Thematic Bible: Israelites


Thematic Bible



As soon as the Canaanites who lived in the land observed the mourning going on at Atad's threshing floor, they commented "This is a significant time of mourning for the Egyptians." That's why the place, which is located beyond the Jordan River, became known as Abel-mizraim.


You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month Abib, because in it you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty handed.

"Observe the month of Abib, keeping the Passover to the LORD your God, because the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt during the night in the month of Abib.


They got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play.

When Moses saw that the people were out of control since Aaron had let them get out of control, something that incited ridicule from their enemies

because they did something stupid in Israel. They committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and in my name they spoke lies that I didn't command them. I'm the one who knows, and I'm a witness," declares the LORD.'"

Slanderous men live among you, intent on shedding blood. They've eaten at the top of mountain shrines. They've crafted plans to do evil things among you. They've revealed the nakedness of their father in your midst. They've humiliated those among you who were unclean due to their impurity. One of you commits detestable practices with his neighbor's wife. Another sexually defiles his daughter-in-law. Another humiliates his sister, his own father's daughter.

You keep trusting in your weapons, you continue to commit loathsome deeds, men keep defiling their neighbors' wives, and you're going to take possession of the land?'

All of them are adulterers they burn like an oven prepared by the baker, who has ceased stoking it until the dough is leavened.


After these things occurred, certain officials approached me and said "The people of Israel, the priests, and the descendants of Levi have not separated themselves from the people of the lands or from the detestable behavior of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites, because they and their sons have married foreign women. As a result, the holy people have mingled themselves among the nations of these lands. As a matter of fact, the senior officials and the rulers have been foremost in this sin."



When the layer of dew evaporated, on the surface of the desert a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost, appeared on the ground.

The Israelis named it "manna". It was white like coriander seed, and tasted like a wafer made with honey.

Now manna was reminiscent of coriander seed, with an appearance similar to amber. People would go out to gather it, then they would grind it in mills or pound it in mortars, and then they would boil it in pots or make cakes out of it that tasted like butter cakes. When the dew fell in the camp, the manna came with it.

You gave them food from heaven for their hunger and water from the rock for their thirst. You directed them to enter and possess the land that you had promised to give them.

Yet he commanded the skies above and the doors of the heavens to open, so that manna rained down on them for food and he sent them the grain of heaven.


Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock. "Pay attention, you rebels!" Moses told them. "Are we to bring you water from this rock?" Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Lots of water gushed out, and both the community and their cattle were able to drink.

The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command of the LORD. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses: "Give us water to drink." Moses told them, "Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the LORD?" But the people were thirsty there for water, so they complained against Moses: "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?" read more.
So Moses cried out to the LORD: "What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they'll stone me." Then the LORD told Moses, "Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I'll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink." Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelis quarreled and tested the LORD by saying: "Is the LORD really among us or not?"

He caused the rocks to split in the wilderness, and gave them water as from an abundant sea. He brought streams from rock, causing water to flow like a river. But time and again, they sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. read more.
To test God was in their minds, when they demanded food to satisfy their cravings. They spoke against God by asking, "Is God able to prepare a feast in the desert? It's true that Moses struck the rock so that water flowed forth and torrents of water gushed out, but is he also able to give bread or to supply meat for his people?"

He opened a rock, and water gushed out flowing like a river in the desert.


Israel asked, and quail came; food from heaven satisfied them.

Just then, a wind burst forth from the LORD, who brought quails from the sea and spread them all around the camp, about a day's journey in each direction, completely encircling the camp about two cubits deep on top of the ground! The people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all through the next day, gathering quails. The one who gathered least gathered enough to fill ten omers, as they spread out all around the camp. But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the LORD became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague.

Yet he commanded the skies above and the doors of the heavens to open, so that manna rained down on them for food and he sent them the grain of heaven. Mortal men ate the food of angels; he sent provision to them in abundance. read more.
He stirred up the east wind in the heavens and drove the south wind by his might. He caused meat to rain on them like dust and winged birds as the sand of the sea. He caused these to fall in the middle of the camp and all around their tents. So they ate and were very satisfied, because he granted their desire. However, before they had fulfilled their desire, while their food was still in their mouths,



"This is to be a lasting statute for all your generations, wherever you live. You are not to eat any fat or blood."

"If anyone from the house of Israel or a resident alien who lives among you eats any form of blood, I'll oppose that person who ate the blood and eliminate him from his people,

This is why I've told the Israelis that no person among you is to eat blood. Even the resident alien who lives among you is not to eat blood.


