55 Bible Verses about Government

Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.

Chastise thy son, for there is hope, And to put him to death lift not up thy soul.

Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.

Whoso is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoso is loving him hath hastened him chastisement.

A king by judgment establisheth a land, And one receiving gifts throweth it down.

In the multitude of a people is the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince.

Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink. Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction. Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul, read more.
He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.

He said -- the God of Israel -- to me, He spake -- the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man is righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God.

For Thou, O God, hast hearkened to my vows, Thou hast appointed the inheritance Of those fearing Thy name. Days to the days of the king Thou addest, His years as generation and generation. He dwelleth to the age before God, Kindness and truth appoint -- they keep him.

Because of thine anger towards Me, And thy noise -- it came up into Mine ears, I have put My hook in thy nose, And My bridle in thy lips, And have caused thee to turn back, In the way in which thou camest.

And I have turned thee back, And I have put hooks in thy jaws, And have brought thee out, and all thy force, Horses and horsemen, Clothed in perfection all of them, A numerous assembly, with buckler and shield, Handling swords -- all of them.

Making void the tokens of devisers, And diviners it maketh mad, Turning the wise backward, And their knowledge it maketh foolish.

Rivulets of waters is the heart of a king in the hand of Jehovah, Wherever He pleaseth He inclineth it.

Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

And to the messenger of the assembly of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the witness -- the faithful and true -- the chief of the creation of God; I have known thy works, that neither cold art thou nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So -- because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth; read more.
because thou sayest -- I am rich, and have grown rich, and have need of nothing, and hast not known that thou art the wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, I counsel thee to buy from me gold fired by fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white garments that thou mayest be arrayed, and the shame of thy nakedness may not be manifest, and with eye-salve anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. 'As many as I love, I do convict and chasten; be zealous, then, and reform; lo, I have stood at the door, and I knock; if any one may hear my voice, and may open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He who is overcoming -- I will give to him to sit with me in my throne, as I also did overcome and did sit down with my Father in His throne.

because of this all things do I endure, because of the choice ones, that they also salvation may obtain that is in Christ Jesus, with glory age-during. Stedfast is the word: For if we died together -- we also shall live together; if we do endure together -- we shall also reign together; if we deny him, he also shall deny us;

Pierced hath been my spirit -- I, Daniel -- in the midst of the sheath, and the visions of my head trouble me; I have drawn near unto one of those standing, and the certainty I seek from him of all this; and he hath said to me, yea, the interpretation of the things he hath caused me to know: These great beasts, that are four, are four kings, they rise up from the earth; read more.
and receive the kingdom do the saints of the Most High, and they strengthen the kingdom unto the age, even unto the age of the ages. 'Then I wished for certainty concerning the fourth beast, that was diverse from them all, fearful exceedingly; its teeth of iron, and its nails of brass, it hath devoured, it doth break small, and the remnant with its feet it hath trampled; and concerning the ten horns that are in its heads, and of the other that came up, and before which three have fallen, even of that horn that hath eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and whose appearance is great above its companions. 'I was seeing, and this horn is making war with the saints, and hath prevailed over them, till that the Ancient of Days hath come, and judgment is given to the saints of the Most High, and the time hath come, and the saints have strengthened the kingdom. 'Thus he said: The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom in the earth, that is diverse from all kingdoms, and it consumeth all the earth, and treadeth it down, and breaketh it small. And the ten horns out of the kingdom are ten kings, they rise, and another doth rise after them, and it is diverse from the former, and three kings it humbleth; and words as an adversary of the Most High it doth speak, and the saints of the Most High it doth wear out, and it hopeth to change seasons and law; and they are given into its hand, till a time, and times, and a division of a time. And the Judge is seated, and its dominion they cause to pass away, to cut off, and to destroy -- unto the end; and the kingdom, and the dominion, even the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens, is given to the people -- the saints of the Most High, His kingdom is a kingdom age-during, and all dominions do serve and obey Him.

and indeed the Son of Man doth go according to what hath been determined; but woe to that man through whom he is being delivered up.' And they began to reason among themselves, who then of them it may be, who is about to do this thing. And there happened also a strife among them -- who of them is accounted to be greater. read more.
And he said to them, 'The kings of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority upon them are called benefactors; but ye are not so, but he who is greater among you -- let him be as the younger; and he who is leading, as he who is ministering; for who is greater? he who is reclining (at meat), or he who is ministering? is it not he who is reclining (at meat)? and I -- I am in your midst as he who is ministering. And ye -- ye are those who have remained with me in my temptations, and I appoint to you, as my Father did appoint to me, a kingdom, that ye may eat and may drink at my table, in my kingdom, and may sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'

'And to the messenger of the assembly of Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who is having his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet like to fine brass; I have known thy works, and love, and ministration, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works -- and the last are more than the first. 'But I have against thee a few things: That thou dost suffer the woman Jezebel, who is calling herself a prophetess, to teach, and to lead astray, my servants to commit whoredom, and idol-sacrifices to eat; read more.
and I did give to her a time that she might reform from her whoredom, and she did not reform; lo, I will cast her into a couch, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation -- if they may not repent of their works, and her children I will kill in death, and know shall all the assemblies that I am he who is searching reins and hearts; and I will give to you -- to each -- according to your works. 'And to you I say, and to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, and who did not know the depths of the Adversary, as they say; I will not put upon you other burden; but that which ye have -- hold ye, till I may come; and he who is overcoming, and who is keeping unto the end my works, I will give to him authority over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron -- as the vessels of the potter they shall be broken -- as I also have received from my Father; and I will give to him the morning star.

a man who compoundeth any like it, or who putteth of it on a stranger -- hath even been cut off from his people.'

They answered and said to him, 'In sins thou wast born altogether, and thou dost teach us!' and they cast him forth without.

Seven days ye eat unleavened things; only -- in the first day ye cause leaven to cease out of your houses; for any one eating anything fermented from the first day till the seventh day, even that person hath been cut off from Israel.

and the person who eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offerings which are Jehovah's, and his uncleanness upon him, even that person hath been cut off from his people.

and unto the opening of the tent of meeting doth not bring it in to make it to Jehovah -- that man hath been cut off from his people.

And there is a word of Jehovah to me, saying: As this potter am I not able to do to you? O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, as clay in the hand of the potter, So are ye in My hand, O house of Israel. The moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, To pluck up and to break down, and to destroy, read more.
And that nation hath turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have repented of the evil that I thought to do to it. And the moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant, And it hath done the evil thing in Mine eyes, So as not to hearken to My voice, Then I have repented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.

by the decree of the sifters is the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.

'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this? In whose hand is the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.' Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself? read more.
With the very aged is wisdom, And with length of days understanding. With Him are wisdom and might, To him are counsel and understanding. Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened. Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land. With Him are strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver. Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish. The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins. Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth. Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away. Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble. Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade. Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in. He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;

And thou hast commanded them for their lords, saying, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Thus do ye say unto your lords, I -- I have made the earth with man, and the cattle that are on the face of the earth, by My great power, and by My stretched-out arm, and I have given it to whom it hath been right in Mine eyes. And now, I -- I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and also the beast of the field I have given to him to serve him; read more.
And served him have all the nations, and his son, and his son's son, till the coming in of the time of his land, also it; and done service for him have many nations and great kings. And it hath come to pass, the nation and the kingdom that do not serve him -- Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon -- and that which putteth not its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon, with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, I lay a charge on that nation -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- till I consume them by his hand.

and began to teach them, that it behoveth the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise again;

And morning having come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, so as to put him to death; and having bound him, they did lead away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

And he having come to the temple, there came to him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, 'By what authority dost thou do these things? and who gave thee this authority?'

And immediately, in the morning, the chief priests having made a consultation, with the elders, and scribes, and the whole sanhedrim, having bound Jesus, did lead away, and delivered him to Pilate;

Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, to the court of the chief priest who was called Caiaphas; and they consulted together that they might take Jesus by guile, and kill him, and they said, 'Not in the feast, that there may not be a tumult among the people.'

and if any one is hungry, at home let him eat, that to judgment ye may not come together; and the rest, whenever I may come, I shall arrange.

