And out of the ground Yahweh God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and he brought [each] to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called that living creature [was] its name.

Then Rebekah took [some of] her older son Esau's best garments that [were] with her in the house, and she put [them] on Jacob her younger son.

Then Jacob saw the face of Laban and, behold, {it was not like it had been in the past}.

and he said to them, "Look, I see the face of your father, that {it is not like it has been toward me in the past}. But the God of my father is with me.

Then their father Israel said to them, "If [it must be] so then do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift--a little balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and pistachios and almonds.

and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.'

{Do not worry} about your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"

And to his father he sent {as follows}: ten donkeys carrying the best of Egypt, and ten donkeys carrying grain and food and provisions for his father for the journey.

The land of Egypt [is] before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen, and if you know there is among them men of ability, then appoint them overseers of my own livestock."

And Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and he gave them property in the land of Egypt in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed.

And Moses said to Yahweh, "Please, Lord, I [am] not a man of words, {neither recently nor in the past nor since your speaking} to your servant, because I [am] heavy of mouth and of tongue."

" 'If a man grazes [his livestock] in a field or a vineyard and he releases his livestock and it grazes in the field of another, he will make restitution [from] the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.

" 'If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or small livestock or any beast to watch over and it dies or is injured or is captured [when] there is no one who sees,

" 'The best of the firstfruits of your land you will bring to the house of Yahweh your God. " 'You will not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

All [the] finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you.

And so we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, past the road of the Arabah, from Elath and Ezion Geber, and we turned and traveled along the route of the desert of Moab.

Remember [the] old days, {the years long past}; ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders and they will tell you.

And he selected [the] best [part] for himself, for there [the] portion of a ruler [is] included, and he came [with the] heads of [the] people; he did the righteousness of Yahweh, and his regulations for Israel."

Your wives, your little children, and your livestock, they will remain in the land that Moses gave to you beyond the Jordan. {All of the best fighting men} will cross armed in front of your families; they will help you

So Joshua and {all the fighting men} went up immediately to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand of the best fighting men and sent them [by] night.

So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and {all the fighting men} with him, {all the best warriors}.

And Yahweh said to Gideon, "The troops that [are] with you [are] too many for me to give Midian into their hands; Israel will boast, saying, 'My hand has delivered me.'

And Zebul said to him, "Where then {is your boast}, [you] who said, 'Who [is] Abimelech that we should serve him?' [Is] this not the army that you rejected? Please, go out now and fight against them."

And Samson's wife was [given] to his companion who [was] his best man.

And all of the people who [were] at the gate and the elders said, "[We are] witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman coming into your house as Rachel and as Leah, who {together} built the house of Israel. May you have strength in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem.

Why do you despise my sacrifice and my offering which I commanded [for my] dwelling place, while you honored your sons more than me by making yourselves fat from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel?

He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive trees and will give [them] to his servants.

He will take your male slaves and your female slaves and the best of your young men and your donkeys and {will use them for his projects}.

However, Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and the cattle and the second [best] of the young fatlings and {all that was valuable}; they were not willing to utterly destroy them. But all the possessions that were despised or worthless, they utterly destroyed.

Saul said, "They have brought them from [the] Amalekites; the troops spared the best of the sheep and the cattle in order to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God. But the rest we have utterly destroyed."

The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."

He said to him, "Thus says Ben-Hadad: 'Your silver and your gold are mine, and your women and your best sons are mine.'"

The messengers returned and said, "Thus says Ben-Hadad, saying, 'I sent to you saying, "Your silver and gold are mine, and your women and your best sons you must give to me."

The king of Israel answered and said, "Tell [him], 'Let not him who girds on his armor boast as one who takes off his armor.'"

Do this thing: remove the kings each from his post, and put a governor in their place.

then you must select the best and the most suitable from the sons of your master, and you must place [him] on the throne of his father, and they must fight for the house of your masters."

and another third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners, shall guard the post of the palace alternately.

Two of the units among you, all {who go on duty on the Sabbath}, guard the post of the temple of Yahweh for the king.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the leader over them {in time past}; Yahweh [was] with him.

So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek all the commandments of Yahweh your God so that you may take possession of this good land and bestow [it] as an inheritance to your children after you forever."

Look, you say [that] you have struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now remain at your home. Why stir up disaster that you fall, you and Judah with you?"

You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold according to the desire of your God.

I said to them, "Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While they are standing guard let them shut and fasten the doors. And appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his post and another opposite his house."

And we bring the best of our dough, our offerings, the fruit of every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and [to bring] the tithe of our soil to the Levites, for the Levites [receive] the tithes in all of our rural towns.

{The young woman pleased him} and she won favor in his presence, and he quickly provided for her beauty treatment and her portion of food, with seven chosen maids to give to her from the {king's palace}, and he advanced her and her maids to the best part of the {harem}.

And the king asked, "What has been done to bestow honor to Mordecai for this?" And the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him."

For you yourself will forget your misery; you will remember [it] as water [that] has flowed past.

"{O that} you would conceal me in Sheol, [that] you would hide me {until your wrath is past}, [that] you would appoint a set time for me and remember me.

"My days are past; my plans are broken down-- [even] the desires of my heart.

{Some boast in chariots and others in horses}, but we boast in the name of Yahweh, our God.

My soul makes its boast in Yahweh; let the humble hear and be glad.

Your righteousness [is] {like the mighty mountains}, your judgments [like the] great deep. You save man and beast, O Yahweh.

For I said, "[Help,] lest they rejoice over me, [lest] they boast against me when my foot slips."

