
16 “Only, the blood you do not eat, pour it on the earth like water.
17 “You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or of the firstlings of your herd or your flock, or of any of your offerings which you vow, or of your voluntary offerings, or of the contribution of your hand.
18 “But eat them before יהוה your Elohim, in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim in all that you put your hands to.
19 “Guard yourself that you do not forsake the Lĕwite as long as you live in your land.
20 “When יהוה your Elohim enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you eat as much meat as your being desires.
21 “When the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you shall slaughter from your herd and from your flock which יהוה has given you, as I have commanded you, and you shall eat within your gates as much as your being desires.
22 “Only, as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you are to eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike eat of it.
23 “Only, be firm not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, do not eat the life with the meat.
24 “Do not eat it, you pour it on the earth like water.
25 “Do not eat it, that it might be well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the eyes of יהוה.
26 “Only, the set-apart gifts which you have, and your vowed offerings, you are to take up and go to the place which יהוה chooses.
27 “And you shall make your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of יהוה your Elohim. And the blood of your offerings is poured out on the altar of יהוה your Elohim, and you eat the meat.
28 “Guard, and obey all these words which I command you, that it might be well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim.
29 “When יהוה your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land,
30 guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’a
31 “Do not do so to יהוה your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה hates they have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones.
32 “All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.a
13 | 1 “When there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he shall give you a sign or a wonder,
2 and the sign or the wonder shall come true, of which he has spoken to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other mighty ones – which you have not known – and serve them,’
3 do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for יהוה your Elohim is trying you to know whether you love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being.
4 “Walk after יהוה your Elohim and fear Him, and guard His commands and obey His voice, and serve Him and cling to Him.
5 “And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams is put to death, because he has spoken apostasy against יהוה your Elohim – who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim and redeemed you from the house of bondage – to make you stray from the way in which יהוה your Elohim commanded you to walk. Thus you shall purge the evil from your midst.
6 “When your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own being, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other mighty ones’– which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers,
7 of the mighty ones of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth –
8 do not agree with him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pardon him, nor spare him or conceal him,
9 but you shall certainly kill him. Your hand is first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people,
10 and you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage.
11 “And let all Yisra’ĕl hear and fear, and not again do any such evil matter as this in your midst.
12 “When you hear someone in one of your cities, which יהוה your Elohim gives you to dwell in, saying,
13 ‘Some men, sons of Beliya‛al, have gone out of you midst and led the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other mighty ones” ’ – mighty ones whom you have not known –
14 then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And see if the matter is true and established that this abomination was done in your midst,
15 you shall certainly smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, putting it under the ban, and all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
16 “And gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, before יהוה your Elohim. And it shall be a heap forever, never to be built again.
17 “And none of that which is put under the ban is to cling to your hand, so that יהוה turns from the fierceness of His displeasure and shall show you compassion, love you and increase you, as He swore to your fathers,
18 when you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard all His commands which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim.
14 | 1 “You are the children of יהוה your Elohim. Do not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead,
2 for you are a set-apart people to יהוה your Elohim, and יהוה has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a treasured possession above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
3 “Do not eat whatever is abominable.
4 “These are the living creatures which you do eat: ox, sheep, and goat,
5 deer, and gazelle, and roebuck, and wild goat, and mountain goat, and antelope, and mountain sheep.
6 “And every beast that has a split hoof divided in two, chewing the cud, among the beasts, you do eat.
7 “But of those chewing the cud or those having a split hoof completely divided, you do not eat, such as these: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit, for they chew the cud but do not have a split hoof, they are unclean for you.
8 “And the pig is unclean for you, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud. You do not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
9 “These you do eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales you do eat.
10 “And whatever does not have fins and scales you do not eat, it is unclean for you.
11 “Any clean bird you do eat,
12 but these you do not eat: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture,
13 and the red kite, and the falcon, and the buzzard after their kinds,
14 and every raven after its kind,
15 and the ostrich, and the nighthawk, and the seagull, and the hawk after their kinds,
16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the white owl,
17 and the pelican, and the carrion vulture, and the fisher owl,
18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat.