And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter,

'For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, no more burden to lay upon you, except these necessary things:

(and if any one his own house how to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

An aged person thou mayest not rebuke, but be entreating as a father; younger persons as brethren;

Jesus answered and said to him, 'If any one may love me, my word he will keep, and my Father will love him, and unto him we will come, and abode with him we will make; he who is not loving me, my words doth not keep; and the word that ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. 'These things I have spoken to you, remaining with you, read more.
and the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I said to you. 'Peace I leave to you; my peace I give to you, not according as the world doth give do I give to you; let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid; ye heard that I said to you -- I go away, and I come unto you; if ye did love me, ye would have rejoiced that I said -- I go on to the Father, because my Father is greater than I. And now I have said it to you before it come to pass, that when it may come to pass, ye may believe; I will no more talk much with you, for the ruler of this world doth come, and in me he hath nothing;

and if also our good news is vailed, in those perishing it is vailed, in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;

'But I tell you the truth; it is better for you that I go away, for if I may not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you, and if I go on, I will send Him unto you; and having come, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment; concerning sin indeed, because they do not believe in me; read more.
and concerning righteousness, because unto my Father I go away, and no more do ye behold me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world hath been judged.

And wisdom we speak among the perfect, and wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age -- of those becoming useless, but we speak the hidden wisdom of God in a secret, that God foreordained before the ages to our glory, which no one of the rulers of this age did know, for if they had known, the Lord of the glory they would not have crucified;

They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men, And they exalt Him in the assembly of the people, And in the seat of the elders praise Him. He maketh rivers become a wilderness, And fountains of waters become dry land. read more.
A fruitful land becometh a barren place, For the wickedness of its inhabitants. He maketh a wilderness become a pool of water, And a dry land become fountains of waters. And He causeth the hungry to dwell there, And they prepare a city of habitation. And they sow fields, and plant vineyards, And they make fruits of increase. And He blesseth them, and they multiply exceedingly, And their cattle He doth not diminish. And they are diminished, and bow down, By restraint, evil, and sorrow. He is pouring contempt upon nobles, And causeth them to wander in vacancy -- no way.

And they eat and drink before Jehovah on that day with great joy, and cause Solomon son of David to reign a second time, and anoint him before Jehovah for leader, and Zadok for priest.

and all the assembly make a covenant in the house of God with the king, and he saith to them, 'Lo, the son of the king doth reign, as Jehovah spake concerning the sons of David.

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Take to thee Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and thou hast laid thine hand upon him, and hast caused him to stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the company, and hast charged him before their eyes, and hast put of thine honour upon him, so that all the company of the sons of Israel do hearken. read more.
'And before Eleazar the priest he standeth, and he hath asked for him by the judgment of the Lights before Jehovah; at His word they go out, and at His word they come in; he, and all the sons of Israel with him, even all the company.' And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded him, and taketh Joshua, and causeth him to stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the company, and layeth his hands upon him, and chargeth him, as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses.

And Samuel saith unto all the people, 'Have ye seen him on whom Jehovah hath fixed, for there is none like him among all the people?' And all the people shout, and say, 'Let the king live!'

And all the elders of Israel gather themselves together, and come in unto Samuel to Ramath, and say unto him, 'Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.' And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, 'Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah. read more.
And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them. According to all the works that they have done from the day of My bringing them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, when they forsake Me, and serve other gods -- so they are doing also to thee. And now, hearken to their voice; only, surely thou dost certainly protest to them, and hast declared to them the custom of the king who doth reign over them.' And Samuel speaketh all the words of Jehovah unto the people who are asking from him a king, and saith, 'This is the custom of the king who doth reign over you: Your sons he doth take, and hath appointed for himself among his chariots, and among his horsemen, and they have run before his chariots; also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer. 'And your daughters he doth take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers; and your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards -- the best -- he doth take, and hath given to his servants. And your seed and your vineyards he doth tithe, and hath given to his eunuchs, and to his servants. And your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your young men -- the best, and your asses, he doth take, and hath prepared for his own work; your flock he doth tithe, and ye are to him for servants. And ye have cried out in that day because of the king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah doth not answer you in that day.' And the people refuse to hearken to the voice of Samuel, and say, 'Nay, but a king is over us, and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king hath judged us, and gone out before us, and fought our battles.' And Samuel heareth all the words of the people, and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah; and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, 'Go ye each to his city.'

a king that is judging truly the poor, His throne for ever is established.

Then Thou hast spoken in vision, To Thy saint, yea, Thou sayest, I have placed help upon a mighty one, Exalted a chosen one out of the people, I have found David My servant, With My holy oil I have anointed him. With whom My hand is established, My arm also doth strengthen him. read more.
An enemy exacteth not upon him, And a son of perverseness afflicteth him not. And I have beaten down before him his adversaries, And those hating him I plague, And My faithfulness and kindness are with him, And in My name is his horn exalted. And I have set on the sea his hand, And on the rivers his right hand. He proclaimeth me: 'Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' I also first-born do appoint him, Highest of the kings of the earth. To the age I keep for him My kindness, And My covenant is stedfast with him. And I have set his seed for ever, And his throne as the days of the heavens. If his sons forsake My law, And in My judgments do not walk; If My statutes they pollute, And My commands do not keep, I have looked after with a rod their transgression, And with strokes their iniquity, And My kindness I break not from him, Nor do I deal falsely in My faithfulness. I profane not My covenant, And that which is going forth from My lips I change not. Once I have sworn by My holiness, I lie not to David, His seed is to the age, And his throne is as the sun before Me, As the moon it is established -- to the age, And the witness in the sky is stedfast. Selah.

and now, thus dost thou say to My servant, to David: 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have taken thee from the comely place, from after the flock, to be leader over My people, over Israel; and I am with thee whithersoever thou hast gone, and I cut off all thine enemies from thy presence, and have made for thee a great name, as the name of the great ones who are in the earth, and I have appointed a place for My people, for Israel, and have planted it, and it hath tabernacled in its place, and it is not troubled any more, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it any more, as in the beginning, read more.
even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to thee from all thine enemies, and Jehovah hath declared to thee that Jehovah doth make for thee a house. 'When thy days are full, and thou hast lain with thy fathers, then I have raised up thy seed after thee which goeth out from thy bowels, and have established his kingdom; He doth build a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age. I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam, and My kindness doth not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before thee, and stedfast is thy house and thy kingdom unto the age before thee, thy throne is established unto the age.'

And David the king riseth on his feet, and saith, 'Hear me, my brethren and my people, I -- with my heart -- to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and for the footstool of our God, and I prepared to build, and God hath said to me, Thou dost not build a house to My name, for a man of wars thou art, and blood thou hast shed. And Jehovah, God of Israel, doth fix on me out of all the house of my father to be for king over Israel to the age, for on Judah He hath fixed for a leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, on me, me He hath been pleased to make king over all Israel; read more.
and out of all my sons -- for many sons hath Jehovah given to me -- He also fixeth on Solomon my son, to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel, and saith to me, Solomon thy son, he doth build My house, and My courts, for I have fixed on him to Me for a son, and I -- I am to him for a father, and I have established his kingdom to the age, if he is strong to do My commands, and My judgments, as at this day.

Lo, God is mighty, and despiseth not, Mighty in power and heart. He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth; He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And from kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,

And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them.

and all the people answer together and say, 'All that Jehovah hath spoken we do;' and Moses returneth the words of the people unto Jehovah.

by the command of Jehovah the sons of Israel journey, and by the command of Jehovah they encamp; all the days that the cloud doth tabernacle over the tabernacle they encamp.

for thy passing over into the covenant of Jehovah thy God, and into His oath which Jehovah thy God is making with thee to-day;

And Gideon saith unto them, 'I do not rule over you, nor doth my son rule over you; Jehovah doth rule over you.'

And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar -- Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother, tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene --

And after five days came down the chief priest Ananias, with the elders, and a certain orator -- Tertullus, and they made manifest to the governor the things against Paul;

Also, from the day that he appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the thirty and second year of Artaxerxes the king -- twelve years -- I, and my brethren, the bread of the governor have not eaten:

Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus: Then Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, (who are Elamites),

and having bound him, they did lead away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

A sectarian man, after a first and second admonition be rejecting,

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I did deliver to the Adversary, that they might be instructed not to speak evil.

And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you -- through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ -- who in presence, indeed am humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

to deliver up such a one to the Adversary for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

I have said before, and I say it before, as being present, the second time, and being absent, now, do I write to those having sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare,

Thus said Jehovah: The heavens are My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where is this -- the house that ye build for Me? And where is this -- the place -- My rest?

Thy throne, O God, is age-during, and for ever, A sceptre of uprightness Is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.

Jehovah in the heavens Hath established His throne, And His kingdom over all hath ruled.

And I saw a great white throne, and Him who is sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven did flee away, and place was not found for them;

but I -- I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of God,

For a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. To the increase of the princely power, And of peace, there is no end, On the throne of David, and on his kingdom, To establish it, and to support it, In judgment and in righteousness, Henceforth, even unto the age, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this.

Jehovah reigneth -- to the age, and for ever!'

