Jehoiachin, the Bible, and Archaeology by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=1406

Jehoiachin, the Bible, and Archaeology

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

For centuries, God had warned the sinful nation of Judah to turn from its wicked, idolatrous ways. Judah refused, and strayed farther from the true God. Due to Judah’s immoral, rebellious behavior, God sent His prophets to foretell the nation’s destruction and exile at the hands of the Babylonians. Just as God had predicted, the Babylonians crushed the forces of Judah and took them into exile.

The ruling king of Judah at the time of the Babylonian invasion was an 18-year-old young man named Jehoiachin. His brief reign of three months is chronicled in 2 Kings 24:12-15. The text states that he did evil in the sight of the Lord and that the Babylonian king (Nebuchadnezzar) came against the capital city of Jerusalem and besieged it. In response to this siege, the text states: “Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner” (2 Kings 24:12).

Jehoiachin’s miserable state of affairs lasted over thirty years, throughout the entire reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Yet, when Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he took pity on Jehoiachin and released him from prison. The biblical text mentions that the Babylonian king “spoke kindly” to Jehoiachin, and “gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon” (2 Kings 25:28). In addition to releasing him from prison, the Bible says that Evil-Merodach gave Jehoiachin a set amount of provisions: “And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life” (2 Kings 25:30).

These rations given to Jehoiachin have become increasingly important in light of an interesting archaeological discovery. Several administrative documents have been found in ancient Babylon that record events and transactions that took place during the reign of Evil-Merodach. These documents were preserved on clay cuneiform tablets, of which many have been found broken into several pieces. Jehoiachin’s name, however, is clearly legible on the tablets. Not only is he mentioned, but documentation for an allotment of grain, oil, and foodstuffs also is also provided. Alfred J. Hoerth mentions the find in his book Archaeology and the Old Testament and includes a picture of the cuneiform tablet that mentions Jehoiachin (1998, pp. 378-379).

The significance of this find is not lost on the observant reader. The Bible mentions Jehoichin’s captivity and subsequent elevation and daily rations at the hand of Evil-Merodach. The secular record uncovered in the ruins of ancient Babylon verifies the facts to an exacting degree. Biblical accuracy is unparalleled by any ancient or modern book in existence. Only due to the superintending of a divine hand could a book as extensive, exhaustive, and historically infallible as the Bible have been produced.

REFERENCES

Hoerth, Alfred J. (1998), Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Jesus Christ—Historical Figure or Fairy-Tale Character? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=820

Jesus Christ—Historical Figure or Fairy-Tale Character?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Most children and adults easily recognize the name Jesus Christ. Many even can tell the story of His life. However, those same people also recognize the names Peter Pan, Snow White, and Cinderella. And they can relate the “facts” of these fairy tales as well. Is Jesus of Nazareth a fictional character that deserves to be included in a list of mystifying magicians, daring dragon slayers, and flying boy heroes? Or should His name take its well-deserved position in the halls of factual history?

Some people say that He is a myth, a legend that never walked the Earth. After all, it is true that we do not have one single book or letter written my Jesus Himself. And, of course, no one has produced any physical evidence (such as His body) to verify His existence. What evidence is available to prove that Jesus actually walked on this Earth?

HOSTILE TESTIMONY
Interestingly, the first type of records comes from what are known commonly as “hostile” sources. Hostile sources were written by people who disliked Jesus and His followers. Such men certainly did not want to further the cause of Christ or add credibility to His existence. In fact, they rejected His teachings and often reviled Jesus and His followers. Therefore, when these sources speak about Jesus, no one can accuse them of shading the facts in Jesus’ favor.

A man named Tacitus will be the first hostile witness called to the stand. He was born about A.D. 56 and died about A.D. 117. He was an upper-class Roman with a good education who held high governmental positions under several Roman emperors. He is most famous for writing Annals—a history of Rome written around the year A.D. 115. In the Annals he told of the Great Fire of Rome, which occurred in A.D. 64. Nero, the Roman Emperor, was suspected by many of having ordered the city set on fire. Tacitus wrote:

Nero fabricated scapegoats, and punished with every refinement the notoriously depraved Christians (as they were popularly called). Their originator, Christ, had been executed in Tiberius’ reign by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilatus. But in spite of this temporary setback the deadly superstition had broken out afresh, not only in Judea (where the mischief had started) but even in Rome.

