Randall M. Rueff
P.O. Box 412
Taylorsville, Indiana 47280-0412
U.S.A.

RandallMatthewRueff@Comcast.net

Randall M. Rueff

Holy Bible - Isaiah 28 : 1 - 29 
 
Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah 
28 Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, 
 to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, 
set on the head of a fertile valley— 
 to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine! 
2 See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. 
 Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, 
like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, 
 he will throw it forcefully to the ground. 
3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, 
 will be trampled underfoot. 
4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty, 
 set on the head of a fertile valley, 
will be like figs ripe before harvest— 
 as soon as people see them and take them in hand, 
 they swallow them. 
5 In that day the Lord Almighty 
 will be a glorious crown, 
a beautiful wreath 
 for the remnant of his people. 
6 He will be a spirit of justice 
 to the one who sits in judgment, 
a source of strength 
 to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 
7 And these also stagger from wine 
 and reel from beer: 
Priests and prophets stagger from beer 
 and are befuddled with wine; 
they reel from beer, 
 they stagger when seeing visions, 
 they stumble when rendering decisions. 
8 All the tables are covered with vomit 
 and there is not a spot without filth. 
9 “Who is it he is trying to teach? 
 To whom is he explaining his message? 
To children weaned from their milk, 
 to those just taken from the breast? 
10 For it is: 
 Do this, do that, 
 a rule for this, a rule for that[a]; 
 a little here, a little there.” 
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues 
 God will speak to this people, 
12 to whom he said, 
 “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; 
and, “This is the place of repose”— 
 but they would not listen. 
13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: 
 Do this, do that, 
 a rule for this, a rule for that; 
 a little here, a little there— 
so that as they go they will fall backward; 
 they will be injured and snared and captured. 
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers 
 who rule this people in Jerusalem. 
15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, 
 with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. 
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, 
 it cannot touch us, 
for we have made a lie our refuge 
 and falsehood[b] our hiding place.” 
16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 
 
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, 
 a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; 
the one who relies on it 
 will never be stricken with panic. 
17 I will make justice the measuring line 
 and righteousness the plumb line; 
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, 
 and water will overflow your hiding place. 
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled; 
 your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. 
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, 
 you will be beaten down by it. 
19 As often as it comes it will carry you away; 
 morning after morning, by day and by night, 
 it will sweep through.” 
The understanding of this message 
 will bring sheer terror. 
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on, 
 the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. 
21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, 
 he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon— 
to do his work, his strange work, 
 and perform his task, his alien task. 
22 Now stop your mocking, 
 or your chains will become heavier; 
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me 
 of the destruction decreed against the whole land. 
23 Listen and hear my voice; 
 pay attention and hear what I say. 
24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? 
 Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? 
25 When he has leveled the surface, 
 does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? 
Does he not plant wheat in its place,[c] 
 barley in its plot,[d] 
 and spelt in its field? 
26 His God instructs him 
 and teaches him the right way. 
27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, 
 nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; 
caraway is beaten out with a rod, 
 and cumin with a stick. 
28 Grain must be ground to make bread; 
 so one does not go on threshing it forever. 
The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, 
 but one does not use horses to grind grain. 
29 All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, 
 whose plan is wonderful, 
 whose wisdom is magnificent.

Holy Bible - Isaiah 28 : 1 - 29

Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah
28 Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
    to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley—
    to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
2 See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong.
    Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind,
like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,
    he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
    will be trampled underfoot.
4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
    set on the head of a fertile valley,
will be like figs ripe before harvest—
    as soon as people see them and take them in hand,
    they swallow them.
5 In that day the Lord Almighty
    will be a glorious crown,
a beautiful wreath
    for the remnant of his people.
6 He will be a spirit of justice
    to the one who sits in judgment,
a source of strength
    to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 A