19 “And every creeping insect that flies is unclean for you, they are not eaten.
20 “Any clean bird you do eat.
21 “Do not eat whatever dies of itself. Give it to the stranger who is within your gates, to eat it, or sell it to a foreigner. For you are a set-apart people to יהוה your Elohim. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
22 “You shall tithe without fail all the yield of your grain that the field brings forth year by year.
23 “And you shall eat before יהוה your Elohim, in the place where He chooses to make His Name dwell, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and of the firstlings of your herds and your sheep, so that you learn to fear יהוה your Elohim always.
24 “But when the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to bring the tithe, or when the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to put His Name is too far from you, when יהוה your Elohim is blessing you,
25 then you shall give it in silver, and shall take the silver in your hand and go to the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses.
26 “And you shall use the silver for whatever your being desires: for cattle or sheep, for wine or strong drink, for whatever your being desires. And you shall eat there before יהוה your Elohim, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
27 “And do not forsake the Lĕwite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.
28 “At the end of every third year you bring out all the tithe of your increase of that year and store it up within your gates.
29 “And the Lĕwite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the sojourner and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that יהוה your Elohim does bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
15 | 1 “At the end of every seven years you make a release of debts.
2 “And this is the word of the release: Every creditor is to release what he has loaned to his neighbour, he does not require it of his neighbour or his brother, because it is called the release of יהוה.
3 “Of a foreigner you could require it, but your hand is to release whatever is owed by your brother.
4 “Only, there should be no poor among you. For יהוה does greatly bless you in the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess as an inheritance,
5 only if you diligently obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard to do all these commands which I am commanding you today.
6 “For יהוה your Elohim shall bless you as He promised you. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And you shall rule over many nations, but they do not rule over you.
7 “When there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, within any of the gates in your land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, do not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,
8 for you shall certainly open your hand to him and certainly lend him enough for his need, whatever he needs.
9 “Be on guard lest there be a thought of Beliya‛al in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is near,’ and your eye is evil against your poor brother and you give him naught. And he shall cry out to יהוה against you, and it shall be a sin in you.
10 “You shall certainly give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this reason יהוה your Elohim does bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.
11 “Because the poor one does not cease from the land. Therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall certainly open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy one, in your land.’
12 “When your brother is sold to you, a Heḇrew man or a Heḇrew woman, and shall serve you six years, then let him go free from you in the seventh year.
13 “And when you send him away free from you, let him not go away empty-handed.
14“You shall richly supply him from your flock, and from your threshing-floor, and from your winepress. With that which יהוה has blessed you with, give to him.
15 “And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Mitsrayim, and יהוה your Elohim redeemed you. Therefore I am commanding you this word today.
16 “And it shall be, when he says to you, ‘I do not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, because it is good for him with you,
17 then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Do the same to your female servant.
18 “Let it not be hard in your eyes when you send him away free from you, for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. And יהוה your Elohim shall bless you in all that you do.
19 “Set apart to יהוה your Elohim all the first-born males that come from your herd and your flock. Do no work with the first-born of your herd, nor shear the first-born of your flock.
20 “You and your household are to eat it before יהוה your Elohim year by year in the place which יהוה chooses.
21 “But when there is any defect in it, lame or blind, or has any evil defect, do not slaughter it to יהוה your Elohim.
22 “Eat it within your gates – the unclean and the clean alike – as the gazelle, and as the deer.
23 “Only, do not eat its blood, pour it on the ground like water.
MICAH 5-7
5 | 1 Now you are raided, O daughter of raiders, a siege has been laid against us. They strike the Judge of Yisra’ĕl with a rod on the cheek.
2 “But you, Bĕyth Leḥem Ephrathah, you who are little among the clans of Yehuḏah, out of you shall come forth to Me the One to become Ruler in Yisra’ĕl. And His comings fortha are of old, from everlasting.”