Say to God, 'How fearful are Thy works, By the abundance of Thy strength, Thine enemies feign obedience to Thee. All the earth do bow to Thee, They sing praise to Thee, they praise Thy name.' Selah. Come ye, and see the works of God, Fearful acts toward the sons of men. read more.
He hath turned a sea to dry land, Through a river they pass over on foot, There do we rejoice in Him. Ruling by His might to the age, His eyes among the nations do watch, The refractory exalt not themselves. Selah.

Jehovah doth reign to the age, Thy God, O Zion, to generation and generation, Praise ye Jah!

And the seventh messenger did sound, and there came great voices in the heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of the world did become those of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign to the ages of the ages!' and the twenty and four elders, who before God are sitting upon their thrones, did fall upon their faces, and did bow before God, saying, 'We give thanks to Thee, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art coming, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and didst reign;

if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.'

and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.'

'Verily I say to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.

And as they were going on through the cities, they were delivering to them the decrees to keep, that have been judged by the apostles and the elders who are in Jerusalem,

Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this is unprofitable to you.

Remind them to be subject to principalities and authorities, to obey rule, unto every good work to be ready,

Let every soul to the higher authorities be subject, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities existing are appointed by God, so that he who is setting himself against the authority, against God's ordinance hath resisted; and those resisting, to themselves shall receive judgment. For those ruling are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil; and dost thou wish not to be afraid of the authority? that which is good be doing, and thou shalt have praise from it, read more.
for of God it is a ministrant to thee for good; and if that which is evil thou mayest do, be fearing, for not in vain doth it bear the sword; for of God it is a ministrant, an avenger for wrath to him who is doing that which is evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience, for because of this also pay ye tribute; for servants of God they are, on this very thing attending continually; render, therefore, to all their dues; to whom tribute, the tribute; to whom custom, the custom; to whom fear, the fear; to whom honour, the honour.

tell us, therefore, what dost thou think? is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?' And Jesus having known their wickedness, said, 'Why me do ye tempt, hypocrites? show me the tribute-coin?' and they brought to him a denary; read more.
and he saith to them, 'Whose is this image and the inscription?' they say to him, 'Caesar's;' then saith he to them, 'Render therefore the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;'

and he said to them, 'Give back, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;'

Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the Lord, whether to a king, as the highest, whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good; because, so is the will of God, doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men; read more.
as free, and not having the freedom as the cloak of the evil, but as servants of God; to all give ye honour; the brotherhood love ye; God fear ye; the king honour ye.

Then one of the twelve, who is called Judas Iscariot, having gone unto the chief priests, said, 'What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver him up to you?' and they weighed out to him thirty silverlings,

And she writeth letters in the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth, and she writeth in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people, and cause two men -- sons of worthlessness -- to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.' read more.
And the men of his city, the elders and the freemen who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel hath sent unto them, as written in the letters that she sent unto them, they have proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people, and two men -- sons of worthlessness -- come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, 'Naboth blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dieth; and they send unto Jezebel, saying, 'Naboth was stoned, and is dead.'

and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel -- and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in their midst -- are standing before them, and each his censer in his hand, and the abundance of the cloud of perfume is going up. And He saith unto me, 'Hast thou seen, son of man, that which elders of the house of Israel are doing in darkness, each in the inner chambers of his imagery, for they are saying, Jehovah is not seeing us, Jehovah hath forsaken the land?'

Then Judas -- he who delivered him up -- having seen that he was condemned, having repented, brought back the thirty silverlings to the chief priests, and to the elders, saying, I did sin, having delivered up innocent blood;' and they said, 'What -- to us? thou shalt see!'

And Jezebel his wife saith unto him, 'Thou now dost execute rule over Israel! rise, eat bread, and let thy heart be glad, -- I do give to thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.' And she writeth letters in the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth, and she writeth in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people, read more.
and cause two men -- sons of worthlessness -- to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.' And the men of his city, the elders and the freemen who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel hath sent unto them, as written in the letters that she sent unto them, they have proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people, and two men -- sons of worthlessness -- come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, 'Naboth blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dieth; and they send unto Jezebel, saying, 'Naboth was stoned, and is dead.' And it cometh to pass, at Jezebel's hearing that Naboth hath been stoned, and is dead, that Jezebel saith unto Ahab, 'Rise, possess the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, that he refused to give to thee for money, for Naboth is not alive but dead.' And it cometh to pass, at Ahab's hearing that Naboth is dead, that Ahab riseth to go down unto the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to possess it.

And king Solomon sweareth by Jehovah, saying, 'Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add -- surely against his soul hath Adonijah spoken this word; and now, Jehovah liveth, who hath established me, and causeth me to sit on the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me an house as He spake -- surely to-day is Adonijah put to death.' And king Solomon sendeth by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he falleth upon him, and he dieth.

And the report hath come unto Joab -- for Joab hath turned aside after Adonijah, though after Absalom he did not turn aside -- and Joab fleeth unto the tent of Jehovah, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar. And it is declared to king Solomon that Joab hath fled unto the tent of Jehovah, and lo, near the altar; and Solomon sendeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, 'Go, fall upon him.' And Benaiah cometh in unto the tent of Jehovah, and saith unto him, 'Thus said the king, Come out;' and he saith, 'Nay, but here I die.' And Benaiah bringeth back the king word, saying, 'Thus spake Joab, yea, thus he answered me.' read more.
And the king saith to him, 'Do as he hath spoken, and fall upon him, and thou hast buried him, and turned aside the causeless blood which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father; and Jehovah hath turned back his blood on his own head, who hath fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and slayeth them with the sword, -- and my father David knew not -- Abner son of Ner, head of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, head of the host of Judah; yea, turned back hath their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed to the age; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace unto the age, from Jehovah.' And Benaiah son of Jehoiada goeth up and falleth upon him, and putteth him to death, and he is buried in his own house in the wilderness,

And the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith to him, 'Build for thee a house in Jerusalem, and thou hast dwelt there, and dost not go out thence any where; and it hath been, in the day of thy going out, and thou hast passed over the brook Kidron, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die -- thy blood is on thy head.' And Shimei saith to the king, 'The word is good; as my lord the king hath spoken so doth thy servant do;' and Shimei dwelleth in Jerusalem many days. read more.
And it cometh to pass, at the end of three years, that flee do two of the servants of Shimei unto Achish son of Maachah, king of Gath, and they declare to Shimei, saying, 'Lo, thy servants are in Gath;' and Shimei riseth, and saddleth his ass, and goeth to Gath, unto Achish, to seek his servants, and Shimei goeth and bringeth his servants from Gath. And it is declared to Solomon that Shimei hath gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and doth return, and the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith unto him, 'Have I not caused thee to swear by Jehovah -- and I testify against thee, saying, In the day of thy going out, and thou hast gone anywhere, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die; and thou sayest unto me, The word I have heard is good? and wherefore hast thou not kept the oath of Jehovah, and the charge that I charged upon thee?' And the king saith unto Shimei, 'Thou hast known all the evil that thy heart hath known, which thou didst to David my father, and Jehovah hath turned back thine evil on thy head, and king Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David is established before Jehovah unto the age.' And the king chargeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he goeth out and falleth on him, and he dieth, and the kingdom is established in the hand of Solomon.

And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king. And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he is yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt), that they send and call for him; and they come -- Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel -- and speak unto Rehoboam, saying, read more.
Thy father made hard our yoke, and thou, now, make light some of the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.' And he saith unto them, 'Go -- yet three days, and come back unto me;' and the people go. And king Rehoboam consulteth with the elders who have been standing in the presence of Solomon his father, in his being alive, saying, 'How are ye counselling to answer this people?' And they speak unto him, saying, 'If, to-day, thou art servant to this people, and hast served them, and answered them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.' And he forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, who are standing before him; and he saith unto them, 'What are ye counselling, and we answer this people, who have spoken unto me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke that thy father put upon us?' And they speak unto him -- the lads who had grown up with him -- saying, 'Thus dost thou say to this people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make it light upon us; thus dost thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father; and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- I chastise you with scorpions.' And they come -- Jeroboam and all the people -- unto Rehoboam, on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, 'Come back unto me on the third day.' And the king answereth the people sharply, and forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and speaketh unto them, according to the counsel of the lads, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- I chastise you with scorpions;' and the king hearkened not unto the people, for the revolution was from Jehovah, in order to establish His word that Jehovah spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat. And all Israel see that the king hath not hearkened unto them, and the people send the king back word, saying, 'What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse; to thy tents, O Israel; now see thy house, O David!' and Israel goeth to its tents.

And Samuel taketh the horn of oil, and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren, and prosper over David doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and goeth to Ramath.