Tacitus hated both Christians and their namesake, Christ. He therefore had nothing positive to say about what he referred to as a “deadly superstition.” He did, however, have something to say about it. His testimony establishes beyond any reasonable doubt that the Christian religion was historically relevant and that its originator was a verifiable historical figure so famous that He even attracted the attention of the Roman Emperor himself!

Additional hostile testimony comes from Suetonius, who wrote around the year A.D. 120. The writings of Suetonius are reliable piece of historical evidence. Twice in his history book, Suetonius specifically mentioned Christ or His followers. He wrote, for example: “Because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbance at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled them from the city” (note that in Acts 18:2 Luke mentioned this expulsion by Claudius). Chrestus is probably a misspelling of Christos, the Greek word for Messiah. Suetonius further commented: “Punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief.” Again, it is clear that Suetonius and the Roman government had feelings of hatred toward Christ and His so-called “mischievous” band of rebels. It is equally clear that Suetonius (and, in fact, most of Rome) recognized that Christ was the noteworthy Founder of a historical religion.

Another Roman by the name of Pliny the Younger also provided hostile testimony to the life of Jesus. In a letter he wrote around the year A.D. 110, he used the terms “Christian” or “Christians” seven times, and wrote the name “Christ” three times. It is undeniably the case that Christians, with Christ as their Founder, had multiplied in such a way as to draw the attention of the Emperor and his officials by the time of Pliny. After examining this kind of evidence, it is impossible to deny the fact that Jesus Christ was recognized as an actual, historical person.

Even a casual reader who glances over the testimony of the hostile Roman witnesses will be struck by the fact that these men did not portray Christ as the Son of God or the Savior of the world. They verbally stripped Him of His Sonship, denied His glory, and belittled His magnificence. They described Him to their contemporaries, and for posterity, as a mere man. Yet even though they were greatly mistaken about Who He was, they nevertheless documented that He was. And for that we are indebted to them.

Jesus or Yeshua? by Justin Rogers, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=5602

Jesus or Yeshua?

by	Justin Rogers, Ph.D.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: A.P. auxiliary writer Dr. Rogers serves as Director of the Graduate School of Theology and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Freed-Hardeman University. He holds an M.A. in New Testament from F-HU as well as an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Hebraic, Judaic, and Cognate Studies from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.]

A minority of Christian voices through the centuries have insisted on stressing the Jewishness of Jesus.¹ Already in the New Testament, we learn that some Christians were retaining Jewish customs and doctrines in an attempt to create a hybrid religion. These attempts met stern apostolic criticism (e.g., Galatians 5:2; Colossians 2:16). Generally, as Christianity transitioned from a majority-Jewish to a majority-Gentile religion, these voices were steadily muted. However, a resurgence of the Jewish Jesus movement has led a number of people to allege ecclesiastical conspiracies to “cover up” the Jewishness of Jesus. Among the sensational claims is the alleged “change” of the name of God’s Son from Yeshua to Jesus.

Before we analyze the rationale and legitimacy behind the question of the name, let us affirm two incontrovertible truths. First, Jesus was a Jew. Scripture is clear that the New Covenant was not inaugurated until the death of Christ (Hebrews 9:16-17). Therefore, Jesus (or Yeshua, if you like) lived His entire life as a Jew under the Law of Moses. The name has nothing to do with His Jewishness. Second, His name in Hebrew was indeed Y^ehōshūa‘, or more likely in Aramaic Yēshūa‘. Growing up in the Galilee region, Jesus would have almost certainly spoken Aramaic, and He would not have heard His name as “Jesus.” Indeed, the Syriac translations of the New Testament spell the name Yēshūa‘.² The New Testament, however, is not written in Aramaic or in Syriac, but in Greek. And the English name “Jesus” is a transliteration based on the Latin, which is based on the Greek, which is in turn based on the original Aramaic.