"On the first day, take branches from impressive fruit trees, branches from palm trees, boughs from thick trees, and poplars from the brooks. Then you are to rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God for seven days. Observe it as a pilgrimage festival in the presence of the LORD for seven days of the year. This is to be an eternal ordinance throughout your generations. Observe the festival during the seventh month. You are to live in tents for seven days. Every native born of Israel is to live in tents read more.
in order for your future generations to know that the Israelis lived in tents when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

So they circulated a proclamation throughout their towns and in Jerusalem. It said, "Go out to the hill country and bring back olive branches, wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of mature trees, in order to set up tents, as has been written." Then the people went out and found branches to make tents for themselves on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, and in the courts of God's Temple, in the plaza near the Water Gate, and in the plaza near the Gate of Ephraim.


"Tell them this: "This is what the Lord GOD says: "As certainly as I'm alive and living, those who live in the wastelands are certain to die violently, I'll give those who die in the open fields to the wild animals for food, and whoever takes refuge in caves and fortified places will die of diseases.


And when the time came to give Saul's daughter Merab to David, she was given as a wife to Adriel of Meholah.

But they didn't listen to their leaders, because they were committing spiritual immorality by following other gods and worshiping them. They quickly turned away from the road on which their ancestors had walked in obedience to the commands of the LORD. They didn't follow their example.

They have been quick to turn aside from the way I commanded them, and they have made for themselves a molten calf. They have bowed down to it in worship, they have offered sacrifices to it, and they have said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"

However, after the leader had died, they would relapse to a condition more corrupt than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them, and worshiping them. They would not abandon their activities or their obstinate lifestyles.

and they continued to strengthen the kingdom of Judah, supporting Solomon's son Rehoboam for three years, by living the way David and Solomon did for three years.

At the height of his power, after he had consolidated his rule, Rehoboam abandoned the LORD's Law, along with all of Israel with him.


But Zeruiah's son Abishai came to David's aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David's army told him, "You're not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel's beacon won't be extinguished!"

With all of the people in the territory crying loudly, everybody passed over the Kidron brook, along with the king. Then everyone headed out toward the road that leads to the wilderness.

"We'll do everything that you commanded," they replied. "We'll go wherever you send us. We'll listen and obey you in everything, just like we did with Moses. Only may the LORD your God be with you, just as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against what you say and doesn't listen to your words regarding everything that you command will be executed. Only be strong and courageous."

Everybody took note of this and was very pleased, just as everything else the king did pleased everyone. As a result, the entire army and all of Israel understood that day that the king had nothing to do with the murder of Ner's son Abner.

David then left, going up the Mount of Olives, crying as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All of the people who were with him covered their own heads and climbed up the Mount of Olives, crying as they went along.

"No way!" his army responded. "If we have to retreat from the battle, Absalom's men won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. The best thing you can do for us is to remain in the city."

All these warriors arrived in battle order at Hebron, fully intending to establish David as king over all Israel. Furthermore, all of the rest of Israel were united in their intent to make David king.


But some troublemakers said, "How can this man deliver us?" They despised him and did not bring him a gift. But Saul remained silent.

When all of Israel saw that the king wasn't listening to them, the people responded to the king's message, "What's the point in following David? We have no inheritance in the descendants of Jesse. Let's go home, Israel! David, take care of your own household!' So Israel left for home. And so Rehoboam ruled over the Israelis who lived in the cities of Judah. King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of conscripted labor, but all of Israel stoned him to death, and King Rehoboam had to jump in his chariot and flee back in a hurry to Jerusalem. read more.
That's how Israel came to be in rebellion against David's dynasty to this day.


The territories of Judah and Israel were your clients, too. They traded wheat from their distribution centers, baked goods, honey, oil, and ointments for your merchandise.

King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Reed Sea in the land of Edom. Hiram sent his servants to sail with the fleet, since they were expert seamen, and so they accompanied Solomon's servants. They sailed as far as Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold for Solomon.

Next to him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried on repairs up to the house of the Temple Servants and the merchants, up to the Muster Gate as far as the ascent to the corner. Between the ascent of the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and merchants carried on repairs.


They'll ask the way to Zion, turning their faces in that direction. They'll come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that won't be forgotten.