And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth -- for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'

And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Till when art thou mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I send thee unto Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.

Then Thou hast spoken in vision, To Thy saint, yea, Thou sayest, I have placed help upon a mighty one, Exalted a chosen one out of the people, I have found David My servant, With My holy oil I have anointed him. With whom My hand is established, My arm also doth strengthen him. read more.
An enemy exacteth not upon him, And a son of perverseness afflicteth him not. And I have beaten down before him his adversaries, And those hating him I plague, And My faithfulness and kindness are with him, And in My name is his horn exalted. And I have set on the sea his hand, And on the rivers his right hand. He proclaimeth me: 'Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' I also first-born do appoint him, Highest of the kings of the earth. To the age I keep for him My kindness, And My covenant is stedfast with him. And I have set his seed for ever, And his throne as the days of the heavens. If his sons forsake My law, And in My judgments do not walk; If My statutes they pollute, And My commands do not keep, I have looked after with a rod their transgression, And with strokes their iniquity, And My kindness I break not from him, Nor do I deal falsely in My faithfulness. I profane not My covenant, And that which is going forth from My lips I change not. Once I have sworn by My holiness, I lie not to David, His seed is to the age, And his throne is as the sun before Me, As the moon it is established -- to the age, And the witness in the sky is stedfast. Selah.

He doth build a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age. I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam, and My kindness doth not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before thee, read more.
and stedfast is thy house and thy kingdom unto the age before thee, thy throne is established unto the age.'

And Joseph goeth up to bury his father, and go up with him do all the servants of Pharaoh, elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

And it is declared to the king of Egypt that the people hath fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants is turned against the people, and they say, 'What is this we have done? that we have sent Israel away from our service.'

And the thing is good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants, and Pharaoh saith unto his servants, 'Do we find like this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?'

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have declared hard his heart, and the heart of his servants, so that I set these My signs in their midst,

And the servants of Pharaoh say unto him, 'Until when doth this one become a snare to us? send the men away, and they serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt hath perished?'

And it cometh to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus -- he is Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even unto Cush, seven and twenty and a hundred provinces --

And it cometh to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim,

And it came to pass in those days, there went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world be enrolled --

'Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the earth: Your peace be great!

It hath been good before Darius, and he hath established over the kingdom satraps -- a hundred and twenty -- that they may be throughout the whole kingdom, and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel is first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss. Then this Daniel hath been overseer over the presidents and satraps, because that an excellent spirit is in him, and the king hath thought to establish him over the whole kingdom.

and Jehovah maketh Solomon exceedingly great before the eyes of all Israel, and putteth upon him the honour of the kingdom that hath not been on any king over Israel before him.

For to Jehovah is the kingdom, And He is ruling among nations.

And Jehovah hath raised up for Him a king over Israel who cutteth off the house of Jeroboam this day -- and what? -- even now!

And a word of Jehovah is unto Jehu son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying, Because that I have raised thee up out of the dust, and appoint thee leader over My people Israel, and thou walkest in the way of Jeroboam, and causest My people Israel to sin -- to provoke Me to anger with their sins; lo, I am putting away the posterity of Baasha, even the posterity of his house, and have given up thy house as the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat; read more.
him who dieth of Baasha in a city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth of his in a field do fowl of the heavens eat.'

And Jehovah, God of Israel, doth fix on me out of all the house of my father to be for king over Israel to the age, for on Judah He hath fixed for a leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, on me, me He hath been pleased to make king over all Israel; and out of all my sons -- for many sons hath Jehovah given to me -- He also fixeth on Solomon my son, to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel,

And Moses hath gone up unto God, and Jehovah calleth unto him out of the mount, saying, 'Thus dost thou say to the house of Jacob, and declare to the sons of Israel, Ye -- ye have seen that which I have done to the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles' wings, and bring you in unto Myself. And now, if ye really hearken to My voice, then ye have kept My covenant, and been to Me a peculiar treasure more than all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; read more.
and ye -- ye are to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation: these are the words which thou dost speak unto the sons of Israel.' And Moses cometh, and calleth for the elders of the people, and setteth before them all these words which Jehovah hath commanded him; and all the people answer together and say, 'All that Jehovah hath spoken we do;' and Moses returneth the words of the people unto Jehovah.

'This day Jehovah thy God is commanding thee to do these statutes and judgments; and thou hast hearkened and done them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, Jehovah thou hast caused to promise to-day to become thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commands, and His judgments, and to hearken to His voice. 'And Jehovah hath caused thee to promise to-day to become His people, a peculiar treasure, as He hath spoken to thee, and to keep all His commands; read more.
so as to make thee uppermost above all the nations whom He hath made for a praise, and for a name, and for beauty, and for thy being a holy people to Jehovah thy God, as He hath spoken.

These are the words of the covenant which Jehovah hath commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, apart from the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. And Moses calleth unto all Israel, and saith unto them, 'Ye -- ye have seen all that which Jehovah hath done before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land; the great trials which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders; read more.
and Jehovah hath not given to you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, till this day, and I cause you to go forty years in a wilderness; your garments have not been consumed from off you, and thy shoe hath not worn away from off thy foot; bread ye have not eaten, and wine and strong drink ye have not drunk, so that ye know that I am Jehovah your God. And ye come in unto this place, and Sihon king of Heshbon -- also Og king of Bashan -- doth come out to meet us, to battle, and we smite them, and take their land, and give it for an inheritance to the Reubenite, and to the Gadite, and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh; and ye have kept the words of this covenant, and done them, so that ye cause all that ye do to prosper. Ye are standing to-day, all of you, before Jehovah your God -- your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your authorities -- every man of Israel; your infants, your wives, and thy sojourner who is in the midst of thy camps, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water -- for thy passing over into the covenant of Jehovah thy God, and into His oath which Jehovah thy God is making with thee to-day; in order to establish thee to-day to Him for a people, and He Himself is thy God, as He hath spoken to thee, and as He hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, 'Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah. And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them.

and from God hath been the destruction of Ahaziah, to come unto Joram: and in his coming he hath gone out with Jehoram unto Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

only all the kingdom I do not rend away; one tribe I give to thy son, for the sake of David My servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, that I have chosen.'

And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king. And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he is yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt), that they send and call for him; and they come -- Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel -- and speak unto Rehoboam, saying, read more.
Thy father made hard our yoke, and thou, now, make light some of the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.' And he saith unto them, 'Go -- yet three days, and come back unto me;' and the people go. And king Rehoboam consulteth with the elders who have been standing in the presence of Solomon his father, in his being alive, saying, 'How are ye counselling to answer this people?' And they speak unto him, saying, 'If, to-day, thou art servant to this people, and hast served them, and answered them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.' And he forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, who are standing before him; and he saith unto them, 'What are ye counselling, and we answer this people, who have spoken unto me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke that thy father put upon us?' And they speak unto him -- the lads who had grown up with him -- saying, 'Thus dost thou say to this people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make it light upon us; thus dost thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father; and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- I chastise you with scorpions.' And they come -- Jeroboam and all the people -- unto Rehoboam, on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, 'Come back unto me on the third day.' And the king answereth the people sharply, and forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and speaketh unto them, according to the counsel of the lads, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- I chastise you with scorpions;' and the king hearkened not unto the people, for the revolution was from Jehovah, in order to establish His word that Jehovah spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat. And all Israel see that the king hath not hearkened unto them, and the people send the king back word, saying, 'What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse; to thy tents, O Israel; now see thy house, O David!' and Israel goeth to its tents. As to the sons of Israel, those dwelling in the cities of Judah -- over them reign doth Rehoboam. And king Rehoboam sendeth Adoram who is over the tribute, and all Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem; and Israel transgresseth against the house of David unto this day. And it cometh to pass, at all Israel's hearing that Jeroboam hath returned, that they send and call him unto the company, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none hath been after the house of David save the tribe of Judah alone. And Rehoboam cometh to Jerusalem, and assembleth all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. And the word of God is unto Shemaiah a man of God, saying, 'Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying, Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren the sons of Israel; turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the word of Jehovah, and turn back to go according to the word of Jehovah.

And the king hath not hearkened unto the people, for the revolution hath been from God, for the sake of Jehovah's establishing His word that He spake by the hand of Abijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren, turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the words of Jehovah, and turn back from going against Jeroboam.