ALLEGED REASONS FOR THE NAME “CHANGE”

“Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” This maxim is taught to third-graders and college students alike. Still, it doesn’t seem to sink in. People continue to read Web sites that propagate fictional conspiracy theories to allege the name of God’s Son was changed from its pure Hebrew form to its current corruption. And here are a few of the most common reasons why.

First, it is alleged that early Christians—even the authors of the New Testament!—were racists. They wished to erase the Jewishness of Jesus from the record in an effort to make Him seem “Christian” and “Gentile.” This simply isn’t true. First, every author of the New Testament seems to possess a Jewish background of some kind, and most were born Jewish (cf. Galatians 2:15). Second, Paul can boast not only of his Jewish lineage (Philippians 3:5), but also claim, “I am a Pharisee” (present tense!) long after his conversion (Acts 23:6). Third, where there is racism in the New Testament, it is usually against Gentiles rather than Jews (Galatians 2:12-16; cf. Romans 2:14).

Second, some would never lay such an allegation as racism at the feet of the Apostles, but they have no qualms about hurling this insult at the Catholic Church. They believe the early church falsified manuscripts of the New Testament in order to erase “Yeshua” and insert the more Western-sounding “Jesus.” There is no evidence for such a claim. We have nearly 6,000 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, and approximately 19,000 New Testament manuscripts in other early languages, such as Syriac, Coptic, and Latin. In addition to these direct copies, we have tens of thousands of pages of early Christian writings, some of which are from Jewish-Christian groups. The name of Jesus occurs hundreds of thousands of times collectively in these ancient documents, and none of them speaks to a conspiratorial name change. If the “change” from Yeshua to Jesus was an early Catholic conspiracy, it is the best-executed cover-up in world history.

Third, it is occasionally alleged that the name Jesus is an attempt to insert paganism into Christianity. A few (very, very few) argue the name “Jesus” means “hail Zeus.” I suspect someone somewhere noticed the pronunciation of the name, especially in a language such as Spanish, sounds strikingly like “Hey-Zoos.” This must be a furtive nod to the chief god of the Greek pantheon, right? Not in the slightest. The New Testament was not written in English or Spanish, but in Greek. In Greek, “hail Zeus” would be chaire zeu, which bears absolutely no phonetic resemblance to “Jesus.”

HOW DID WE GET FROM YESHUA TO JESUS?

Although Jesus probably grew up in Galilee hearing His name as Yēshūa‘, it is not the case that the Christian world moved from Yeshua to Jesus. This is because Yeshua and Jesus are not different names, but different pronunciations of the same name. Different languages hear sounds differently. The Hebrews of the Old Testament era heard the name of the Persian king as “Ahasuerus” whereas the Greeks heard it as “Xerxes” (compare ESV with NIV in Ezra 4:6). If your name is Peter in the United States or Great Britain, you are Petros in Greece, Pietro in Italy, Pierre in France, and Pedro in Spain. Did each of these languages change your name!? No. These languages simply pronounce the same name in different ways. And so it is with Jesus. The Greek Iēsous represents the Aramaic Yēshūa‘.

But what about the meaning of the name? Those who argue in favor of the superiority of the name Yeshua insist that the Hebrew form means “salvation” whereas the Greek form is meaningless. This is true, and I believe every Christian should know the name of Jesus in Hebrew and Aramaic means “salvation.” However, Peter-Petros-Pietro-Pierre-Pedro means “rock” only in the Greek language. It is meaningless in the others; yet none of us seems bothered by this problem, and no one insists on a consistent, universal pronunciation as Petros. Second, Matthew already felt the need to explain the name of Jesus in his Gospel (Matthew 1:21). And it is routine in the New Testament to translate the meaning of certain foreign words (e.g., Matthew 27:46; Mark 5:41; John 1:38, 41). If the inspired writers were content to use the medium of the Greek language, while also providing explanations, is it wrong of us to follow their example?

Third, there is more than one “Jesus” in the New Testament. In the genealogy of Christ a certain “Jesus son of Eliezer” is named (Luke 3:29). Then there is the Jesus also known as Justus (Colossians 4:11). Finally, the Old Testament hero Joshua is known in Greek transliteration as Iēsous, his name being indistinguishable in Greek from Jesus the Christ (Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8, KJV). 