"But if you don't obey the LORD your God and faithfully carry out all his commands and statutes that I'm giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you and overwhelm you: "Cursed will you be in the city and cursed will you be in the country. "Cursed will be your grain basket and your kneading bowl. read more.
"Cursed will your children be, as well as the produce of your land, the offspring of your beasts and cattle, and the offspring of your flock. "Cursed will you be in your comings and goings." "The LORD will send the curse among you, will confuse you, and will rebuke you in everything you undertake until you are destroyed and perish quickly because of your evil deeds, since you will have forsaken him. The LORD will cause you to be ill with long-lasting diseases until you are wiped out from the land that you are entering to possess. The LORD will afflict you with tuberculosis, fever, inflammation, high fever, drought, blight, and mildew. These will attack you until you are completely destroyed. The sky above your head will become bronze while the ground beneath you will become iron. The LORD will change the rain on your land to powder and dust. It will come down from the sky until you are exterminated." "The LORD will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You'll go out against them in one direction, but you'll flee from them in seven directions. Consequently, you'll be in a state of great terror throughout all the kingdoms of the earth. Your dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, with no one to chase them away. "The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, skin disease, and festering rashes, and none of them will be curable. The LORD will afflict you with insanity, blindness, and mental confusion. As a result, you'll wander aimlessly in broad daylight just as a blind person wanders in darkness. You won't prosper in life. Instead, you'll be oppressed and plundered all day long, with no deliverer. "You'll be engaged to a woman, but another man will rape her. You'll build a house, but you won't live in it. You'll plant a vineyard, but you won't harvest it. Your ox will be slaughtered in front of you, and you won't be able to eat it. Your donkey will be stolen from you while you watch and won't be returned to you. Your flock of sheep will be handed to your enemies, and there will be no deliverer. Your sons and daughters will be given to another people while you watch. You won't be able to approach them at all, and you'll be powerless to help. "A people whom you don't know will devour what your land and labor produces. You'll be only oppressed and discouraged continuously until you are driven insane from what your eyes will see. "The LORD will afflict you with incurable boils on your knees and legs, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. "The LORD will banish you and your king whom you will appoint over you to go to a nation that neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you'll serve other gods of wood and stone. You'll become a desolation and a proverb, and you'll be mocked among the people where the LORD will drive you." "You'll plant many seeds in a field, but your harvest will be small because the locust will consume it. You'll plant a vineyard, but you won't drink wine or harvest any grapes because worms will consume it. You'll have olive trees throughout your territory, but you won't be able to anoint yourself with oil because the olives will drop off the trees. You'll bear sons and daughters, but they won't belong to you because they'll go into captivity. Whirling locusts will consume every tree and the produce of your land. The foreigner in your midst will be elevated higher and higher over you, while you are brought low little by little. He will lend to you, but you won't lend to him. He'll be the head, but you'll be the tail. All these curses will come upon you and will overwhelm you until you are exterminated, because you didn't obey the LORD your God to keep his commands and statutes, which he had commanded you. These curses will serve as a sign and wonder for you and your descendants as long as you live." "Because you didn't serve the LORD your God joyfully and wholeheartedly, despite the abundance of everything you have, you'll serve your enemies whom the LORD your God will send against you. You will serve in famine and in drought, in nakedness, and in lack of everything. They'll set a yoke of iron upon your neck until they have exterminated you. "The LORD will raise a distant nation against you from the other side of the earth. Swooping down like a vulture, it will be a nation whose language you don't understand, whose stern appearance neither shows regard nor extends grace to anyone whether old or young. Its army will consume the offspring of your animals and the produce of your soil until you are exterminated. They will leave you without your grain, wine, oil, the increase of your cattle, and the lamb of your flock, until you are completely destroyed. They'll besiege all your cities until your high and fortified walls in which you have trusted collapse throughout the land. Indeed, they will besiege all your cities, which the LORD your God gave you." "You'll eat your own children the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God gave you on account of the siege and the distress with which your enemy will oppress you. Even the compassionate man among you the very sensitive one will look with evil in his eyes toward his brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving sons, whom he spared. He will withhold from each of them the flesh of his sons that he is eating since there will be nothing left on account of the siege and distress with which your enemy will oppress you in all your cities. The most tender and sensitive lady among you, who doesn't venture to touch the soles of her feet to the ground on account of her daintiness, will look with hostility in her eyes against her beloved husband, her sons, and her daughters. She will eat her afterbirth and her newborn children secretly since there will be nothing left on account of the siege and distress with which your enemy will oppress you in your cities." "If you aren't careful to observe all the words of this Law that have been written in this book, instructing you to fear this glorious and awesome name of the LORD your God, then he will inflict extraordinary plagues on you and your children great and lasting plagues and severe and lasting illnesses. He will inflict on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they won't be curable. Moreover, the LORD will inflict you with illnesses and plagues that were not written in this Book of the Law, until you are exterminated. Because you will not have obeyed the LORD your God, very few of you will be left instead of you being as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Just as the LORD delighted to prosper and increase you, so now the LORD will delight to destroy, exterminate, and banish you from the land that you are about to enter to possess." "He'll scatter you among the nations from one end of the earth to the other, and there you'll serve other gods made of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. Among those nations you'll have no rest. There'll be no resting place for the soles of your feet. Instead, the LORD will give you an anxious heart, failing eyesight, and a despairing spirit. You'll cling to life, being fearful by both night and day, with no assurance of survival. In the morning you'll say, "I wish it were evening.' Yet in the evening you'll say, "I wish it were morning,' on account of what you'll dread and what you'll see. Finally, the LORD will bring you back to Egypt by ship, a place that I said you'd never see again. There you'll try to sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you."