3 Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labour has given birth, and the remnant of His brothers return to the children of Yisra’ĕl.
4 And He shall stand and shepherda in the strength of יהוה, in the excellency of the Name of יהוה His Elohim. And they shall dwell, for at that time He shall be great, to the ends of the earth.
5 And this shall be peace. When Ashshur comes into our land, and when he treads in our palaces, we shall raise against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
6 And they shall shepherd the land of Ashshur with the sword, and the land of Nimroḏ at its entrances. And He shall deliver us from Ashshur, when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders.
7 And the remnant of Ya‛aqoḇ shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from יהוה, as showers on the grass, which do not wait for man nor delay for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Ya‛aqoḇ shall be among the gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of a forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, shall both tread down and shall tear, and there is no one to deliver.
9 Let your hand be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies be cut off.
10 “And it shall be in that day,” declares יהוה, “that I shall cut off your horses out of your midst, and I shall destroy your chariots.
11 “And I shall cut off the cities of your land, and I shall pull down all your strongholds.
12 “And I shall cut off witchcrafts out of your hand, and let you have no magicians.
13 “And I shall cut off your carved images, and your pillars from your midst, so that you no longer bow down to the work of your hands.
14 “And I shall pluck your Ashĕrim out of your midst, and I shall destroy your cities.
15 “And I shall take vengeance in wrath and rage on the gentiles who did not obey.”
6| 1 Hear now what יהוה is saying, “Arise, strive with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 “Hear, O you mountains, the controversy of יהוה, and you everlasting foundations of the earth! For יהוה has a controversy with His people and He shall reprove Yisra’ĕl.
3 “My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Answer Me,
4 for I brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim, and I ransomed you from the house of bondage. And I sent Mosheh, Aharon, and Miryam before you.
5 “My people, remember, please, what Balaq sovereign of Mo’aḇ counselled, and what Bil‛am son of Be‛or answered him, from Shittim to Gilgal, in order to know the righteousness of יהוה.”
6 With what shall I come before יהוה, bow myself before the high Elohim? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Is יהוה pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my being?
8 He has declared to you, O man, what is good. And what does יהוה require of you but to do right, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your Elohim?
9 The voice of יהוה cries to the city – and let sound wisdom see Your Name! “Hear the Rod and Him who appointed it!
10 “Are there still treasures of wrongness in the house of the wrong, and the short measure that is an abomination?”
11 Would I be innocent with wrong scales, and with a bag of false weights?
12 “For her rich men are filled with cruel unrighteousness, and her inhabitants have spoken falsehood, and their tongue is deceit in their mouth.
13 “So I also, I shall smite you with a grievous wound, to lay you waste because of your sins:
14 “You shall eat but not be satisfied, and your inside be empty. And you shall store up but not save, and what you save I shall give to the sword.
15 “You shall sow but not reap, you shall tread the olives but not anoint yourselves with oil, and make sweet wine but not drink wine.
16 “For the laws of Omri are strictly observed, and all the works of the house of Aḥab, and you walk in their counsels. Therefore I give you for a ruin, and your inhabitants for a hissing, and let you bear the reproach of My people.”
7 | 1 Woe to me! For I am as gatherings of summer fruit, as gleanings of the grape harvest. There is no cluster to eat. My being has desired the first-ripe fruit.
2 The kind one has perished from the earth, and there is no one straight among men. All of them lie in wait for blood, everyone hunts his brother with a net.
3 Both hands are on the evil, to do it well. The prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man speaks the desire of his being. And they weave it together.
4 The best of them is like a prickly plant, the most straight is sharper than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchman and your punishment has come, now is their confusion.
5 Trust no friend, rely on no companion, guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.
6 For son is despising father, daughter rises up against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, the enemies of a man are the men of his own house.
7 As for me, I look to יהוה, I wait for the Elohim of my deliverance, my Elohim does hear me.
8 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. When I have fallen I have risen, when I sit in darkness יהוה is a light to me.