CONCLUSION

Technically, if the New Testament were written in Hebrew or Aramaic, Yeshua would have been the form the authors used. But it wasn’t. It was written in Greek. So the authors represented the name as it was known in Greek. The name “Jesus,” in fact, was well-established in Greek transliteration as Iēsous thanks to the Septuagint, where it is found over 250 times. The New Testament authors did not change the name from Yeshua to Jesus, nor did the early Catholic Church.

Whenever modern theorists insist on the name Yeshua, they are contending for a position the New Testament authors themselves never took. The name of Jesus appears over 900 times in the Greek New Testament, every single time as Iēsous. If one travels to Israel, one will find the name of Jesus is still pronounced “Yeshua” today. But not in China, nor in Russia, nor in any European, North, or South American country will he or she find this pronunciation. The spelling and pronunciation of the name of Jesus is not a matter of conspiracy, but of culture.

ENDNOTES

¹ For a convenient survey of some of the early attempts, see Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik, eds. (2007), Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson).

² Syriac is an Eastern language closely related to Aramaic. The first translations of the New Testament from Greek into Syriac appear in the fourth century A.D.

"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS" Somatic Therapy For Wise Living (4:20-27) by Mark Copeland

"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS"

 Somatic Therapy For Wise Living (4:20-27)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our study of chapter four thus far, we have seen Solomon make two
   appeals concerning wisdom,   which I entitled...
   a. Childhood Memories Of A Wise Man (4:1-9)
   b. The Two Paths (4:10-19)

2. Solomon's third appeal to wisdom (4:20-27) makes metaphoric use of
   body parts...
   a. Such as the ears, eyes and mouth
   b. Such as the heart and feet

3. I like to think of this section as "Somatic Therapy For Wise Living"...
   a. Somatic means "of or relating to the body"
   b. Somatic therapy normally refers to holistic treatment designed to
      integrate the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects
      of one's being
   c. I am using it accommodatively in this lesson for the sake of illustration

[If we are to live wisely, then we need to apply "somatic therapy".
Let's begin with the fundamentals, what we might call...]

I. SOMATIC THERAPY 101

   A. INCLINE YOUR EAR TO WISDOM...
      1. "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ears to my
         sayings." - Pr 4:20
      2. In other words, careful attention to words of wisdom is required
      3. If we have ears to hear, then we must use them, leaning forward
         to listen if necessary
      4. Similar to the Bereans, who "received the word with all
         readiness" - Ac 17:11
      -- Do we make good use of our ears, listening carefully when
         wisdom is shared?

   B. FOCUS YOUR EYES ON WISDOM...
      1. "Do not let them depart from your eyes" - Pr 4:21a
      2. The eyes should be fixed on wise teaching
      3. This implies careful reading of that which imparts wisdom
      4. As Paul charged Timothy: "give attention to reading" - 1 Ti 4:13
      -- Do we make good use of our eyes, reading things that help make
         us wise?

   C. APPLY YOUR HEART TO WISDOM...
      1. "Keep them in the midst of your heart" - Pr 4:21b
      2. The heart in the Bible often refers to the mind or affections of a person
      3. This implies meditation upon those things we have heard or read
      4. As Paul exhorted the Philippians:  "...meditate on these things" - Php 4:8
      -- Do we spend time contemplating the wisdom we hear and read?

   D. THE BENEFITS OF SOMATIC THERAPY...
      1. "For they are life...and health..." - Pr 4:22
      2. Wisdom's words are life-giving and creative - Believer's Bible
         Commentary (BBC)
      3. And they are health to the whole body because they deliver a
         person from the sins and stresses that cause so much illness - ibid.
      4. As Jesus said:  "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and
         they are life" - Jn 6:63
      -- Do we let the wisdom of God give us a better life for both body
         and soul?

[Wise living truly involves more than just the inner man.  We must use
the whole man, including the eyes and ears that God gave us.  As we
continue, let's progress to the next level...]

II. SOMATIC THERAPY 201

   A. FOR THE HEART...
      1. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the
         issues of life" - Pr 4:23
      2. Diligence is required to guard the heart (the mind, the thoughts)
      3. For it is the fountain from which all actions spring - BBC
      4. As Jesus revealed concerning sin:  "For from within, out of the
         heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
         murders, thefts..." - Mk 7:21-23
      -- Are we careful about what goes into our hearts (minds)?