Then the LORD told Moses and Aaron, "How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about me? I've heard the complaints of the Israelis that they've been murmuring against me. So tell them that as long as I live consider this to be an oracle from the LORD as certainly as you've spoken right into my ears, that's how I'm going to treat you. read more.
Your corpses will fall in this wilderness every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained against me. You will certainly never enter the land about which I made an oath with my uplifted hand to settle you in it, except for Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua. However, I'll bring your little ones the ones whom you claimed would become war victims into the land so that they'll know by experience the land that you've rejected. "Now as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness and your children will wander throughout the wilderness for 40 years. They'll bear the consequences of your idolatries until your bodies are entirely consumed in the wilderness. Just as you explored the land for 40 days, you'll bear the consequences of your iniquities for 40 years one year for each day as you experience my hostility. I, the LORD, have spoken. I will indeed do this to this evil congregation, who gathered together against me. They'll be eliminated in this wilderness and will surely die." After this, the men whom Moses sent out to explore the land, who returned and made the whole congregation complain against him by bringing an evil report concerning the land, and who produced an evil report about the land, died of pestilence in the LORD's presence. However, Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had explored the land, remained alive. After Moses had told all of this to the Israelis, the people deeply mourned. So they got up early the next morning and traveled to the top of the mountain, telling themselves, "Look, we're here and we're going to go up to the place that the LORD had spoken about, even though we've sinned." But Moses asked them, "Why do you continue to sin against what the LORD said? Don't you know that you can never succeed? Don't go up, since you know that the LORD is no longer with you. You'll be attacked right in front of your own enemies. The Amalekites and Canaanites are there waiting for you. You'll die violently, since you've turned your back and have stopped following the LORD. The LORD won't be with you." But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, even though the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and Moses didn't leave the camp. The Amalekites came down, accompanied by some Canaanites who lived in the mountains. They attacked and defeated them even while the Israelis were retreating to Hormah.

"Then the LORD told me: "Tell them not to go up and fight because I will not be in their midst, or else you will be defeated before your enemies.'

When that happens, my anger will burn against them, because they will have abandoned me. I'll hide my face from them, they will be consumed, and many evils and distresses will find them. When this happens, they will say, "These troubles have happened to us because God isn't among us.' I'll surely hide my face in that day on account of the evil that they will have done for they turned to other gods."


Take a bundle of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you is to go out of the doorway of his house until morning,


Then Pharaoh inquired and discovered that not a single one of the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh's heart was stubborn and he would not let the people go.

The priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan River, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan River.


and told Moses, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the work that the LORD has commanded us to do."


But Zeruiah's son Abishai came to David's aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David's army told him, "You're not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel's beacon won't be extinguished!"

With all of the people in the territory crying loudly, everybody passed over the Kidron brook, along with the king. Then everyone headed out toward the road that leads to the wilderness.

"We'll do everything that you commanded," they replied. "We'll go wherever you send us. We'll listen and obey you in everything, just like we did with Moses. Only may the LORD your God be with you, just as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against what you say and doesn't listen to your words regarding everything that you command will be executed. Only be strong and courageous."

Everybody took note of this and was very pleased, just as everything else the king did pleased everyone. As a result, the entire army and all of Israel understood that day that the king had nothing to do with the murder of Ner's son Abner.

David then left, going up the Mount of Olives, crying as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All of the people who were with him covered their own heads and climbed up the Mount of Olives, crying as they went along.

"No way!" his army responded. "If we have to retreat from the battle, Absalom's men won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. The best thing you can do for us is to remain in the city."

All these warriors arrived in battle order at Hebron, fully intending to establish David as king over all Israel. Furthermore, all of the rest of Israel were united in their intent to make David king.