And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that Moses sitteth to judge the people, and the people stand before Moses, from the morning unto the evening; and the father-in-law of Moses seeth all that he is doing to the people, and saith, 'What is this thing which thou art doing to the people? wherefore art thou sitting by thyself, and all the people standing by thee from morning till evening?' And Moses saith to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come unto me to seek God; read more.
when they have a matter, it hath come unto me, and I have judged between a man and his neighbour, and made known the statutes of God, and His laws.' And the father-in-law of Moses saith unto him, 'The thing which thou art doing is not good; thou dost surely wear away, both thou, and this people which is with thee, for the thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to do it by thyself. 'Now, hearken to my voice, I counsel thee, and God is with thee: be thou for the people over-against God, and thou hast brought in the things unto God; and thou hast warned them concerning the statutes and the laws, and hast made known to them the way in which they go, and the work which they do. And thou -- thou dost provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and hast placed these over them, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens, and they have judged the people at all times; and it hath come to pass, every great matter they bring in unto thee, and every small matter they judge themselves; and lighten it from off thyself, and they have borne with thee. If thou dost this thing, and God hath commanded thee, then thou hast been able to stand, and all this people also goeth in unto its place in peace.' And Moses hearkeneth to the voice of his father-in-law, and doth all that he said, and Moses chooseth men of ability out of all Israel, and maketh them chiefs over the people, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens, and they have judged the people at all times; the hard matter they bring in unto Moses, and every small matter they judge themselves.

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou hast known that they are elders of the people, and its authorities; and thou hast taken them unto the tent of meeting, and they have stationed themselves there with thee, and I have come down and spoken with thee there, and have kept back of the Spirit which is upon thee, and have put on them, and they have borne with thee some of the burden of the people, and thou dost not bear it thyself alone.

And Moses goeth out, and speaketh unto the people the words of Jehovah, and gathereth seventy men of the elders of the people, and causeth them to stand round about the tent, and Jehovah cometh down in the cloud, and speaketh unto him, and keepeth back of the Spirit which is on him, and putteth on the seventy men of the elders; and it cometh to pass at the resting of the Spirit on them, that they prophesy, and do not cease.

'And I speak unto you at that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you; Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and lo, ye are to-day as the stars of the heavens for multitude; Jehovah, God of your fathers, is adding to you, as ye are, a thousand times, and doth bless you as He hath spoken to you. read more.
'How do I bear by myself your pressure, and your burden, and your strife? Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads; and ye answer me and say, Good is the thing which thou hast spoken -- to do. 'And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes. And I command your judges at that time, saying, Hearkening between your brethren -- then ye have judged righteousness between a man, and his brother, and his sojourner; ye do not discern faces in judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye bring near unto me, and I have heard it;

And it cometh to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth month, in the tenth of the month, come in have certain of the elders of Israel to seek Jehovah, and they sit before me;

Sanctify a fast, proclaim a restraint, Gather the elders -- all the inhabitants of the land, Into the house of Jehovah your God,

And it cometh to pass, in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth of the month, I am sitting in my house, and elders of Judah are sitting before me, and fall on me there doth a hand of the Lord Jehovah,

And come in unto me do certain of the elders of Israel, and sit before me.

Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To seek Me are ye coming in? I live -- I am not sought by you -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

And I say, 'Hear, I pray you, heads of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Is it not for you to know the judgment? Ye who are hating good, and loving evil, Taking violently their skin from off them, And their flesh from off their bones, And who have eaten the flesh of My people, And their skin from off them have stript, And their bones they have broken, And they have spread them out as in a pot, And as flesh in the midst of a caldron. read more.
Then do they cry unto Jehovah, And He doth not answer them, And hideth His face from them at that time, As they have made evil their doings.

And Jezebel his wife cometh in unto him, and speaketh unto him, 'What is this? -- thy spirit sulky, and thou art not eating bread!' And he saith unto her, 'Because I speak unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and say to him, Give to me thy vineyard for money, or if thou desire, I give to thee a vineyard in its stead; and he saith, I do not give to thee my vineyard.' And Jezebel his wife saith unto him, 'Thou now dost execute rule over Israel! rise, eat bread, and let thy heart be glad, -- I do give to thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.' read more.
And she writeth letters in the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth, and she writeth in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people, and cause two men -- sons of worthlessness -- to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.' And the men of his city, the elders and the freemen who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel hath sent unto them, as written in the letters that she sent unto them, they have proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people, and two men -- sons of worthlessness -- come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, 'Naboth blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dieth;

Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

Hear this, I pray you, heads of the house of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Who are making judgment abominable, And all uprightness do pervert. Building up Zion with blood, And Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads for a bribe do judge, And her priests for hire do teach, And her prophets for silver divine, And on Jehovah they lean, saying, 'Is not Jehovah in our midst? Evil doth not come in upon us.'

'God thou dost not revile, and a prince among thy people thou dost not curse.

Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.

and he taketh the Book of the Covenant, and proclaimeth in the ears of the people, and they say, 'All that which Jehovah hath spoken we do, and obey.'

And Moses cometh, and calleth for the elders of the people, and setteth before them all these words which Jehovah hath commanded him; and all the people answer together and say, 'All that Jehovah hath spoken we do;' and Moses returneth the words of the people unto Jehovah.

And Moses cometh in, and recounteth to the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the judgments, and all the people answer -- one voice, and say, 'All the words which Jehovah hath spoken we do.'

Ye are standing to-day, all of you, before Jehovah your God -- your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your authorities -- every man of Israel; your infants, your wives, and thy sojourner who is in the midst of thy camps, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water -- for thy passing over into the covenant of Jehovah thy God, and into His oath which Jehovah thy God is making with thee to-day; read more.
in order to establish thee to-day to Him for a people, and He Himself is thy God, as He hath spoken to thee, and as He hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 'And not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath; but with him who is here with us, standing to-day before Jehovah our God, and with him who is not here with us to-day,

Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the Lord, whether to a king, as the highest, whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good;

Let every soul to the higher authorities be subject, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities existing are appointed by God, so that he who is setting himself against the authority, against God's ordinance hath resisted; and those resisting, to themselves shall receive judgment. For those ruling are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil; and dost thou wish not to be afraid of the authority? that which is good be doing, and thou shalt have praise from it, read more.
for of God it is a ministrant to thee for good; and if that which is evil thou mayest do, be fearing, for not in vain doth it bear the sword; for of God it is a ministrant, an avenger for wrath to him who is doing that which is evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience, for because of this also pay ye tribute; for servants of God they are, on this very thing attending continually; render, therefore, to all their dues; to whom tribute, the tribute; to whom custom, the custom; to whom fear, the fear; to whom honour, the honour.

By Solomon. O God, Thy judgments to the king give, And Thy righteousness to the king's son. He judgeth Thy people with righteousness, And Thy poor with judgment. The mountains bear peace to the people, And the heights by righteousness. read more.
He judgeth the poor of the people, Giveth deliverance to the sons of the needy, And bruiseth the oppressor. They fear Thee with the sun, and before the moon, Generation -- generations. He cometh down as rain on mown grass, As showers -- sprinkling the earth. Flourish in his days doth the righteous, And abundance of peace till the moon is not. And he ruleth from sea unto sea, And from the river unto the ends of earth. Before him bow do the inhabitants of the dry places, And his enemies lick the dust. Kings of Tarshish and of the isles send back a present. Kings of Sheba and Seba a reward bring near. And all kings do bow themselves to him, All nations do serve him, For he delivereth the needy who crieth, And the poor when he hath no helper, He hath pity on the poor and needy, And the souls of the needy he saveth, From fraud and from violence he redeemeth their soul, And precious is their blood in his eyes. And he liveth, and giveth to him of the gold of Sheba, And prayeth for him continually, All the day he doth bless him. There is a handful of corn in the earth, On the top of mountains, Shake like Lebanon doth its fruit, And they flourish out of the city as the herb of the earth. His name is to the age, Before the sun is his name continued, And they bless themselves in him, All nations do pronounce him happy.

A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.

And David answereth Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saith to them, 'Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when one is declaring to me, saying, Lo, Saul is dead, and he was as a bearer of tidings in his own eyes, then I take hold on him, and slay him in Ziklag, instead of my giving to him for the tidings. Also -- when wicked men have slain the righteous man in his own house, on his bed; and now, do not I require his blood of your hand, and have taken you away from the earth?' read more.
And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang them over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury it in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.

And David saith unto the youth who is declaring it to him, 'Whence art thou?' and he saith, 'Son of a sojourner, an Amalekite, I am.' And David saith unto him, 'How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the anointed of Jehovah?' And David calleth to one of the youths, and saith, 'Draw nigh -- fall upon him;' and he smiteth him, and he dieth; read more.
and David saith unto him, 'Thy blood is on thine own head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I -- I put to death the anointed of Jehovah.'