   B. FOR THE MOUTH AND LIPS...
      1. "Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far
         from you." - Pr 4:24
      2. We must not use our mouths and lips to lie or otherwise mislead
         others
      3. As Paul commanded:  "putting away lying, let each one of you
         speak truth with his neighbor..." - Ep 4:25
      4. Again:  "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but
         what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart
         grace to the hearers" - Ep 4:29
      -- Are we careful about what comes out of our mouths and lips?

   C. FOR THE EYES AND EYELIDS...
      1. "Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right
         before you." - Pr 4:25
      2. This suggests singleness of purpose, but it can also be take rather literally
      3. In a day when the mass media bombard us with publicity designed
         to arouse our animal appetites, we must learn to keep our eyes
         on Jesus. - BBC
      4. As Jesus warned, the eyes can be a conduit into the soul of man
         - cf. Mt 6:22-23
      -- Are we careful upon what we let our eyes linger?

   D. FOR THE FEET...
      1. "Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be
         established." - Pr 4:26
         a. Think about the direction in which your feet are taking you
         b. Work toward walking on established ways, not the unstable
         c. In this, the Lord is willing to assist us - cf. Ps 37:23;40:2; Pr 3:6
      2. "Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil." - Pr 4:27
         a. With the Lord before you, don't let the allurements of the
            world distract you
         b. Should you take a step in the wrong direction, quickly step back
         c. Again, the Lord is willing to help - cf. Mt 6:13; 26:41; 1Co 10:13; 2Pe 2:9
      -- Are we careful about where our feet are taking us?

CONCLUSION

1. Through proper "somatic therapy" we can live wisely...
   a. Using our ears, eyes, and mouths in ways that are wholesome
   b. Filling our hearts with good, so that it is good that proceeds
      from our hearts
   c. Watching where our feet are taking us, turning away when headed in
      the wrong direction

2. How are we using our bodies as we go through life...?
   a. Do we listen attentively to the spoken Word of God?
   b. Do we read carefully the written Word of God?
   c. Do we apply God's word to our heart and soul?
   d. Are we careful about what we see, say, and hear?
   e. Are we watching the direction our feet are taking us?

Fail to apply the lessons of "Somatic Therapy 101" and "Somatic Therapy
201", and we will fail to succeed in the course of life...!








Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016


 

Trusting in a spider's web by Gary Rose

Timeless, simply timeless. Two spider’s planning something great, trusting in their ingenuity and reasoning. They waste their time and effort, for they just don’t realize they are doomed to failure.

Sometimes, it seems to me that human beings are like that, trusting in their own intelligence and creativity, only to see the wind blow away their efforts in an instant. Think I am wrong? Well, how about margarine, remember how that was touted as THE replacement for butter; today, virtually no one uses it because we are told it is not good for you. Margarine is not the only thing, for we constantly see lawyers urging people to sue over defective products that cause damage. People know so much and understand so very little. They try to live a life without God, but that life so often ends in ruin. Things like divorce, bankruptcy and diseases caused by smoking, drinking, illegal drugs can be avoided if we just lived our lives listening to God rather than our own foolish desires. The Bible says…

Proverbs 16 ( World English Bible )

[25] There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Job 8 ( WEB )

[11] ”Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water? [12] While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed. [13] So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man shall perish, [14] Whose confidence shall break apart, Whose trust is a spider’s web.

Matthew 7 ( WEB )

[24] “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. [25] The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. [26] Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. [27] The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

But, you say, look at that man – he is prosperous and healthy; he doesn’t need God. Really; do you actually think that he will live forever? Ultimately, we all die- of something. Why not learn to think about more than just what you can understand by just using your senses? There really is more to life than what the human mind can comprehend. Jesus’ words of Matthew 7 make sense, for they transcend time and culture. A life lived with (and in obedience to) God is the only one that endures, because it survives beyond the grave. Think: are you trusting in a spider’s web or God? Only you can answer that question.