Then the entire Israeli nation from Dan to Beer-sheba, including the territory of Gilead came out for war. The army assembled as one united force to God at Mizpah. The officials of the entire nation, including every tribe of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God: 400,000 foot soldiers, all of them expert swordsmen. While the descendants of Benjamin were learning that the Israelis had gone up to Mizpah, the Israelis asked, "Somebody tell us how this evil could happen?"


But King Solomon married many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh: women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidonia, along with Hittite women, too,

At that time I also noticed that Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

Shaharaim fathered sons in the land of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.

Each of her sons married Moabite women: one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. After they lived there about ten years,


"Then the LORD told me, "Don't harass Moab or provoke them to war, because I won't give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their property.

and they informed him, "This is Jephthah's response:


Don't seek a peace treaty with them as long as you live.


While Israel remained encamped in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with Moabite women, who also invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. So the people ate what they had sacrificed and then worshipped their gods. The people joined the Baal-peor cult. As a result, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,


The LORD said, "I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry caused by their slave masters. I really do understand their pain, so I have come down to deliver them from their domination by the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the territory of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now, listen carefully! The cry of the Israelis has come to my attention about how severely the Egyptians have been oppressing them. read more.
So go! I am sending you to Pharaoh. Bring my people the Israelis out of Egypt."


Nevertheless, the very next day, the whole congregation of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, "You've killed the LORD'S people!"

the people complained against the LORD and Moses. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" they asked. "There's no food and water, and we're tired of this worthless bread." In response, the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died.

But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the LORD became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague.

The whole congregation of the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelis told them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt when we sat by the cooking pots, when we ate bread until we were filled because you brought us to this desert to kill this entire congregation with hunger."

The people quarreled with Moses: "Give us water to drink." Moses told them, "Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the LORD?" But the people were thirsty there for water, so they complained against Moses: "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?"

The supervisors told them, "May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us repulsive to Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hands to kill us."

But there was no water for the community, so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. As the people argued with Moses, they told him, "We wish that we had died when our relatives died in the LORD's presence! Why did you bring the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness? So we and our cattle could die here? read more.
Why did you take us out of Egypt and bring us to this terrible place? There's no place to plant seeds, fig trees, vines, or pomegranates! And there's no water to drink!"

They also told Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the desert? What have you done to us, by bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, "Leave us alone!' and "Let us serve the Egyptians!'? Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter. (That is why it's called Marah.) Then the people complained against Moses: "What are we to drink?"

Eventually, the people began complaining about their distress, and the LORD heard them. When the LORD heard, his anger flared up and the LORD's fire incinerated some of them within the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire stopped. He then named that place Taberah, because the LORD's fire had incinerated some of them. read more.
Meanwhile, certain riff-raff among the people had an insatiable appetite for food. As a result, they wept and turned back, and the Israelis cried out, "If only somebody would feed us some meat! How we remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt for free! And the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic! But now we can't stand it anymore, because there's nothing in front of us except this manna." Now manna was reminiscent of coriander seed, with an appearance similar to amber. People would go out to gather it, then they would grind it in mills or pound it in mortars, and then they would boil it in pots or make cakes out of it that tasted like butter cakes. When the dew fell in the camp, the manna came with it. Moses heard the people weeping throughout their entire families. Everyone gathered at the entrance to their tents so that the LORD was very angry. Moses thought the situation was bad,

You murmured in your tents, "The LORD hates us. He brought us out of the land of Egypt in order to deliver us to the Amorites so he could destroy us. Where can we go? Our brothers discouraged us when they said that the people are bigger and taller than we are. Their cities are tall and fortified to the sky, and we also saw the Anakim there.'


none of those men who saw my glory and watched my miracles that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness even though they've tested me these ten times and never listened to my voice


They have built high places at Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I didn't command this, and it never entered my mind!

They built the high places for Baal to burn their children in the fire as a burnt offering to Baal something I didn't command, didn't say, nor did it ever enter my mind!

burned incense in the Ben-hinnom Valley, and burned his sons as an offering, following the detestable activities of the nations whom the LORD had expelled in front of the people of Israel.

Instead, he behaved like the kings of Israel did by making his son pass through fire, the very same abomination that the heathen practiced, whom the LORD evicted from the land right in front of the Israelis.

They built the high places of Baal that are in the Hinnom Valley in order to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech something that I didn't command, nor did it ever enter my mind for them to require this utterly repugnant thing and lead Judah into sin."

"Then you took your sons and daughters whom you bore for me and sacrificed them for your idols to eat. As though your prostitutions were an insignificant thing, you also slaughtered my sons and offered them to idols, incinerating them in fire.