9 I bear the displeasure of יהוה, for I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case, and shall execute right-ruling for me, until He brings me out into the light and I look on His righteousness.
10 And let my enemy see it, and let shame cover her who said to me, “Where is יהוה your Elohim?” Let my eyes look on her: now she is trampled down like mud in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls! Let the decree go far and wide in that day –
12 that day when they come to you from Ashshur and the besieged cities of Mitsrayim, and from the siegea to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.
13 But the earth shall become a waste because of those who dwell in it, and for the fruit of their deeds.
14 Shepherd Your people with Your rod, the flock of Your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest, in the midst of Karmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gil‛aḏ, as in days of old.
15 “As in the days when you came out of the land of Mitsrayim, I shall let him see wonders.”
16 Let the gentiles see and be ashamed of all their might, let them put their hand over their mouth, let their ears be deaf.
17 Let them lick the dust like a serpent, let them come trembling from their strongholds like snakes of the earth, let them be afraid of יהוה our Elohim and fear because of You.
18 Who is an Ěl like You – taking away crookedness and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? He shall not retain His wrath forever, for He Himself delights in kindness.
19 He shall turn back, He shall have compassion on us, He shall trample upon our crookednesses! And You throw all our sins into the depths of the sea!
20 You give truth to Ya‛aqoḇ, kindness to Aḇraham, which You swore to our fathers from the days of old!
1 Samuel 21-23
21 | 1 And Dawiḏ came to Noḇ, to Aḥimeleḵ the priest. And Aḥimeleḵ trembled when he met Dawiḏ, and asked him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”
2 And Dawiḏ said to Aḥimeleḵ the priest, “The sovereign has commanded me a word, and said to me, ‘Let no one know whatever of the word about which I send you, and which I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3 “And now, what do you have on hand? Give five loaves into my hand, or whatever is found.”
4 And the priest answered Dawiḏ and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is set-apart bread – provided the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5 And Dawiḏ answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are set-apart, and it is an ordinary mission, and also, it was set-apart in the vessel today.”
6 Then the priest gave him set-apart bread, for there was no bread there except the showbread which had been taken from before יהוה, in order to put hot bread in on the day it is taken away.
7 Now one of the servants of Sha’ul was there that day, detained before יהוה. And his name was Do’ĕg̅, an Eḏomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Sha’ul.
8 And Dawiḏ said to Aḥimeleḵ, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the matter of the sovereign was urgent.”
9 And the priest said, “The sword of Golyath the Philistine, whom you smote in the Valley of Ělah. See, it is wrapped in a garment behind the shoulder garment. If you would take it, take it. For there is none other except this one here.” And Dawiḏ said, “There is none like it, give it to me.”
10 And Dawiḏ rose and fled that day from before Sha’ul, and went to Aḵish the sovereign of Gath.
11 But the servants of Aḵish said to him, “Is this not Dawiḏ the sovereign of the land? Did they not sing of him to each other in dances, saying, ‘Sha’ul smote his thousands, and Dawiḏ his ten thousands’?”
12 And Dawiḏ took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Aḵish the sovereign of Gath,
13 and changed his behaviour before them, and feigned madness in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down on his beard.
14 Then Aḵish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is acting like a madman. Why do you bring him to me?
15 “Am I short of madmen, that you have brought this one to act as a madman near me? Should this one come into my house?”
22 | 1 And Dawiḏ went from there and escaped to the cave of Aḏullam. And his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, and went down to him there.
2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone bitter in being gathered to him. So he became head over them, and there were about four hundred men with him.
3 And Dawiḏ went from there to Mitspeh of Mo’aḇ and said to the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what Elohim does for me.”
4 And he left them with the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, and they dwelt with him all the time that Dawiḏ was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gaḏ said to Dawiḏ, “Do not remain in the stronghold. Leave, and go to the land of Yehuḏah.” So Dawiḏ left and went into the Ḥereth woods.