Bible Reading October 28 & 29 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading October 28 & 29

World  English  Bible

Oct. 28

Isaiah 5-8

Isa 5:1 Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.

Isa 5:2 He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in its midst, and also cut out a winepress therein. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.

Isa 5:3 "Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard.

Isa 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?

Isa 5:5 Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall of it, and it will be trampled down.

Isa 5:6 I will lay it a wasteland. It won't be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it."

Isa 5:7 For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress.

Isa 5:8 Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!

Isa 5:9 In my ears, Yahweh of Armies says: "Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied.

Isa 5:10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah."

Isa 5:11 Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!

Isa 5:12 The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don't regard the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.

Isa 5:13 Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst.

Isa 5:14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it.

Isa 5:15 So man is brought low, mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled;

Isa 5:16 but Yahweh of Armies is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.

Isa 5:17 Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich.

Isa 5:18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope;

Isa 5:19 Who say, "Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!"

Isa 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Isa 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Isa 5:22 Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;

Isa 5:23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!

Isa 5:24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 5:25 Therefore Yahweh's anger burns against his people, and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out.

Isa 5:26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.

Isa 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

Isa 5:28 whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs will be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.

Isa 5:29 Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver.

Isa 5:30 They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds.

Isa 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.

Isa 6:2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew.

Isa 6:3 One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!"

Isa 6:4 The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Isa 6:5 Then I said, "Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!"

Isa 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.

Isa 6:7 He touched my mouth with it, and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven."

Isa 6:8 I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am. Send me!"

Isa 6:9 He said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, but don't understand; and you see indeed, but don't perceive.'

Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed."

Isa 6:11 Then I said, "Lord, how long?" He answered, "Until cities are waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land becomes utterly waste,

Isa 6:12 And Yahweh has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

Isa 6:13 If there is a tenth left in it, that also will in turn be consumed: as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remains when they are felled; so the holy seed is its stock."

Isa 7:1 It happened in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

Isa 7:2 It was told the house of David, saying, "Syria is allied with Ephraim." His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

Isa 7:3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller's field.

Isa 7:4 Tell him, 'Be careful, and keep calm. Don't be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Isa 7:5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,

Isa 7:6 "Let's go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let's divide it among ourselves, and set up a king in its midst, even the son of Tabeel."

Isa 7:7 This is what the Lord Yahweh says: "It shall not stand, neither shall it happen."

Isa 7:8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people;

Isa 7:9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.' "

Isa 7:10 Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

Isa 7:11 "Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above."

Isa 7:12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh."

Isa 7:13 He said, "Listen now, house of David: Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also?

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 7:15 He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Isa 7:16 For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.

Isa 7:17 Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

Isa 7:18 It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

Isa 7:19 They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.

Isa 7:20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.

Isa 7:21 It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;

Isa 7:22 and it shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left in the midst of the land.

Isa 7:23 It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels, shall be for briers and thorns.

Isa 7:24 People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.

Isa 7:25 All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep."

Isa 8:1 Yahweh said to me, "Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man's pen, 'For Maher Shalal Hash Baz;'

Isa 8:2 and I will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah."

Isa 8:3 I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then said Yahweh to me, "Call his name 'Maher Shalal Hash Baz.'

Isa 8:4 For before the child knows how to say, 'My father,' and, 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria."

Isa 8:5 Yahweh spoke to me yet again, saying,

Isa 8:6 "Because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

Isa 8:7 now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.

Isa 8:8 It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through; it will reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel.

Isa 8:9 Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!

Isa 8:10 Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand: for God is with us."

Isa 8:11 For Yahweh spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

Isa 8:12 "Don't say, 'A conspiracy!' concerning all about which this people say, 'A conspiracy!' neither fear their threats, nor be terrorized.

Isa 8:13 Yahweh of Armies is who you must regard as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread.

Isa 8:14 He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Isa 8:15 Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured."

Isa 8:16 Wrap up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples.

Isa 8:17 I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

Isa 8:18 Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.

Isa 8:19 When they tell you, "Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:" shouldn't a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Isa 8:20 Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don't speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.

Isa 8:21 They will pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward,

Isa 8:22 and look to the earth, and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.

Oct. 29

Isaiah 9-12

Isa 9:1 But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Isa 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined.