When they killed their sons as offerings to their idols, they brought them to my sanctuary and defiled it. Look what they've done with my Temple!

you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every spreading tree, who slaughter your children in the ravines, under the clefts of the rocks?

I made them unclean because of their offerings, so they made all their firstborn to pass through the fire, so that I could make them astonished. Then they'll know that I am the LORD."

He also defiled Topheth, which is located in the Ben-hinnom Valley, so that no one would force his son or daughter to pass through the fire in dedication to Molech.

When you present your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with your idols to this day. Should I be inquired of by you, you house of Israel? As I live," declares the LORD, "I certainly won't be inquired of by you."

because they've committed adultery, and blood covers their hands. They've also committed adultery with their idols, making their sons born to me to pass through the fire as an offering to them.


The LORD responded, "I've forgiven them based on what you've said.


Praise the LORD God of Israel, who lives from eternity to eternity! Then all of the people shouted "Amen!" and praised the LORD.


so he asked the LORD, "Why did you bring all this trouble to your servant? Why haven't I found favor in your eyes? After all, you're putting the burden of this entire people on me! Did I conceive this people or give birth to them, so that you would tell me to carry them near my heart like a wet nurse carries a suckling baby to the land that you promised to their forefathers? Where am I going to get meat to give this people? After all, they're crying in front of me, "Give us meat to eat!' read more.
I cannot carry this whole nation! The burden is too heavy for me! If this is how you treat me, please kill me right now, if I've found favor in your eyes, because I don't want to keep staring at all of this misery!" Then the LORD told Moses, "Gather together for me 70 men who are elders of Israel, men whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them. Then bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you. Then I'll come down and speak with you. I'll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won't bear it by yourself." "But give this command to the people: "You are to consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow you're going to eat meat, since you've complained where the LORD can hear it, "Who can give us meat to eat? After all, life was better with us in Egypt." Therefore, the LORD is going to give you meat and you'll eat not only for a day, or for two days, or for five days, or for ten days, or for 20 days, but for a whole month until it comes out your nostrils and makes you vomit. This is because you've despised the LORD, who is among you, and you cried out in his presence by complaining, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" Moses responded, "I'm with 600,000 people on foot and you're saying I am to give them enough meat to eat for a whole month? What if we were to slaughter our entire inventory of flocks and herds for them? Would that be enough? What if we could gather all the fish in the sea in nets for them? Would that be enough, either?" But the LORD responded to Moses, "Is the LORD short on power? You're now going to witness whether what I say will come to pass or not." So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent. The LORD came down in a cloud, spoke to Moses, and made an apportionment from the spirit who rested on him to the 70 elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but that was it. Now two men had remained in camp. One was named Eldad and the other was named Medad. When the spirit rested on them, since they were among those who were listed but had not gone out to the tent, they stayed behind and prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" In response, Nun's son Joshua, Moses' attendant and one of his choice men, exclaimed, "My master Moses! Stop them!" "Are you jealous on account of me?" Moses asked in reply. "I wish all of the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!" Then Moses that is, he and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. Just then, a wind burst forth from the LORD, who brought quails from the sea and spread them all around the camp, about a day's journey in each direction, completely encircling the camp about two cubits deep on top of the ground! The people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all through the next day, gathering quails. The one who gathered least gathered enough to fill ten omers, as they spread out all around the camp. But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the LORD became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague. That's why the place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, because they buried the people there who had an insatiable appetite for meat. Later, the people left Kibroth-hattaavah for Hazeroth and camped there.


The king of Egypt eventually died, and the Israelis groaned because of the bondage. They cried out, and their cry for deliverance from slavery ascended to God. God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, even though the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and Moses didn't leave the camp.


When the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea and told you, "Go possess the land that I gave you,' instead you disobeyed what the LORD your God said. You didn't trust him or listen to his voice. You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I knew you.


When the Israelis heard about it, they announced, "Look here, the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have constructed an altar in Canaan's frontier district of the Jordan River, on the side apportioned to the Israelis." When the Israelis heard that announcement, the entire community of the Israelis gathered together at Shiloh in preparation for war. Then the Israelis sent a delegation to the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead. They sent Eleazar's son Phinehas the priest, read more.
and ten officials with him (one for each of the tribal families of Israel, each one of them a family leader among the tribes of Israel). They approached the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and told them: "This is what the entire community of the LORD has to say: "What is this treacherous act by which you have acted deceitfully against the God of Israel by turning away from following the LORD today, and by building yourselves an altar today, so you can rebel against the LORD? Isn't the evil that happened at Peor enough for us, from which we have yet to be completely cleansed even to this point, and because of which a plague came upon the community of the LORD? Now then, are you turning away from following the LORD today? If you rebel against the LORD today, by tomorrow he will be angry with the entire community of Israel. If the land of your inheritance remains unclean, then cross back over into the land that the LORD possesses, and receive an inheritance among us. Don't rebel against the LORD and against us by constructing an altar for yourselves besides the altar of the LORD our God. Didn't Zerah's son Achan act treacherously with respect to the things banned by God, and as a result God became angry at the entire community of Israel? And that man was not the only one to die because of his iniquity.'"