6 And Sha’ul heard that Dawiḏ and the men who were with him had been discovered, while Sha’ul was in Giḇ‛ah, sitting under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him.
7 And Sha’ul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Hear now, you Binyamites! Does the son of Yishai give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
8 “For all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Yishai. And there is not one of you who is grieved for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”
9 And Do’ĕg̅ the Eḏomite, who was set over the servants of Sha’ul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Yishai going to Noḇ, to Aḥimeleḵ son of Aḥituḇ.
10 “And he inquired of יהוה for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Golyath the Philistine.”
11 And the sovereign sent someone to call Aḥimeleḵ the priest, son of Aḥituḇ, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Noḇ. And they all came to the sovereign,
12 and Sha’ul said, “Hear now, son of Aḥituḇ!” And he answered, “Here I am, my master.”
13 And Sha’ul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Yishai, by giving him bread and a sword, and have inquired of Elohim for him, to rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”
14 And Aḥimeleḵ answered the sovereign and said, “And who among all your servants is so trustworthy as Dawiḏ, who is the sovereign’s son-in-law, and has turned aside to your counsel, and is esteemed in your house?
15 “Have I today begun to inquire of Elohim for him? Far be it from me! Let not the sovereign lay a case against his servant, or against any in the house of my father. For your servant knew not of all this, little or much.”
16 And the sovereign said, “You shall certainly die, Aḥimeleḵ, you and all your father’s house!”
17 The sovereign then said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and put the priests of יהוה to death, because their hand also is with Dawiḏ, and because they knew when he fled and did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the sovereign would not lift their hands to come against the priests of יהוה.
18 And the sovereign said to Do’ĕg̅, “You turn and come against the priests!” So Do’ĕg̅ the Eḏomite turned and came against the priests, and put to death on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen shoulder garment.
19 And he smote Noḇ, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, from men even to women, from children even to nursing infants, and oxen and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Aḥimeleḵ son of Aḥituḇ, named Eḇyathar, escaped and fled after Dawiḏ.
21 And Eḇyathar reported to Dawiḏ that Sha’ul had slain the priests of יהוה.
22 And Dawiḏ said to Eḇyathar, “I knew that day, when Do’ĕg̅ the Eḏomite was there, that he would certainly inform Sha’ul. I am accountable for all the lives of your father’s house.
23 “Remain with me, do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you are safe.”
23 | 1 And they informed Dawiḏ, saying, “See, the Philistines are fighting against Qe‛ilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.”
2 So Dawiḏ inquired of יהוה, saying, “Shall I go and smite these Philistines?” And יהוה said to Dawiḏ, “Go and smite the Philistines, and save Qe‛ilah.”
3 And Dawiḏ’s men said to him, “See, we here in Yehuḏah are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Qe‛ilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 And Dawiḏ inquired of יהוה once again. And יהוה answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Qe‛ilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.”
5 So Dawiḏ and his men went to Qe‛ilah and fought with the Philistines, and he led away their livestock and smote them, a great smiting. Thus Dawiḏ saved the inhabitants of Qe‛ilah.
6 And it came to be, when Eḇyathar son of Aḥimeleḵ fled to Dawiḏ at Qe‛ilah, that he went down with a shoulder garment in his hand.
7 And Sha’ul was informed that Dawiḏ had gone to Qe‛ilah. Then Sha’ul said, “Elohim has estranged him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”
8 And Sha’ul summoned all the people to battle, to go down to Qe‛ilah to besiege Dawiḏ and his men.
9 And Dawiḏ knew that Sha’ul was plotting evil against him, and said to Eḇyathar the priest, “Bring the shoulder garment here.”
10 And Dawiḏ said, “O יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, Your servant has heard for certain that Sha’ul seeks to come to Qe‛ilah to destroy the city for my sake.
11 “Are the landowners of Qe‛ilah going to surrender me into his hand? Is Sha’ul coming down, as Your servant has heard? O יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, I pray, let Your servant know.” And יהוה said, “He is coming down.”