In God we boast all the day, and we will give thanks [to] your name forever. Selah

those who trust their wealth and boast about the abundance of their riches?

Why do you boast about evil, O mighty man? The loyal love of God [endures] {continually}.

My soul will be satisfied [as with the] best and richest [food], and [with] joyful lips my mouth will praise.

However, the king will rejoice in God. Everyone who swears an oath by him will boast, because [the] mouth of [the] liars will be stopped.

[The] righteous will rejoice in Yahweh and take refuge in him, and all [the] upright in heart will boast.

I say to the boastful, 'Do not boast!' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up [your] horn!

{They gush words} unrestrained. All [the] evildoers boast.

Let all who serve an image be ashamed, those who boast about idols. Worship him, all you gods.

They give drink for every beast of [the] field. [The] wild donkeys {quench} their thirst.

Boast about his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.

Save us, O Yahweh our God, and gather us from the nations, so that [we may] give thanks to your holy name [and] boast in your praise.

She will give a garland for your head; she shall bestow a crown of glory upon you."

"Bad, bad," the buyer will say, but [when] one goes to him, then he will boast.

Do not boast {about tomorrow}, for you do not know what the day will bring.

There is a thing [of] which it is said, "Look at this! This is new!" [But] it already existed in ages past before us.

He has made everything suitable in its time. He also has put {the past} in their hearts, yet no one can grasp what God does from the beginning to the end.

For the fate of {humans} and the fate of the beast is {the same}. The death of the one is like the death of the other, for {both are mortal}. Man has no advantage over the beast, for both are fleeting.

For no one knows [whether] the spirit of a human ascends [to heaven] and [whether] the spirit of the beast descends to the ground!

If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post, for calmness can undo great offenses.

Your palate [is] like the best wine that goes down for my beloved, smoothly gliding over my lips and teeth.

Does the ax boast against the one who cuts with it, or the saw magnify itself against [the] one who moves it to and fro? {As if a rod should move the one who lifts it}! {As if a staff should lift up that which is not wood}!

This [was] the word that Yahweh spoke to Moab {in the past}.

Then [the] {watchman} called, "Lord, I [am] standing on [the] watchtower continually by day, and I [am] standing at my post {throughout} the night.

No lion shall be there, and no ferocious wild beast shall go up it. It shall not be found there, but [the] redeemed shall walk [there].

You shall winnow them and [the] wind shall carry them, and [the] tempest shall scatter them. And you yourself shall rejoice in Yahweh; you shall boast in the holy one of Israel.

In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be in the right, and they shall boast."

But you shall be called the priests of Yahweh, {you will be called} servers of our God. You shall eat [the] wealth of [the] nations, and you shall boast in their riches.

and you swear, '{As Yahweh lives},' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations will be blessed by him, and in him they will boast."

Thus says Yahweh, "[The] wise man must not boast in his wisdom, and the warrior must not boast in his might, [the] wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.

{But only} in this must the one who boasts boast, [that] he has insight, and [that] he knows me, that I [am] Yahweh, showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these [things] I delight," {declares} Yahweh.

Why do you boast in [your] valleys? Your valleys [are] ebbing. O unfaithful daughter, who trusted in her treasures, [who said], 'Who will come against me?'

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Look, I [am] going to break the bow of Elam, the first and best of their might.

Against the walls of Babylon raise a banner; {post a strong watch}, post watchmen, prepare the ambushes, for Yahweh has both planned as well as performed what he has spoken concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

Even the jackal bears the beast and nurses their cubs; [but] the daughter of my people has become ruthless, like ostriches in the wilderness.

"For on {my holy mountain}, on the mountain of the height of Israel," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "there all of the house of Israel will serve me, all of them, in the land. I will take pleasure in them, and there I will accept your contributions and the best of your portions with all of your holy objects.

From the sound of its downfall I caused nations to shake when I made it go down to Sheol, with [the people] going down to [the] grave, and [so] in [the] world below all of the trees of Eden, [the] choice and the best of Lebanon, {all the well-watered trees} were comforted!

But the prince shall not take from the inheritance of the people to rob them, [separating them] from their property; from his [own] property he shall bestow an inheritance on his sons, so that my people will not be driven away, any one, from his property."

And he brought me to the outer courtyard and led me past the four corners of the courtyard; and look, {there was a courtyard in each corner of the courtyard}.

And they shall not sell [any part] from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for [it is] holy to Yahweh.

And look, another beast, a second one, looking like a bear. And it was raised up on one side and three tusks [were] in its mouth between its teeth, and so {it was told}, "Arise, eat much flesh!"

After this I was watching and look, another [beast] like a leopard; {it had four wings} of a bird on its back, and {the beast had} four heads, and dominion was given to it.

After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and {it had} {great iron teeth}, [and it was] devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all [the other] beasts {that preceded it} {and it had ten horns}.

"{I continued watching} then because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn [who was] speaking; {I continued watching} until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given [over] to burning with fire.

"Then I desired to make certain concerning the fourth beast that was different from {all the others}--exceedingly terrifying, with its iron teeth and its claws of bronze; it devoured and crushed [and] stamped the remainder with its feet--

"And he said, 'The fourth beast [is] the fourth kingdom [that] will be on the earth that will be different from all the [other] kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and it will trample it and it will crush it.

And by his planning he will make a success of deceit by his hand, and in his {mind} he will {boast}, and in [their] ease he will destroy many, and [even] against [the] prince of princes he will rise up, and he will be broken, [but] not by human hands.