Later on, the Israelis again practiced what the LORD considered to be evil by serving the Baals, the stars, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the descendants of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. In doing so, they ignored the LORD and wouldn't serve him. In his burning anger against Israel, he sold them into domination by the Philistines and the Ammonites, who trampled and troubled the Israelis during that year eighteen years for the Israelis who lived east of the Jordan River in Gilead, the land occupied by the Amorites. read more.
The Ammonites crossed the Jordan River to fight against the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. As a result, Israel was deeply distressed. Then the Israelis cried out to the LORD and told him, "We have sinned against you because we have abandoned our God to serve the Baals." The LORD replied to the Israelis, "Aren't you away from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines? And when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites harassed you, you cried out to me, and I delivered you from under their domination. But you have abandoned me and served other gods. Therefore I will no longer be delivering you. Go and cry out to the gods that you have chosen for yourselves. Let them deliver you in your time of trouble." The Israelis replied to the LORD, "We have sinned, so do to us anything that's right to do in your opinion, just please deliver us right now." When they put away their foreign gods and served the LORD, he brought Israel's misery to an end.

Then Samuel told the whole house of Israel, "If you're returning to the LORD with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, direct your hearts back to the LORD, and serve him only. Then he will deliver you from the control of the Philistines." So the Israelis removed the Baals and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. Samuel said, "Bring all Israel together at Mizpah, and I'll pray to the LORD on your behalf." read more.
So they came together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out in the LORD's presence.


The Israelis replied to the LORD, "We have sinned, so do to us anything that's right to do in your opinion, just please deliver us right now." When they put away their foreign gods and served the LORD, he brought Israel's misery to an end.


"Now then, stand up and see this great thing that the LORD is about to do before your eyes. Is it not the wheat harvest today? I'll call upon the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and understand that you have done a great evil in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king for yourselves." Samuel called upon the LORD that same day, and the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. read more.
Then all the people told Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we don't die, because we made all our sins worse by asking for a king for ourselves." Samuel told all the people, "Don't be afraid. You have done all this evil. Yet don't turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.


After this, the Spirit of God came to rest on Oded's son Azariah, so he went out to meet Asa and rebuked him: "Listen to me, Asa, Judah, and Benjamin! The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will allow you to find him, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you. Israel lived for years without the true God, priests to teach them, and the Law, read more.
but they turned to the LORD God of Israel in their distress. When they sought him, he let them become reacquainted with him. "During those days, it wasn't safe for anyone to come and go, because many civil disturbances afflicted everyone who lived in the territories. Nation battled nation, and city fought city, because God was afflicting them all with every kind of distress. Now as for you, be strong and never be discouraged, because there will be reward for your work." Encouraged by what Oded's son Azariah the prophet had said in his prophecy, Asa removed the detestable idols from throughout the entire territories of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities that he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He repaired the LORD's altar that stood in front of the vestibule of the LORD's Temple. Then he gathered together all of Judah, Benjamin, and people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them, since many people had defected to him from Israel when they learned that the LORD his God was with him. They all assembled in Jerusalem during the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil that they had brought with them. They also entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their ancestors with all their heart and soul, and they further agreed that whoever would refuse to seek the LORD God of Israel was to be executed, whether important or unimportant, man or woman. They also made a vow to the LORD with loud voices, shouting, trumpets, and horns. Everybody in Judah was very glad to make their oath, because they had made their vow with all their heart and had sought him with all of their might, and they found him! The LORD also gave them rest in their surrounding lands.