12 And Dawiḏ said, “Are the landowners of Qe‛ilah going to surrender me and my men into the hand of Sha’ul?” And יהוה said, “They are going to surrender you.”
13 Then Dawiḏ and his men, about six hundred, arose and left Qe‛ilah and went wherever they could go. And Sha’ul was informed that Dawiḏ had escaped from Qe‛ilah, and he ceased to go out.
14 And Dawiḏ remained in the wilderness, in strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Sha’ul sought him every day, but Elohim did not give him into his hand.
15 And Dawiḏ saw that Sha’ul had come out to seek his life while Dawiḏ was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Ḥoresh.
16 And Yehonathan, Sha’ul’s son, arose and went to Dawiḏ at Ḥoresh and strengthened his hand in Elohim,
17 and said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Sha’ul my father is not going to find you, and you are to reign over Yisra’ĕl, and I am to be next to you. Even my father Sha’ul knows that.”
18 And they made a covenant before יהוה. And Dawiḏ remained at Ḥoresh while Yehonathan went to his own house.
19 And the Ziphites came up to Sha’ul at Giḇ‛ah, saying, “Is Dawiḏ not hiding with us in strongholds Ḥoresh, in the hill of Ḥaḵilah, which is on the south of the wasteland?
20 “And now, O sovereign, by all the desire of your being, come down, come down, and our part is to surrender him into the sovereign’s hand.”
21 And Sha’ul said, “Blessed are you of יהוה, for you have sympathy with me.
22 “Please go, prepare yet further and find out and see the place where his hide-out is, who has seen him there. For I am told that he is very cunning.
23 “So look, and learn all about the hiding places where he hides. And you shall come back to me with certainty, then I shall go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I shall search for him throughout all the clans of Yehuḏah.”
24 And they rose up and went to Ziph before Sha’ul, while Dawiḏ and his men were in the Wilderness of Ma‛on, in the desert plain on the south of the wasteland.
25 And Sha’ul and his men went to seek him, and they informed Dawiḏ, so he went down to the rock, and remained in the Wilderness of Ma‛on. And when Sha’ul heard this, he pursued Dawiḏ in the Wilderness of Ma‛on.
26 And Sha’ul went on one side of the mountain, and Dawiḏ and his men on the other side of the mountain. And Dawiḏ was hurrying to get away from Sha’ul, for Sha’ul and his men were surrounding Dawiḏ and his men to take them.
27 Then a messenger came to Sha’ul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”
28 So Sha’ul turned back from pursuing Dawiḏ, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammaḥleqoth.
29 And Dawiḏ went up from there and remained in strongholds at Ěn Geḏi.
EPHESIANS 1-2
1 | 1 Sha’ul, an emissary of יהושע Messiah by the desire of Elohim, to the set-apart ones who are in Ephesos, and true to Messiah יהושע:
2 Favour to you and peace from Elohim our Father and the Master יהושע Messiah.
3 Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Master יהושע Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Messiah,
4 even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be set-apart and blameless before Him in love,a
5 having previously ordained us to adoption as sons through יהושע Messiah to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His desire,
6 to the praise of the esteem of His favour with which He favoured us in the Beloved,
7 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of His favour,
8 which He has lavished on us in all wisdom and insight,
9 having made known to us the secret of His desire, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him,
10 to administer at the completion of time, to gather together in one all in Messiah, both which are in the heavens and which are on earth, in Him,
11 in whom also we did obtain an inheritance, being previously ordained according to the purpose of Him working all matters according to the counsel of His desire,
12 for us to be the praise of His esteem – those having first trusted in Messiah,
13 in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your deliverance, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Set-apart Spirit of promise,
14 who is the pledge of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His esteem.
15 For this reason I too, having heard of your belief in the Master יהושע and your love for all the set-apart ones,
16 do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
17 that the Elohim of our Master יהושע Messiah, the Father of esteem, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understandinga being enlightened, so that you know what is the expectation of His calling, and what are the riches of the esteem of His inheritance in the set-apart ones,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who are believing, according to the working of His mighty strength,
20 which He wrought in the Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and mastery, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all, to the assembly,
23 which is His body, the completeness of Him who fills all in all.