Holy Bible - Isaiah 28 : 1 - 29

Holy Bible - Isaiah 43 : 1 - 28 
 
Israel’s Only Savior 
43 But now, this is what the Lord says— 
 he who created you, Jacob, 
 he who formed you, Israel: 
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; 
 I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 
2 When you pass through the waters, 
 I will be with you; 
and when you pass through the rivers, 
 they will not sweep over you. 
When you walk through the fire, 
 you will not be burned; 
 the flames will not set you ablaze. 
3 For I am the Lord your God, 
 the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; 
I give Egypt for your ransom, 
 Cush[a] and Seba in your stead. 
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, 
 and because I love you, 
I will give people in exchange for you, 
 nations in exchange for your life. 
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; 
 I will bring your children from the east 
 and gather you from the west. 
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ 
 and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ 
Bring my sons from afar 
 and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 
7 everyone who is called by my name, 
 whom I created for my glory, 
 whom I formed and made.” 
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, 
 who have ears but are deaf. 
9 All the nations gather together 
 and the peoples assemble. 
Which of their gods foretold this 
 and proclaimed to us the former things? 
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, 
 so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” 
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, 
 “and my servant whom I have chosen, 
so that you may know and believe me 
 and understand that I am he. 
Before me no god was formed, 
 nor will there be one after me. 
11 I, even I, am the Lord, 
 and apart from me there is no savior. 
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— 
 I, and not some foreign god among you. 
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. 
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. 
No one can deliver out of my hand. 
 When I act, who can reverse it?” 
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness 
14 This is what the Lord says— 
 your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 
“For your sake I will send to Babylon 
 and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,[b] 
 in the ships in which they took pride. 
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 
 Israel’s Creator, your King.” 
16 This is what the Lord says— 
 he who made a way through the sea, 
 a path through the mighty waters, 
17 who drew out the chariots and horses, 
 the army and reinforcements together, 
and they lay there, never to rise again, 
 extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 
18 “Forget the former things; 
 do not dwell on the past. 
19 See, I am doing a new thing! 
 Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness 
 and streams in the wasteland. 
20 The wild animals honor me, 
 the jackals and the owls, 
because I provide water in the wilderness 
 and streams in the wasteland, 
to give drink to my people, my chosen, 
21 the people I formed for myself 
 that they may proclaim my praise. 
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, 
 you have not wearied yourselves for[c] me, Israel. 
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, 
 nor honored me with your sacrifices. 
I have not burdened you with grain offerings 
 nor wearied you with demands for incense. 
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, 
 or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. 
But you have burdened me with your sins 
 and wearied me with your offenses. 
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out 
 your transgressions, for my own sake, 
 and remembers your sins no more. 
26 Review the past for me, 
 let us argue the matter together; 
 state the case for your innocence. 
27 Your first father sinned; 
 those I sent to teach you rebelled against me. 
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple; 
 I consigned Jacob to destruction[d] 
 and Israel to scorn.

Holy Bible - Isaiah 43 : 1 - 28

Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar


Holy Bible - Isaiah 43 : 1 - 28

Holy Bible - Isaiah 30 : 1 - 33

Holy Bible - Isaiah 36 : 1 - 22 
 
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem 
36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field, 3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him. 
 
4 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: 
 
“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? 5 You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? 6 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 7 But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”? 
 
8 “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 9 How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen[a]? 10 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’” 
 
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.” 
 
12 But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” 
 
13 Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! 15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 
 
16 “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, 17 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 
 
18 “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 20 Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” 
 
21 But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.” 
 
22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.

Holy Bible - Isaiah 36 : 1 - 22

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field, 3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him.