But a prophet of the LORD was there named Oded. He went out to greet the army as it arrived in Samaria. He warned them, "Look! Because the LORD God of your ancestors was angry at Judah, he delivered them into your control, but you have killed them with a vehemence that has reached all the way to heaven! Now you're intending to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem to be your slaves. Surely you have your own sins against the LORD your God for which you're accountable, don't you? So listen to me! Return the captives whom you've captured from your brothers, because the anger of the LORD is burning hot against you!" read more.
Some of the leaders of the descendants of Ephraim, including Johanan's son Azariah, Meshillemoth's son Berechiah, Shallum's son Jehizkiah, and Hadlai's son Amasa, stood up to the army as they were coming back from the battle and told them, "Don't bring those captives here! You'll bring even more guilt on us from the LORD, in addition to our own existing sin and guilt! He's already mad enough against Israel because of our guilt!" So the army abandoned the captives and the war booty in front of the officers and the entire assembled retinue. After this, some men who were chosen by name took charge of the captives, clothed those who were naked with clothes appropriated from the war booty, gave them clothes and sandals, fed them, gave them something to drink, anointed them with oil, provided those who weren't able to walk with donkeys to ride on, and took them back to their relatives at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.


Nevertheless, a few men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and traveled to Jerusalem.


Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I won't go up among you, because you are an obstinate people, and otherwise I might consume you along the way." When the people heard this troubling word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.


After this, they traveled from Mount Hor along the caravan route by way of the Sea of Reeds and went around the land of Edom. But when the people got impatient because it was a long route, the people complained against the LORD and Moses. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" they asked. "There's no food and water, and we're tired of this worthless bread." In response, the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died. read more.
Then the people approached Moses and admitted, "We've sinned by speaking against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD, that he'll remove the serpents from us." So Moses prayed in behalf of the people.


Some time later, the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and announced to Israel, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land that I promised to your ancestors. I had told them, "I'll never breach my covenant with you. As for you, you must not make any treaties with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, tear down their altars.' But you haven't obeyed me. What have you done? Therefore I'm now saying, "I won't expel them before you. Instead, they'll remain at your side, and their gods will ensnare you.'" read more.
Because the angel of the LORD said these things to all of the Israelis, the people wept out loud, which is why they named the place Bochim. And there they sacrificed to the LORD.


The Israelis replied to the LORD, "We have sinned, so do to us anything that's right to do in your opinion, just please deliver us right now."




be careful not to forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and slavery.

Come on, let's be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won't join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land." So the Egyptians placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens. The Israelis built the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis, the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians became terrified of the Israelis. read more.
The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them, making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. Later, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. "When you help the Hebrew women give birth," he said, "watch them as they deliver. If it's a son, kill him; but if it's a daughter, let her live." But the midwives feared God and didn't do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead, they let the boys live. When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, "Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?" "Hebrew women aren't like Egyptian women," the midwives replied to Pharaoh. "They're so healthy that they give birth before the midwives arrive to help them." God was pleased with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. Because the midwives feared God, he provided families for them. Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, "You're to throw every Hebrew son who is born into the Nile River, but you're to allow every Hebrew daughter to live."

"You're no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past. They must gather straw for themselves. But you're to impose the previous quota of bricks that they're making. You're not to reduce it! It is because they're lazy that they're crying out, "Let's go offer sacrifices to our God.' So increase the work load on the people, and let them do it so they don't pay attention to deceptive speeches." read more.
Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, "This is Pharaoh's response: "I'll no longer give you any straw. Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won't be reduced at all.'" So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw. The taskmasters pressured them by saying, "Finish your work each day's quota just as when you were given straw." The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told, "Why didn't you, both yesterday and today, fulfill your quota for making bricks as before?"

tell him, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with great power.


How can I bear the burden of you and your bickering all by myself?


How can I bear the burden of you and your bickering all by myself?


When the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why did the LORD defeat us today when we fought the Philistines? Let's take the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so it may go with us and deliver us from the power of our enemies."

The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; each of them fled to his own tent. It was a very great slaughter, and 30,000 soldiers of Israel died. The Ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, died.


When Joab returned with his entire army, Joab was informed, "Ner's son Abner visited the king, and he has dismissed him. He has left in peace."


"How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the chariot, because there are so many, and in charioteers, because they are so strong but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek the LORD!


But they would not listen. Instead, they were stubborn, just like their ancestors had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.

When the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea and told you, "Go possess the land that I gave you,' instead you disobeyed what the LORD your God said. You didn't trust him or listen to his voice.


When the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea and told you, "Go possess the land that I gave you,' instead you disobeyed what the LORD your God said. You didn't trust him or listen to his voice.


You didn't have bread to eat or wine or anything intoxicating to drink, so that you would learn that I am the LORD your God.


To test God was in their minds, when they demanded food to satisfy their cravings.

But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the LORD became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague. That's why the place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, because they buried the people there who had an insatiable appetite for meat.

So they ate and were very satisfied, because he granted their desire. However, before they had fulfilled their desire, while their food was still in their mouths, the anger of God flared against them, and he killed the strongest men and humbled Israel's young men.


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