2 | 1 And you were dead in trespasses and sins,a
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,a
3 among whom also we all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, as also the rest.
4 But Elohim, who is rich in compassion, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Messiah – by favour you have been saved –
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Messiah יהושע,
7 in order to show in the coming ages the exceeding riches of His favour in kindness toward us in Messiah יהושע.
8 For by favour you have been saved, through belief, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of Elohim,
9 it is not by works, so that no one should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah יהושע unto good works, which Elohim prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that you, once gentilesa in the flesh, who are called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called ‘the circumcision’ made in the flesh by hands,
12 that at that time you were without Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Yisra’ĕl and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no expectation and without Elohim in the world.
13 But now in Messiah יהושע you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
14 For He is our peace, who has made both one, and having broken down the partition of the barrier,
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity – the Torah of the commands in dogma – so as to create in Himself one renewed man from the two, thus making peace,
16 and to completely restore to favour both of them unto Elohim in one body through the stake, having destroyed the enmity by it.
17 And having come, He brought as Good News peace to you who were far off, and peace to those near.
18 Because through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the set-apart ones and members of the household of Elohim,a
20 having been built upon the foundation of the emissaries and prophets, יהושע Messiah Himself being chief corner-stone,
21 in whom all the building, being joined together, grows into a set-apart Dwelling Place in יהוה,
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of Elohim in the Spirit.
Job 37
37 | 1 “At this too my heart trembles, and leaps from its place.
2 Listen, listen to the trembling of His voice, and the sound that comes from His mouth.
3 He lets it loose under all the heavens, and His lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of His excellency, and He does not hold them back when His voice is heard.
5 Ěl thunders wondrously with His voice; doing great deeds, which we do not understand.
6 For He says to the snow, ‘Be on the earth,’ also to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7 He seals up the hand of every man, for all men to know His work.
8 Then the beast goes into its lair, and they stay in their dens.
9 From the room of the south comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10 By the breath of Ěl ice is given, and the expanse of water becomes solid.
11 He also loads the thick clouds with moisture; He scatters His bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, to do whatever He commands them on the face of the earthly world.
13 He causes it to come, whether as a rod, or for His land, or for kindness.
14 Listen to this, O Iyoḇ, stand still and consider the wonders of Ěl.
15 Do you know when Eloah placed them, and caused the lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancing of the clouds, the wonders of the One perfect in knowledge?
17 Why are your garments hot, when the earth is stilled from the south?
18 Did you, with Him, spread out the clouds, strong as a hard mirror?
19 Teach us what we should say to Him; we do not set in order because of darkness.
20 Should He be told that I would speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up?
21 And now, they shall not look on the light that is bright behind the clouds, when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 From the golden north it comes – with Eloah is awesome excellency.
23 The Almighty, we have not found Him out, He is exalted in power and right-ruling and great in righteousness – He does not oppress.
24 Therefore men fear Him. He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”
2 Baruk 48
(CEPHER TRANSLATION)
48 | 1AND it came to pass after the seventh day, that I prayed before EL ELOHIYM and said:
2 O my ADONAI, you summon the advent of the times and they stand before you; you cause the power of the ages to pass away and they do not resist you; you arrange the method of the seasons and they obey you.
3 You alone know the duration of the generations and you reveal not your mysteries to many.
4 You make known the multitude of the fire and you weigh the lightness of the wind.
5 You explore the limit of the heights and you scrutinize the depths of the darkness.
6 You care for the number which pass away that they may be preserved and you prepare an abode for those that are to be.
7 You remember the beginning which you have made and the destruction that is to be you forget not.
8 With nods of fear and indignation you command the flames and they change into ruachoth and with a word you quicken that which was not and with mighty power you hold that which has not yet come.
9 You instruct created things in the understanding of you and you make wise the spheres so as to minister in their orders.