4 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? 5 You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? 6 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all

Holy Bible - Isaiah 36 : 1 - 22

Holy Bible - Isaiah 31 : 1 - 9 
 
Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt 
31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, 
 who rely on horses, 
who trust in the multitude of their chariots 
 and in the great strength of their horsemen, 
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, 
 or seek help from the Lord. 
2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; 
 he does not take back his words. 
He will rise up against that wicked nation, 
 against those who help evildoers. 
3 But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; 
 their horses are flesh and not spirit. 
When the Lord stretches out his hand, 
 those who help will stumble, 
 those who are helped will fall; 
 all will perish together. 
4 This is what the Lord says to me: 
 
“As a lion growls, 
 a great lion over its prey— 
and though a whole band of shepherds 
 is called together against it, 
it is not frightened by their shouts 
 or disturbed by their clamor— 
so the Lord Almighty will come down 
 to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. 
5 Like birds hovering overhead, 
 the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; 
he will shield it and deliver it, 
 he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.” 
6 Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. 7 For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made. 
 
8 “Assyria will fall by no human sword; 
 a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. 
They will flee before the sword 
 and their young men will be put to forced labor. 
9 Their stronghold will fall because of terror; 
 at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,” 
declares the Lord, 
 whose fire is in Zion, 
 whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Holy Bible - Isaiah 31 : 1 - 9

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt
31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
    who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.
2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;
    he does not take back his words.
He will rise up against that wicked nation,
    against those who help evildoers.
3 But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;
    their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped will fall;
    all will perish together.
4 This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor—
so the Lord Almighty will come down
    to do battle on Mount Zion and o

Holy Bible - Isaiah 31 : 1 - 9

Holy Bible - Isaiah 11 : 1 - 16 
 
The Branch From Jesse 
11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; 
 from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— 
 the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, 
 the Spirit of counsel and of might, 
 the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. 
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, 
 or decide by what he hears with his ears; 
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, 
 with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. 
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; 
 with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 
5 Righteousness will be his belt 
 and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, 
 the leopard will lie down with the goat, 
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; 
 and a little child will lead them. 
7 The cow will feed with the bear, 
 their young will lie down together, 
 and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, 
 and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 
9 They will neither harm nor destroy 
 on all my holy mountain, 
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord 
 as the waters cover the sea. 
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush,[b] from Elam, from Babylonia,[c] from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. 
 
12 He will raise a banner for the nations 
 and gather the exiles of Israel; 
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah 
 from the four quarters of the earth. 
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, 
 and Judah’s enemies[d] will be destroyed; 
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, 
 nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. 
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; 
 together they will plunder the people to the east. 
They will subdue Edom and Moab, 
 and the Ammonites will be subject to them. 
15 The Lord will dry up 
 the gulf of the Egyptian sea; 
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand 
 over the Euphrates River. 
He will break it up into seven streams 
 so that anyone can cross over in sandals. 
16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people 
 that is left from Assyria, 
as there was for Israel 
 when they came up from Egypt.

Holy Bible - Isaiah 11 : 1 - 16

The Branch From Jesse
11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
    their y

Holy Bible - Isaiah 11 : 1 - 16

Holy Bible - Isaiah 18 : 1 - 17 
 
A Prophecy Against Cush 
18 Woe to the land of whirring wings[a] 
 along the rivers of Cush,[b] 
2 which sends envoys by sea 
 in papyrus boats over the water. 
Go, swift messengers, 
to a people tall and smooth-skinned, 
 to a people feared far and wide, 
an aggressive nation of strange speech, 
 whose land is divided by rivers. 
3 All you people of the world, 
 you who live on the earth, 
when a banner is raised on the mountains, 
 you will see it, 
and when a trumpet sounds, 
 you will hear it. 
4 This is what the Lord says to me: 
 “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, 
like shimmering heat in the sunshine, 
 like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 
5 For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone 
 and the flower becomes a ripening grape, 
he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, 
 and cut down and take away the spreading branches. 
6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey 
 and to the wild animals; 
the birds will feed on them all summer, 
 the wild animals all winter. 
7 At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty 
 
from a people tall and smooth-skinned, 
 from a people feared far and wide, 
an aggressive nation of strange speech, 
 whose land is divided by rivers— 
the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.