And it cometh to pass in the morning, that David writeth a letter unto Joab, and sendeth by the hand of Uriah; and he writeth in the letter, saying, 'Place ye Uriah over-against the front of the severest battle, and ye have turned back from after him, and he hath been smitten, and hath died.' And it cometh to pass in Joab's watching of the city, that he appointeth Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men are; read more.
and the men of the city go out and fight with Joab, and there fall some of the people, of the servants of David; and there dieth also Uriah the Hittite.

A growling lion, and a ranging bear, Is the wicked ruler over a poor people.

Hear this, I pray you, heads of the house of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Who are making judgment abominable, And all uprightness do pervert. Building up Zion with blood, And Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads for a bribe do judge, And her priests for hire do teach, And her prophets for silver divine, And on Jehovah they lean, saying, 'Is not Jehovah in our midst? Evil doth not come in upon us.' read more.
Therefore, for your sake, Zion is ploughed a field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mount of the house is for high places of a forest!

And it is David, and the elders of Israel, and the heads of the thousands, who are going to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the house of Obed-Edom with joy;

And the elders of his house rise against him, to raise him up from the earth, and he hath not been willing, nor hath he eaten with them bread;

and David lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing between the earth and the heavens, and his sword drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem, and David falleth, and the elders, covered with sackcloth, on their faces.

And all the elders of Israel come unto the king, to Hebron, and king David maketh with them a covenant in Hebron before Jehovah, and they anoint David for king over Israel.

And all the elders of Israel come in unto the king to Hebron, and David maketh with them a covenant in Hebron before Jehovah, and they anoint David for king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by the hand of Samuel.

And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, 'Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you, and now, do it, for Jehovah hath spoken of David saying, By the hand of David my servant -- to save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.' And Abner speaketh also in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner goeth also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that is good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin, read more.
and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who are with him, a banquet. And Abner saith unto David, 'I arise, and go, and gather unto my lord the king the whole of Israel, and they make with thee a covenant, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth;' and David sendeth away Abner, and he goeth in peace.

And Pilate having seen that it profiteth nothing, but rather a tumult is made, having taken water, he did wash the hands before the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent from the blood of this righteous one; ye -- ye shall see;'

From this time was Pilate seeking to release him, and the Jews were crying out, saying, 'If this one thou mayest release, thou art not a friend of Caesar; every one making himself a king, doth speak against Caesar.' Pilate, therefore, having heard this word, brought Jesus without -- and he sat down upon the tribunal -- to a place called, 'Pavement,' and in Hebrew, Gabbatha; and it was the preparation of the passover, and as it were the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews, 'Lo, your king!' read more.
and they cried out, 'Take away, take away, crucify him;' Pilate saith to them, 'Your king shall I crucify?' the chief priests answered, 'We have no king except Caesar.' Then, therefore, he delivered him up to them, that he may be crucified, and they took Jesus and led him away,

And the king standeth on his station, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that are written on this book.

And the king sendeth, and they gather unto him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem,

And the king sendeth and gathereth all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem,

And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.' And Samuel turneth round to go, and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe -- and it is rent! And Samuel saith unto him, 'Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and given it to thy neighbour who is better than thou;

and having removed him, He did raise up to them David for king, to whom also having testified, he said, I found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who shall do all My will.

and the chief of the eunuchs saith to Daniel, 'I am fearing my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink, for why doth he see your faces sadder than those of the lads which are of your circle? then ye have made my head indebted to the king,'

The king hath answered and said to the Chaldeans, 'The thing from me is gone; if ye do not cause me to know the dream and its interpretation, pieces ye are made, and your houses are made dunghills; and if the dream and its interpretation ye do shew, gifts, and fee, and great glory ye receive from before me, therefore the dream and its interpretation shew ye me.' They have answered a second time, and are saying, 'Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and the interpretation we do shew. read more.
The king hath answered and said, 'Of a truth I know that time ye are gaining, because that ye have seen that the thing is gone from me, so that, if the dream ye do not cause me to know -- one is your sentence, seeing a word lying and corrupt ye have prepared to speak before me, till that the time is changed, therefore the dream tell ye to me, then do I know that its interpretation ye do shew me.' The Chaldeans have answered before the king, and are saying, 'There is not a man on the earth who is able to shew the king's matter; therefore, no king, chief, and ruler, hath asked such a thing as this of any scribe, and enchanter, and Chaldean; and the thing that the king is asking is precious, and others are there not that do shew it before the king, save the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.' Therefore the king hath been angry and very wroth, and hath said to destroy all the wise men of Babylon; And the sentence hath gone forth, and the wise men are being slain, and they have sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

and because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low;

Go, say to Jeroboam, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Because that I have made thee high out of the midst of the people, and appoint thee leader over my people Israel, and rend the kingdom from the house of David, and give it to thee, -- and thou hast not been as My servant David who kept My commands, and who walked after Me with all his heart, to do only that which is right in Mine eyes, and thou dost evil above all who have been before thee, and goest, and makest to thee other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and Me thou hast cast behind thy back: read more.
Therefore, lo, I am bringing in evil unto the house of Jeroboam, and have cut off to Jeroboam those sitting on the wall -- shut up and left -- in Israel, and have put away the posterity of the house of Jeroboam, as one putteth away the dung till its consumption; him who dieth of Jeroboam in a city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth in a field do fowl of the heavens eat, for Jehovah hath spoken. And thou, rise, go to thy house; in the going in of thy feet to the city -- hath the lad died; and all Israel have mourned for him, and buried him, for this one -- by himself -- cometh of Jeroboam unto a grave, because there hath been found in him a good thing towards Jehovah, God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. And Jehovah hath raised up for Him a king over Israel who cutteth off the house of Jeroboam this day -- and what? -- even now! And Jehovah hath smitten Israel as the reed is moved by the waters, and hath plucked Israel from off this good ground that He gave to their fathers, and scattered them beyond the River, because that they made their shrines, provoking Jehovah to anger; and He giveth up Israel because of the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned, and that he caused Israel to sin.'

And conspire against him doth Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, and Baasha smiteth him in Gibbethon, which is to the Philistines -- and Nadab and all Israel are laying siege against Gibbethon -- yea, Baasha putteth him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigneth in his stead. And it cometh to pass, at his reigning, he hath smitten the whole house of Jeroboam, he hath not left any breathing to Jeroboam till his destroying him, according to the word of Jehovah, that He spake by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, read more.
because of the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned, and that he caused Israel to sin, by his provocation with which he provoked to anger Jehovah, God of Israel.

'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.'

'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.'

And gathered together unto him are the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem, and having seen certain of his disciples with defiled hands -- that is, unwashed -- eating bread, they found fault; for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, if they do not wash the hands to the wrist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders,

Then doth Solomon assemble the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, princes of the fathers of the sons of Israel, unto king Solomon, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the city of David -- it is Zion; and all the men of Israel are assembled unto king Solomon, in the month of Ethanim, in the festival -- is the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel come in, and the priests lift up the ark,

Then doth Solomon assemble the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, princes of the fathers of the sons of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the city of David -- it is Zion. And assembled unto the king are all the men of Israel in the feast -- it is the seventh month; and all the elders of Israel come in, and the Levites lift up the ark,

When thou comest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and hast possessed it, and dwelt in it, and thou hast said, Let me set over me a king like all the nations which are round about me, -- thou dost certainly set over thee a king on whom Jehovah doth fix; from the midst of thy brethren thou dost set over thee a king; thou art not able to set over thee a stranger, who is not thy brother. 'Only, he doth not multiply to himself horses, nor cause the people to turn back to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, seeing Jehovah hath said to you, Ye do not add to turn back in this way any more. read more.
And he doth not multiply to himself wives, and his heart doth not turn aside, and silver and gold he doth not multiply to himself -- exceedingly. And it hath been, when he sitteth on the throne of his kingdom, that he hath written for himself the copy of this law, on a book, from that before the priests the Levites, and it hath been with him, and he hath read in it all days of his life, so that he doth learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes, to do them; so that his heart is not high above his brethren, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongeth days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.

Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads; and ye answer me and say, Good is the thing which thou hast spoken -- to do. 'And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes.

And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land speak unto us, saying, Take in your hand provision for the way, and go to meet them, and ye have said unto them, Your servants we are, and now, make with us a covenant;

Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more. For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.

Happy art thou, O land, When thy king is a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.

And Samuel taketh the vial of the oil, and poureth on his head, and kisseth him, and saith, 'Is it not because Jehovah hath appointed thee over His inheritance for leader?

and Jehovah had uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying, At this time tomorrow, I send unto thee a man out of the land of Benjamin -- and thou hast anointed him for leader over My people Israel, and he hath saved My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen My people, for its cry hath come in unto Me.' When Samuel hath seen Saul, then hath Jehovah answered him, 'Lo, the man of whom I have spoken unto thee; this one doth restrain My people.'