10 Armies innumerable stand before you and minister in their orders quietly at your nod.
11 Hear your servant and give ear to my petition.
12 For in a little time are we born and in a little time do we return.
13 But with you hours are as a time and days as generations.
14 Be not therefore wroth with man; for he is nothing.
15 And take not account of our works; for what are we? For lo! by your gift do we come into the world and we depart not of our own will.
16 For we said not to our parents: beget us. Nor did we send to She’ol and say: receive us.
17 What therefore is our strength that we should bear your wrath or what are we that we should endure your judgment?
18 Protect us in your compassions and in your mercy help us.
19 Behold the little ones that are subject unto you and save all that draw nigh unto you: and destroy not the hope of our people and cut not short the times of our aid.
20 For this is the nation which you have chosen and these are the people to whom you find no equal.
21 But I will speak now before you and I will say as my heart thinks.
22 In you do we trust, for lo! your Torah is with us and we know that we shall not fall so long as we guard your statutes.
23 To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the other nations.
24 For we are all one celebrated people who have received one Torah from EL: and the Torah which is amongst us will aid us and the surpassing wisdom which is in us will help us.
25 And when I had prayed and said these things, I was greatly weakened.
26 And he answered and said unto me: You have prayed simply O Baruk and all your words have been heard.
27 But my judgment exacts its own and my Torah exacts its rights.
28 For from your words I will answer you and from your prayer I will speak to you.
29 For this is as follows: he that is corrupted is not at all.
30 He has both wrought iniquity so far as he could do anything and has not remembered my goodness nor accepted my longsuffering.
31 Therefore you shall surely be taken up as I before told you. For that time shall arise which brings affliction; for it shall come and pass by with quick vehemence, and it shall be turbulent coming in the heat of indignation.
32 And it shall come to pass in those days that all the inhabitants of the earth shall be moved one against another because they know not that my judgment has drawn nigh.
33 For there shall not be found many wise at that time, and the intelligent shall be but a few. Moreover, even those who know shall most of all be silent.
34 And there shall be many rumours and tidings not a few and the doings of phantasmata shall be manifest and promises not a few be recounted. Some of them shall prove idle, And some of them shall be confirmed.
35 And honour shall be turned into shame and strength humiliated into contempt and probity destroyed and beauty shall become ugliness.
36 And many shall say to many at that time: Where has the multitude of intelligence hidden itself and whither has the multitude of wisdom removed itself?
37 And while they are meditating on these things, then envy shall arise in those who had not thought ought of themselves and passion shall seize him that is peaceful, And many shall be stirred up in anger to injure many, and they shall rouse up armies in order to shed blood and in the end they shall perish together with them.
38 And it shall come to pass at the selfsame time that a change of times shall manifestly appear to every man because in all those times they polluted themselves and they practiced oppression and walked every man in his own works and remembered not the Torah of EL ELOHIYM.
39 Therefore a fire shall consume their thoughts and in flame shall the meditations of their mind be tried. For the Judge shall come and will not tarry.
40 Because each of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he was transgressing, but my Torah they knew not by reason of their pride.
41 But many shall then assuredly weep, yea over the living more than over the dead.
42 And I answered and said: O A’dam, what have you done to all those who are born from you? And what will be said to the first Chuah who hearkened to the serpent?
43 For all this multitude are going to corruption; nor is there any numbering of those whom the fire devours.
44 But again I will speak in your presence.
45 You, O YAHUAH my ADONAI, know what is in your creature.
46 For you did of old command the dust to produce A’dam and you know the number of those who are born from him and how far they have sinned before you who have existed and not confessed you as their Creator.
47 And as regards all these their end shall convict them, and your Torah which they have transgressed shall requite them on your day.
48 But now let us dismiss the wicked and inquire about the righteous.
49 And I will recount their blessedness and not be silent in celebrating their glory which is reserved for them.
50 For assuredly as in a little time in this transitory world in which ye live, ye have endured much labour, so in that world to which there is no end, ye shall receive great light.
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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