Holy Bible - Isaiah 18 : 1 - 17

A Prophecy Against Cush
18 Woe to the land of whirring wings[a]
    along the rivers of Cush,[b]
2 which sends envoys by sea
    in papyrus boats over the water.
Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,
    to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers.
3 All you people of the world,
    you who live on the earth,
when a banner is raised on the mountains,
    you will see it,
and when a trumpet sounds,
    you will hear it.
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
    “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
    like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
5 For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
    and cut down and take away the spreading branches.
6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey
    and to the 

Holy Bible - Isaiah 18 : 1 - 17

Holy Bible - Isaiah 19 : 1 - 25 
 
A Prophecy Against Egypt 
19 A prophecy against Egypt: 
 
See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud 
 and is coming to Egypt. 
The idols of Egypt tremble before him, 
 and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear. 
2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— 
 brother will fight against brother, 
 neighbor against neighbor, 
 city against city, 
 kingdom against kingdom. 
3 The Egyptians will lose heart, 
 and I will bring their plans to nothing; 
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, 
 the mediums and the spiritists. 
4 I will hand the Egyptians over 
 to the power of a cruel master, 
and a fierce king will rule over them,” 
 declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. 
5 The waters of the river will dry up, 
 and the riverbed will be parched and dry. 
6 The canals will stink; 
 the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. 
The reeds and rushes will wither, 
7 also the plants along the Nile, 
 at the mouth of the river. 
Every sown field along the Nile 
 will become parched, will blow away and be no more. 
8 The fishermen will groan and lament, 
 all who cast hooks into the Nile; 
those who throw nets on the water 
 will pine away. 
9 Those who work with combed flax will despair, 
 the weavers of fine linen will lose hope. 
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected, 
 and all the wage earners will be sick at heart. 
11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 
 the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. 
How can you say to Pharaoh, 
 “I am one of the wise men, 
 a disciple of the ancient kings”? 
12 Where are your wise men now? 
 Let them show you and make known 
what the Lord Almighty 
 has planned against Egypt. 
13 The officials of Zoan have become fools, 
 the leaders of Memphis are deceived; 
the cornerstones of her peoples 
 have led Egypt astray. 
14 The Lord has poured into them 
 a spirit of dizziness; 
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, 
 as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit. 
15 There is nothing Egypt can do— 
 head or tail, palm branch or reed. 
16 In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the Lord Almighty is planning against them. 
 
18 In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[a] 
 
19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them. 
 
23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing[b] on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

Holy Bible - Isaiah 19 : 1 - 25

A Prophecy Against Egypt
19 A prophecy against Egypt:

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud
    and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.
2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
    brother will fight against brother,
    neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city,
    kingdom against kingdom.
3 The Egyptians will lose heart,
    and I will bring their plans to nothing;
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
    the mediums and the spiritists.
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
    to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
5 The waters of the river will dry up,
    and the riverbed will be parched and dry.
6 The canals will stink;
    the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.
The reeds and rushes will wither,
7     also the plants along the Nile,
    at the mouth of the river.
Eve

Holy Bible - Isaiah 19 : 1 - 25

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 34 : 1 - 22 
 
Warning to Zedekiah 
34 While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. 3 You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon. 
 
4 “‘Yet hear the Lord’s promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, “Alas, master!” I myself make this promise, declares the Lord.’” 
 
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7 while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah. 
 
Freedom for Slaves 
8 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. 9 Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage. 10 So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again. 
 
12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, 14 ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’[a] Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. 16 But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again. 
 
17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals. 
 
21 “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. 22 I am going to give the order, declares the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 34 : 1 - 22

Warning to Zedekiah
34 While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. 3 You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

4 “‘Yet hear the Lord’s promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 34 : 1 - 22

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 43 : 1 - 13 
 
When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them— 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ 3 But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.” 
 
4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them. 7 So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes. 
 
8 In Tahpanhes the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 9 “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. 12 He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd picks his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. 13 There in the temple of the sun[b] in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 43 : 1 - 13

When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them— 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ 3 But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”

4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the child

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 43 : 1 - 13

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 30 : 1 - 24 
 
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.” 
 