In the multiplying of the righteous the people rejoice, And in the ruling of the wicked the people sigh.

The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself, For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both -- who knoweth!

And at the completion of these things, drawn nigh unto me have the heads, saying, 'The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite,

and every one who cometh not in by the third day, according to the counsel of the heads and of the elders, all his substance is devoted, and himself separated from the assembly of the removal. And gathered are all the men of Judah and Benjamin to Jerusalem by the third day, it is the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sit in the broad place of the house of God, trembling on account of the matter and of the showers. And Ezra the priest riseth, and saith unto them, 'Ye -- ye have trespassed, and ye settle strange women, to add to the guilt of Israel; read more.
and, now, make confession to Jehovah, God of your fathers, and do His good pleasure, and be separated from the peoples of the land, and from the strange women.' And all the assembly answer and say with a great voice, 'Right; according to thy word -- on us to do; but the people are many, and it is the time of showers, and there is no power to stand without, and the work is not for one day, nor for two, for we have multiplied to transgress in this thing. Let, we pray thee, our heads of all the assembly stand, and all who are in our cities, who have settled strange wives, do come in at the times appointed, and with them the elders of city and city, and its judges, till the turning back of the fury of the wrath of our God from us, for this thing.'

And all the elders of Israel gather themselves together, and come in unto Samuel to Ramath, and say unto him, 'Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.' And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, 'Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah. read more.
And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them. According to all the works that they have done from the day of My bringing them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, when they forsake Me, and serve other gods -- so they are doing also to thee. And now, hearken to their voice; only, surely thou dost certainly protest to them, and hast declared to them the custom of the king who doth reign over them.' And Samuel speaketh all the words of Jehovah unto the people who are asking from him a king,

And the people refuse to hearken to the voice of Samuel, and say, 'Nay, but a king is over us, and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king hath judged us, and gone out before us, and fought our battles.' And Samuel heareth all the words of the people, and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah; read more.
and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, 'Go ye each to his city.'

The wicked have fled and there is no pursuer. And the righteous as a young lion is confident. By the transgression of a land many are its heads. And by an intelligent man, Who knoweth right -- it is prolonged.

And Saul heareth that David hath become known, and the men who are with him, and Saul is abiding in Gibeah, under the grove in Ramah, and his spear is in his hand, and all his servants standing by him.

and Saul saith, 'Hear, I pray thee, son of Ahitub;' and he saith, 'Here am I, my lord.' And Saul saith unto him, 'Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, by thy giving to him bread and a sword, and to ask for him at God, to rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?' And Ahimelech answereth the king and saith, 'And who among all thy servants is as David -- faithful, and son-in-law of the king, and hath turned aside unto thy council, and is honoured in thy house? read more.
To-day have I begun to ask for him at God? far be it from me! let not the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for thy servant hath known nothing of all this, less or more.' And the king saith, 'Thou dost surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all the house of thy father.' And the king saith to runners, those standing by him, 'Turn round, and put to death the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also is with David, and because they have known that he is fleeing, and have not uncovered mine ear;' and the servants of the king have not been willing to put forth their hand to come against the priests of Jehovah. And the king saith to Doeg, 'Turn round thou, and come against the priests;' and Doeg the Edomite turneth round, and cometh himself against the priests, and putteth to death in that day eighty and five men bearing a linen ephod, and Nob, the city of the priests, he hath smitten by the mouth of the sword, from man even unto woman, from infant even unto suckling, and ox, and ass, and sheep, by the mouth of the sword.

and the cities have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer, and the man-slayer doth not die till his standing before the company for judgment.

then have the company judged between the smiter and the redeemer of blood, by these judgments. 'And the company have delivered the man-slayer out of the hand of the redeemer of blood, and the company have caused him to turn back unto the city of his refuge, whither he hath fled, and he hath dwelt in it till the death of the chief priest, who hath been anointed with the holy oil.

a king that is judging truly the poor, His throne for ever is established.

A leader lacking understanding multiplieth oppressions, Whoso is hating dishonest gain prolongeth days.

The hand of the diligent ruleth, And slothfulness becometh tributary.

A ruler who is attending to lying words, All his ministers are wicked.

And the king answereth the people sharply, and forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him,

And king Rehoboam consulteth with the elders who have been standing in the presence of Solomon his father, in his being alive, saying, 'How are ye counselling to answer this people?' And they speak unto him, saying, 'If, to-day, thou art servant to this people, and hast served them, and answered them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.' And he forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, who are standing before him;

In the multiplying of the righteous the people rejoice, And in the ruling of the wicked the people sigh.

And Saul saith, 'Thus doth God do, and thus doth He add, for thou dost certainly die, Jonathan.' And the people say unto Saul, 'Doth Jonathan die who wrought this great salvation in Israel? -- a profanation! Jehovah liveth, if there falleth from the hair of his head to the earth, for with God he hath wrought this day;' and the people rescue Jonathan, and he hath not died.

And Jehovah raiseth up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; of the seed of the king is he in Edom;

And God raiseth to him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliadah, who hath fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord,

And the heads of Judah hear these things, and they go up from the house of the king to the house of Jehovah, and sit in the opening of the new gate of Jehovah. And the priests and the prophets speak unto the heads, and unto all the people, saying, 'Judgment of death is for this man, for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.' And Jeremiah speaketh unto all the heads, and unto all the people, saying, 'Jehovah sent me to prophesy concerning this house, and concerning this city, all the words that ye have heard; read more.
And now, amend your ways, and your doings, and hearken to the voice of Jehovah your God, and Jehovah doth repent concerning the evil that He hath spoken against you. And I, lo, I am in your hand, do to me as is good and as is right in your eyes; Only, know ye certainly, that if ye are putting me to death, surely innocent blood ye are putting on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly hath Jehovah sent me unto you to speak in your ears all these words.' And the heads and all the people say unto the priests and unto the prophets, 'There is not for this man a judgment of death, for in the name of Jehovah our God he hath spoken unto us.' And certain of the elders of the land rise up, and speak unto all the assembly of the people, saying, 'Micah the Morashtite hath been prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he saith unto all the people of Judah, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Zion is a plowed field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mountain of the house is for high places of a forest. 'Put him at all to death did Hezekiah king of Judah, and all Judah? Did he not fear Jehovah? yea, he appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah repenteth concerning the evil that He spake against them; and we are doing great evil against our souls. 'And also there hath been a man prophesying in the name of Jehovah, Urijah son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-Jearim, and he prophesieth against this city, and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah, And the king Jehoiakim, and all his mighty ones, and all the heads, hear his words, and the king seeketh to put him to death, and Urijah heareth, and feareth, and fleeth, and goeth in to Egypt. And the king Jehoiakim sendeth men to Egypt -- Elnathan son of Achbor, and men with him unto Egypt -- And they bring out Urijah from Egypt, and bring him in unto the king Jehoiakim, and he smiteth him with a sword, and casteth his corpse unto the graves of the sons of the people.' Only, the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan hath been with Jeremiah so as not to give him up into the hand of the people to put him to death.

For the rod of wickedness resteth not On the lot of the righteous, That the righteous put not forth on iniquity their hands.

to all give ye honour; the brotherhood love ye; God fear ye; the king honour ye.

And Jehovah sheweth Himself angry with Solomon, for his heart hath turned aside from Jehovah, God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice, and given a charge unto him concerning this thing, not to go after other gods; and he hath not kept that which Jehovah commanded, and Jehovah saith to Solomon, 'Because that this hath been with thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes that I charged upon thee, I surely rend the kingdom from thee, and have given it to thy servant. read more.
'Only, in thy days I do it not, for the sake of David thy father; out of the hand of thy son I rend it; only all the kingdom I do not rend away; one tribe I give to thy son, for the sake of David My servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, that I have chosen.'