Isa 9:3 You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Isa 9:4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.

Isa 9:5 For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

Isa 9:8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it falls on Israel.

Isa 9:9 All the people will know, including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart,

Isa 9:10 "The bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place."

Isa 9:11 Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies,

Isa 9:12 The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isa 9:13 Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies.

Isa 9:14 Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day.

Isa 9:15 The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

Isa 9:16 For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed.

Isa 9:17 Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isa 9:18 For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Isa 9:19 Through the wrath of Yahweh of Armies, the land is burnt up; and the people are the fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother.

Isa 9:20 One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm:

Isa 9:21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isa 10:1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees;

Isa 10:2 to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

Isa 10:3 What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Isa 10:4 They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isa 10:5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!

Isa 10:6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me will I give him a command to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Isa 10:7 However he doesn't mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.

Isa 10:8 For he says, "Aren't all of my princes kings?

Isa 10:9 Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?"

Isa 10:10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

Isa 10:11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

Isa 10:12 Therefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks.

Isa 10:13 For he has said, "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.

Isa 10:14 My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, have I gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped."

Isa 10:15 Should an axe brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.

Isa 10:16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.

Isa 10:17 The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Isa 10:18 He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.

Isa 10:19 The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.

Isa 10:20 It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Isa 10:21 A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

Isa 10:22 For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

Isa 10:23 For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, in the midst of all the earth.

Isa 10:24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says "My people who dwell in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.

Isa 10:25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction."

Isa 10:26 Yahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.

Isa 10:27 It will happen in that day, that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

Isa 10:28 He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.

Isa 10:29 They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

Isa 10:30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!

Isa 10:31 Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

Isa 10:32 This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

Isa 10:33 Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

Isa 10:34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Isa 11:1 A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.

Isa 11:2 The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh.

Isa 11:3 His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears;

Isa 11:4 but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.

Isa 11:5 Righteousness will be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his waist.

Isa 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them.

Isa 11:7 The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox.

Isa 11:8 The nursing child will play near a cobra's hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.

Isa 11:9 They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 11:10 It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.

Isa 11:11 It will happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Isa 11:12 He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Isa 11:13 The envy also of Ephraim will depart, and those who persecute Judah will be cut off. Ephraim won't envy Judah, and Judah won't persecute Ephraim.

Isa 11:14 They will fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines on the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east. They will extend their power over Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon will obey them.

Isa 11:15 Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will split it into seven streams, and cause men to march over in sandals.

Isa 11:16 There will be a highway for the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, like there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Isa 12:1 In that day you will say, "I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me.

Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation."

Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Isa 12:4 In that day you will say, "Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name. Declare his doings among the peoples. Proclaim that his name is exalted!

Isa 12:5 Sing to Yahweh, for he has done excellent things! Let this be known in all the earth!

Isa 12:6 Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion; for the Holy One of Israel is great in the midst of you!"

Oct. 28

1 Thessalonians 5

1Th 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you.

1Th 5:2 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.

1Th 5:3 For when they are saying, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

1Th 5:4 But you, brothers, aren't in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief.

1Th 5:5 You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness,

1Th 5:6 so then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober.

1Th 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night.

1Th 5:8 But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

1Th 5:9 For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

1Th 5:10 who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

1Th 5:11 Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.

1Th 5:12 But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you,

1Th 5:13 and to respect and honor them in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

1Th 5:14 We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.

1Th 5:15 See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

1Th 5:16 Rejoice always.

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

1Th 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

1Th 5:19 Don't quench the Spirit.

1Th 5:20 Don't despise prophesies.

1Th 5:21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

1Th 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

1Th 5:23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Th 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.

1Th 5:25 Brothers, pray for us.

1Th 5:26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

1Th 5:27 I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

1Th 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Oct. 29

2 Thessalonians 1

2Th 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2Th 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th 1:3 We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

2Th 1:4 so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

2Th 1:5 This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.

2Th 1:6 Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,

2Th 1:7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

2Th 1:8 giving vengeance to those who don't know God, and to those who don't obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,

2Th 1:9 who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

2Th 1:10 when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

2Th 1:11 To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

2Th 1:12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.