4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says: 
 
“‘Cries of fear are heard— 
 terror, not peace. 
6 Ask and see: 
 Can a man bear children? 
Then why do I see every strong man 
 with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, 
 every face turned deathly pale? 
7 How awful that day will be! 
 No other will be like it. 
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, 
 but he will be saved out of it. 
8 “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, 
 ‘I will break the yoke off their necks 
and will tear off their bonds; 
 no longer will foreigners enslave them. 
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God 
 and David their king, 
 whom I will raise up for them. 
10 “‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; 
 do not be dismayed, Israel,’ 
declares the Lord. 
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, 
 your descendants from the land of their exile. 
Jacob will again have peace and security, 
 and no one will make him afraid. 
11 I am with you and will save you,’ 
 declares the Lord. 
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations 
 among which I scatter you, 
 I will not completely destroy you. 
I will discipline you but only in due measure; 
 I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ 
12 “This is what the Lord says: 
 
“‘Your wound is incurable, 
 your injury beyond healing. 
13 There is no one to plead your cause, 
 no remedy for your sore, 
 no healing for you. 
14 All your allies have forgotten you; 
 they care nothing for you. 
I have struck you as an enemy would 
 and punished you as would the cruel, 
because your guilt is so great 
 and your sins so many. 
15 Why do you cry out over your wound, 
 your pain that has no cure? 
Because of your great guilt and many sins 
 I have done these things to you. 
16 “‘But all who devour you will be devoured; 
 all your enemies will go into exile. 
Those who plunder you will be plundered; 
 all who make spoil of you I will despoil. 
17 But I will restore you to health 
 and heal your wounds,’ 
declares the Lord, 
‘because you are called an outcast, 
 Zion for whom no one cares.’ 
18 “This is what the Lord says: 
 
“‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents 
 and have compassion on his dwellings; 
the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, 
 and the palace will stand in its proper place. 
19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving 
 and the sound of rejoicing. 
I will add to their numbers, 
 and they will not be decreased; 
I will bring them honor, 
 and they will not be disdained. 
20 Their children will be as in days of old, 
 and their community will be established before me; 
 I will punish all who oppress them. 
21 Their leader will be one of their own; 
 their ruler will arise from among them. 
I will bring him near and he will come close to me— 
 for who is he who will devote himself 
 to be close to me?’ 
declares the Lord. 
22 “‘So you will be my people, 
 and I will be your God.’” 
23 See, the storm of the Lord 
 will burst out in wrath, 
a driving wind swirling down 
 on the heads of the wicked. 
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back 
 until he fully accomplishes 
 the purposes of his heart. 
In days to come 
 you will understand this.

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 30 : 1 - 24

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”

4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:

“‘Cries of fear are heard—
    terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,
    every face turned deathly pale?
7 How awful that day will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
    but he will be saved out of it.
8 “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
    no longer will foreigners enslave

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 30 : 1 - 24

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 10 : 1 - 25 
 
God and Idols 
1 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. 
2 This is what the Lord says: 
 
“Do not learn the ways of the nations 
 or be terrified by signs in the heavens, 
 though the nations are terrified by them. 
3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless; 
 they cut a tree out of the forest, 
 and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 
4 They adorn it with silver and gold; 
 they fasten it with hammer and nails 
 so it will not totter. 
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, 
 their idols cannot speak; 
they must be carried 
 because they cannot walk. 
Do not fear them; 
 they can do no harm 
 nor can they do any good.” 
6 No one is like you, Lord; 
 you are great, 
 and your name is mighty in power. 
7 Who should not fear you, 
 King of the nations? 
 This is your due. 
Among all the wise leaders of the nations 
 and in all their kingdoms, 
 there is no one like you. 
8 They are all senseless and foolish; 
 they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish 
 and gold from Uphaz. 
What the craftsman and goldsmith have made 
 is then dressed in blue and purple— 
 all made by skilled workers. 
10 But the Lord is the true God; 
 he is the living God, the eternal King. 
When he is angry, the earth trembles; 
 the nations cannot endure his wrath. 
11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’”[a] 
 