And Joseph saith unto Pharaoh, 'The dream of Pharaoh is one: that which God is doing he hath declared to Pharaoh; the seven good kine are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one; and the seven thin and bad kine which are coming up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears, blasted with an east wind, are seven years of famine; read more.
this is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: That which God is doing, he hath shewn Pharaoh. 'Lo, seven years are coming of great abundance in all the land of Egypt, and seven years of famine have arisen after them, and all the plenty is forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine hath finished the land, and the plenty is not known in the land because of that famine afterwards, for it is very grievous. 'And because of the repeating of the dream unto Pharaoh twice, surely the thing is established by God, and God is hastening to do it. 'And now, let Pharaoh provide a man, intelligent and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt; let Pharaoh make and appoint overseers over the land, and receive a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty, and they gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and heap up corn under the hand of Pharaoh -- food in the cities; and they have kept it, and the food hath been for a store for the land, for the seven years of famine which are in the land of Egypt; and the land is cut off by the famine.' And the thing is good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants, and Pharaoh saith unto his servants, 'Do we find like this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?' and Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'After God's causing thee to know all this, there is none intelligent and wise as thou; thou -- thou art over my house, and at thy mouth do all my people kiss; only in the throne I am greater than thou.' And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'See, I have put thee over all the land of Egypt.' And Pharaoh turneth aside his seal-ring from off his hand, and putteth it on the hand of Joseph, and clotheth him with garments of fine linen, and placeth a chain of gold on his neck, and causeth him to ride in the second chariot which he hath, and they proclaim before him, 'Bow the knee!' and -- to put him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh, and without thee a man doth not lift up his hand and his foot in all the land of Egypt;' and Pharaoh calleth Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he giveth to him Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, for a wife, and Joseph goeth out over the land of Egypt. And Joseph is a son of thirty years in his standing before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Joseph goeth out from the presence of Pharaoh, and passeth over through all the land of Egypt; and the land maketh in the seven years of plenty by handfuls. And he gathereth all the food of the seven years which have been in the land of Egypt, and putteth food in the cities; the food of the field which is round about each city hath he put in its midst; and Joseph gathereth corn as sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until that he hath ceased to number, for there is no number. And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine cometh, whom Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, hath borne to him, and Joseph calleth the name of the first-born Manasseh: 'for, God hath made me to forget all my labour, and all the house of my father;' and the name of the second he hath called Ephraim: 'for, God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of mine affliction.' And the seven years of plenty are completed which have been in the land of Egypt, and the seven years of famine begin to come, as Joseph said, and famine is in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt hath been bread; and all the land of Egypt is famished, and the people crieth unto Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh saith to all the Egyptians, 'Go unto Joseph; that which he saith to you -- do.' And the famine has been over all the face of the land, and Joseph openeth all places which have corn in them, and selleth to the Egyptians; and the famine is severe in the land of Egypt, and all the earth hath come to Egypt, to buy, unto Joseph, for the famine was severe in all the earth.

and immediately the king having sent a guardsman, did command his head to be brought, and he having gone, beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head upon a plate, and did give it to the damsel, and the damsel did give it to her mother;

And all the company lifteth up and give forth their voice, and the people weep during that night; and all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses, and against Aaron, and all the company say unto them, 'O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died! and why is Jehovah bringing us in unto this land to fall by the sword? our wives and our infants are become a prey; is it not good for us to turn back to Egypt?' read more.
And they say one unto another, 'Let us appoint a head, and turn back to Egypt.' And Moses falleth -- Aaron also -- on their faces, before all the assembly of the company of the sons of Israel. And Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those spying the land, have rent their garments, and they speak unto all the company of the sons of Israel, saying, 'The land into which we have passed over to spy it, is a very very good land; if Jehovah hath delighted in us, then He hath brought us in unto this land, and hath given it to us, a land which is flowing with milk and honey; only, against Jehovah rebel not ye: and ye, fear not ye the people of the land, for our bread they are; their defence hath turned aside from off them, and Jehovah is with us; fear them not.' And all the company say to stone them with stones, and the honour of Jehovah hath appeared in the tent of meeting unto all the sons of Israel.

And the king of Israel calleth to all the elders of the land, and saith, 'Know, I pray you, and see that evil this one is seeking, for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my sons, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I withheld not from him.' And all the elders and all the people say unto him, 'Do not hearken, nor consent.'

And in the third year of his reign he hath sent for his heads, for Ben-Hail, and for Obadiah, and for Zechariah, and for Nethaneel, and for Michaiah, to teach in cities of Judah, and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijath, and Tob-Adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. And they teach in Judah, and with them is the Book of the Law of Jehovah, and they go round about into all cities of Judah, and teach among the people.

And he saith, 'I have sinned; now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.'

that Jehovah appeareth unto Solomon a second time, as He appeared unto him in Gibeon, and Jehovah saith unto him, 'I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication with which thou hast made supplication before Me; I have hallowed this house that thou hast built to put My name there -- unto the age, and Mine eyes and My heart have been there all the days. And thou -- if thou dost walk before Me as David thy father walked, in simplicity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee -- My statutes and My judgments thou dost keep -- read more.
then I have established the throne of thy kingdom over Israel -- to the age, as I spake unto David thy father, saying, There is not cut off to thee a man from being on the throne of Israel. If ye at all turn back -- you and your sons -- from after Me, and keep not My commands -- My statutes, that I have set before you, and ye have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them, then I have cut off Israel from the face of the ground that I have given to them, and the house that I have hallowed for My name I send away from My presence, and Israel hath been for a simile and for a byword among all the peoples; as to this house, that is high, every one passing by it is astonished, and hath hissed, and they have said, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus to this land and to this house? and they have said, Because that they have forsaken Jehovah their God, who brought out their fathers from the land of Egypt, and they lay hold on other gods, and bow themselves to them, and serve them; therefore hath Jehovah brought in upon them all this evil.'

and Jehovah maketh Solomon exceedingly great before the eyes of all Israel, and putteth upon him the honour of the kingdom that hath not been on any king over Israel before him.

And king David sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, 'Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye last to bring back the king unto his house? (and the word of all Israel hath come unto the king, unto his house;)

and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, 'Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab at that time,

And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian go, and divinations in their hand, and they come in unto Balaam, and speak unto him the words of Balak,

And the king saith, to Ashpenaz master of his eunuchs, to bring in out of the sons of Israel, (even of the royal seed, and of the chiefs,) lads in whom there is no blemish, and of good appearance, and skilful in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and teaching thought, and who have ability to stand in the palace of the king, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. And the king doth appoint for them a rate, day by day, of the king's portion of food, and of the wine of his drinking, so as to nourish them three years, that at the end thereof they may stand before the king. read more.
And there are among them out of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and the chief of the eunuchs setteth names on them, and he setteth on Daniel, Belteshazzar; and on Hananiah, Shadrach; and on Mishael, Meshach; and on Azariah, Abed-Nego. And Daniel purposeth in his heart that he will not pollute himself with the king's portion of food, and with the wine of his drinking, and he seeketh of the chief of the eunuchs that he may not pollute himself. And God giveth Daniel for kindness and for mercies before the chief of the eunuchs; and the chief of the eunuchs saith to Daniel, 'I am fearing my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink, for why doth he see your faces sadder than those of the lads which are of your circle? then ye have made my head indebted to the king,' And Daniel saith unto the Meltzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs hath appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 'Try, I pray thee, thy servants, ten days; and they give to us of the vegetables, and we eat, and water, and we drink; and our appearance is seen before thee, and the appearance of the lads who are eating the king's portion of food, and as thou seest -- deal with thy servants.' And he hearkeneth to them, to this word, and trieth them ten days: and at the end of ten days their appearance hath appeared better and fatter in flesh then any of the lads who are eating the king's portion of food. And the Meltzar is taking away their portion of food, and the wine of their drink, and is giving to them vegetables. As to these four lads, God hath given to them knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature, and wisdom; and Daniel hath given instruction about every kind of vision and dreams. And at the end of the days that the king had said to bring them in, bring them in doth the chief of the eunuchs before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king speaketh with them, and there hath none been found among them all like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they stand before the king; and in any matter of wisdom and understanding that the king hath sought of them, he findeth them ten hands above all the scribes, the enchanters, who are in all his kingdom.

and at the same time also hoping that money shall be given to him by Paul, that he may release him, therefore, also sending for him the oftener, he was conversing with him;

And the thing is right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land speak unto us, saying, Take in your hand provision for the way, and go to meet them, and ye have said unto them, Your servants we are, and now, make with us a covenant;

I called for my lovers, they -- they have deceived me, My priests and my elders in the city have expired; When they have sought food for themselves, Then they give back their soul.

Lo, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are on the sinful kingdom, And I have destroyed it from off the face of the ground, Only, I destroy not utterly the house of Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah.

and Moses chooseth men of ability out of all Israel, and maketh them chiefs over the people, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,

'And I speak unto you at that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you; Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and lo, ye are to-day as the stars of the heavens for multitude; Jehovah, God of your fathers, is adding to you, as ye are, a thousand times, and doth bless you as He hath spoken to you. read more.
'How do I bear by myself your pressure, and your burden, and your strife? Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads; and ye answer me and say, Good is the thing which thou hast spoken -- to do. 'And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes. And I command your judges at that time, saying, Hearkening between your brethren -- then ye have judged righteousness between a man, and his brother, and his sojourner; ye do not discern faces in judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye bring near unto me, and I have heard it;