12 But God made the earth by his power; 
 he founded the world by his wisdom 
 and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 
13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; 
 he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. 
He sends lightning with the rain 
 and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 
14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; 
 every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. 
The images he makes are a fraud; 
 they have no breath in them. 
15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery; 
 when their judgment comes, they will perish. 
16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, 
 for he is the Maker of all things, 
including Israel, the people of his inheritance— 
 the Lord Almighty is his name. 
Coming Destruction 
17 Gather up your belongings to leave the land, 
 you who live under siege. 
18 For this is what the Lord says: 
 “At this time I will hurl out 
 those who live in this land; 
I will bring distress on them 
 so that they may be captured.” 
19 Woe to me because of my injury! 
 My wound is incurable! 
Yet I said to myself, 
 “This is my sickness, and I must endure it.” 
20 My tent is destroyed; 
 all its ropes are snapped. 
My children are gone from me and are no more; 
 no one is left now to pitch my tent 
 or to set up my shelter. 
21 The shepherds are senseless 
 and do not inquire of the Lord; 
so they do not prosper 
 and all their flock is scattered. 
22 Listen! The report is coming— 
 a great commotion from the land of the north! 
It will make the towns of Judah desolate, 
 a haunt of jackals. 
Jeremiah’s Prayer 
23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; 
 it is not for them to direct their steps. 
24 Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure— 
 not in your anger, 
 or you will reduce me to nothing. 
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations 
 that do not acknowledge you, 
 on the peoples who do not call on your name. 
For they have devoured Jacob; 
 they have devoured him completely 
 and destroyed his homeland.

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 10 : 1 - 25

God and Idols
1 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel.
2 This is what the Lord says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations
    or be terrified by signs in the heavens,
    though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
    they cut a tree out of the forest,
    and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
    they fasten it with hammer and nails
    so it will not totter.
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
    their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
    because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
    they can do no harm
    nor can they do any good.”
6 No one is like you, Lord;
    you are great,
    and your name is mighty in power.
7 Who should not fear you,
    King of the nations?
    This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
    and in all their kingdoms,
    there is no one like you.
8 They are all senseless and foolish;
   

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 10 : 1 - 25

Holy Bible - Jeremiah 2 : 1 - 37

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 2 : 1 - 55

Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 25 : 1 - 28 
 
Amaziah King of Judah 
1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. 3 After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 4 Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”[a] 
 
5 Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. 6 He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[b] of silver. 
 
7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. 8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.” 
 
9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?” 
 
The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.” 
 
10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage. 
 
11 Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. 12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces. 
 
13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder. 
 
14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” 
 
16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” 
 
So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” 
 
17 After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash[c] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us face each other in battle.” 
 
18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 19 You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?” 
 
20 Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 22 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,[d] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about four hundred cubits[e] long. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria. 
 
25 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.

Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 25 : 1 - 28

Amaziah King of Judah
1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. 3 After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 4 Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”[a]

5 Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, a

Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 25 : 1 - 28

Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 30 : 1 - 27 
 
Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover 
30 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3 They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5 They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written. 
 
6 At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read: 
 
“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” 
 
10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord. 
 
13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. 
 
15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16 Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs[a] to the Lord. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 
 
21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.[b] 
 
22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised[c] the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 
 
23 The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24 Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 30 : 1 - 27

Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover
30 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3 They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5 They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.

6 At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his of

Holy Bible - 2 Chronicles 30 : 1 - 27

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 19 : 1 - 19 
 
David Defeats the Ammonites 
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. 
 
When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. 
 
5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.” 
 
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,[b] Aram Maakah and Zobah. 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle. 
 
8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. 
 
10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” 
 
14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem. 
 
16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them. 
 
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army. 
 
19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. 
 
So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 19 : 1 - 19

David Defeats the Ammonites
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

6 When the Ammonites realiz

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 19 : 1 - 19

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 8 : 1 - 40 
 
The Genealogy of Saul the Benjamite 
8 Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, 
 
Ashbel the second son, Aharah the third, 
 
2 Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth. 
 
3 The sons of Bela were: 
 
Addar, Gera, Abihud,[a] 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan and Huram. 
 
6 These were the descendants of Ehud, who were heads of families of those living in Geba and were deported to Manahath: 
 
7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who deported them and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. 
 
8 Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 By his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, 10 Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. 11 By Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal. 
 
12 The sons of Elpaal: 
 
Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its surrounding villages), 13 and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of families of those living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath. 
 
14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah. 
 
17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. 
 
19 Jakim, Zikri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. 
 
22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zikri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. 
 
26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zikri were the sons of Jeroham. 
 
28 All these were heads of families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem. 
 
29 Jeiel[b] the father[c] of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. 
 
His wife’s name was Maakah, 30 and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner,[d] Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zeker 32 and Mikloth, who was the father of Shimeah. They too lived near their relatives in Jerusalem. 
 
33 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.[e] 
 
34 The son of Jonathan: 
 
Merib-Baal,[f] who was the father of Micah. 
 
35 The sons of Micah: 
 
Pithon, Melek, Tarea and Ahaz. 
 
36 Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza. 37 Moza was the father of Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son and Azel his son. 
 
38 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: 
 
Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. 
 
39 The sons of his brother Eshek: 
 
Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second son and Eliphelet the third. 40 The sons of Ulam were brave warriors who could handle the bow. They had many sons and grandsons—150 in all. 
 
All these were the descendants of Benjamin.

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 8 : 1 - 40

The Genealogy of Saul the Benjamite
8 Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn,

Ashbel the second son, Aharah the third,

2 Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth.

3 The sons of Bela were:

Addar, Gera, Abihud,[a] 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.

6 These were the descendants of Ehud, who were heads of families of those living in Geba and were deported to Manahath:

7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who deported them and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

8 Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 By his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, 10 Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. 11 By Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal.

12 The sons of Elpaal:

Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its surrounding villages), 13 and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of families of those living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath.



Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 8 : 1 - 40

Holy Bible - 2 Kings 25 : 1 - 30 
 
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. 2 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 
 
3 By the ninth day of the fourth[a] month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 4 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[b] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[c] 5 but the Babylonian[d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, 6 and he was captured. 
 
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. 7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 
 
8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. 
 
13 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. 15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver. 
 
16 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. 17 Each pillar was eighteen cubits[e] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar. 
 
18 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. 19 Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. 
 
So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. 
 
22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. 23 When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.” 
 
25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. 26 At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians. 
 
Jehoiachin Released 
27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

Holy Bible - 2 Kings 25 : 1 - 30

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. 2 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

3 By the ninth day of the fourth[a] month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 4 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[b] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[c] 5 but the Babylonian[d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, 6 and he was captured.

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. 7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then the

Holy Bible - 2 Kings 25 : 1 - 30

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 15 : 1 - 29 
 
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem 
15 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.” 
 
3 David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. 4 He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites: 
 
5 From the descendants of Kohath, 
 
Uriel the leader and 120 relatives; 
 
6 from the descendants of Merari, 
 
Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives; 
 
7 from the descendants of Gershon,[a] 
 
Joel the leader and 130 relatives; 
 
8 from the descendants of Elizaphan, 
 
Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives; 
 
9 from the descendants of Hebron, 
 
Eliel the leader and 80 relatives; 
 
10 from the descendants of Uzziel, 
 
Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives. 
 
11 Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord. 
 
16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. 
 
17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,[b] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel,[c] the gatekeepers. 
 
19 The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Jaaziel,[d] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,[e] 21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.[f] 22 Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it. 
 
23 Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark. 
 
25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. 26 Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. 27 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. 
 
29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

Holy Bible - 1 Chronicles 15 : 1 - 29 The Ark Brought to Jerusalem 15 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City ...

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