Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Wherewith, shall I come before Yahweh? bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before him with ascending-sacrifice? with calves of a year old?


Wherewith, shall I come before Yahweh? bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before him with ascending-sacrifice? with calves of a year old?


Bring near your contention, Saith Yahweh, - Advance your defences, Saith the King of Jacob: Let them advance them, and tell us, What shall happen, - Things known in advance - what they were, tell ye, That we may lay them to our heart and mark the after-story of them, Or, things yet to come, let us hear: Tell ye the events which shall be here-after, That we may perceive that gods, ye are, - Surely ye must do something - good or bad, That we may be amazed and behold it, at once. read more.
Lo! ye, are, of nought, And your work is a puff of breath, - An abomination, he that chooseth you!

Now, therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh - Creating thee, O Jacob, and Fashioning thee O Israel, - Do not fear, For I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name. Mine, thou art! When thou passest through the waters, with thee, I am, Or, through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee, - When thou walkest through fire, thou shall not be scorched, And, a flame, shall not kindle upon thee; For, I, - Yahweh, am, Thy God, The Holy One of Israel Ready to save thee, - I have given, as thy ransom, Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba, in thy stead. read more.
Because thou art precious in mine eyes, art honoured And, I, love thee, - And will give mankind, in thy stead, Yea, peoples, for thy life, Do not fear for, with thee, I am, - From the East, will I bring in thy seed, And, from the West, will I gather thee: I will say to the North Give up! And to the South Do not withhold! Bring in My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth; Every one who is called by my Name, Whom for mine own glory, I have created - formed - yea, made! Bring forth A blind people that have, eyes, and A deaf, that have, ears. All the nations, are gathered together Yea there is an assembling of peoples, Who among them, can tell this, And things in advance, can let us hear? Let them set forth their witnesses that they may get their right, Or let them hear, and say Truth! Ye, are my witnesses Declareth Yahweh, And my Servant, whom I have chosen, - That ye may take note - and believe me, And perceive that, I, am He, Before me, was not formed a GOD, Nor after me, shall one come into being: I - I, am Yahweh, - And there is none besides me ready to save: I, have told - and will save, and make known, That there is among you no strange one; And, ye, are my witnesses, Declareth Yahweh That, I, am GOD. Even from To-day, I, am He, And none, out of my hand, can deliver, - I work and who reverseth? Thus saith Yahweh, Your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel, - For your sakes, have I sent into Babylon, And will bring down as fugitives, all of them, - Even the Chaldeans, in the ships which cause them loud outcry. I - Yahweh, am Your Holy One, - The Creator of Israel, Your King. Thus, saith Yahweh, - Who setteth in the sea, a way, - And in the mighty waters, a path; Who bringeth forth Chariot and horse, Force and strength, Together, shall they he down They shall not arise, They are extinguished Like a wick, are they quenched! Do not keep in mind former things, - And things of old, do not consider: Behold me! doing a new thing, Now, shall it spring forth, Will ye not take note thereof? Surely I will set In the desert, a way, In a desolate land, rivers:

I have let myself be consulted by them who had not asked, I have suffered myself to be found by them who had not sought me, - I have said, Here I am! Here I am! Unto a nation that had not been called by my name, I have spread out my hands all the day, Unto a rebellious people, - Who walk In the way that is not good, After their own devices. The people who are provoking me to anger to my face continually, - Sacrificing in gardens, and Burning incense upon bricks; read more.
Who tarry among groves, And in the secret places, do lodge, Who eat the flesh of swine, And the broth of refuse things is in their vessels, - Who say - Draw near by thyself, Do not approach with me, For I am holier than thou! These, are A smoke in my nostrils, A fire, burning all the day. Lo! it is written before me, - I will not keep silence, But I have recompensed, and will recompense into their bosom: Your own iniquities, And the, iniquities of your fathers together, Saith Yahweh, Who have burned incense upon the mountains, And upon the hills, have reproached me, - Therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. Thus, saith Yahweh - As, new wine, is found, in the cluster, And one saith, Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it, So, will I do for the sake of ray servants, That I may not destroy the whole nation ; Therefore will I bring forth Out of Jacob, a seed, and Out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains, That my chosen ones may inherit it, And, my servants, dwell there; Then shall, Sharon, become, a fold for flocks, And the vale of Achor for the lying down of herds, - For my people who have sought me. But, ye are they - Who forsake Yahweh Who forget my holy mountain - Who prepare, for Fortune, a table and Who fill for Destiny, mixed wine; Therefore will I destine you to the sword, And, ye all, to the slaughter, shall bow down. Because I called and ye answered not, I spake, and ye hearkened not, - But did that which was wicked in mine eyes, And o that wherein I delighted not, ye made choice, Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, - Lo! my servants, shall eat but, ye, shall be famished, Lo! my servants, shall drink but, ye shall be thirsty, - Lo! my servants, shall rejoice but ye, shall turn pale; Lo! my servants, shall shout in triumph for mirth of heart But, ye, shall make outcry, for pain of heart, And for a breaking of spirit, shall ye howl. So shall ye leave your name for an oath, to my chosen ones, - So then My Lord Yahweh, will slay thee, - And his servants, will he, call by another name: So that he who blesseth himself in the earth, Will bless himself in the God of faithfulness, And he who sweareth in the earth Will swear by the God of faithfulness - Because the former troubles have been forgotten, and Because they are hid from mine eyes.

He hath said, If a man send away his wife, and she go from him and become another man's, will he return unto her, again? would not that land be, utterly defiled? And, thou, hast been unchaste with many neighbours, and yet thinkest to return unto me! Declareth Yahweh. Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights and see - where thou hast not been unchastely embraced! beside the ways, hast thou sat to them, like the Arabian m the desert, - and hast defiled the land with thine unchastities, and with thy wickedness. Therefore have been withholden the showers, And, the latter rain, hath not come, - Yet the forehead of an unchaste woman, hast thou, Thou hast refused to be ashamed. read more.
Hast thou not from this time, cried unto me, My father! the friend of my youth, art, thou? Will he maintain his anger to times age-abiding? Will he keep it perpetually? Lo! thou hast spoken thus but hast done wicked things and had thy way! And Yahweh said unto me, in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what apostate Israel, did? She used to go upon every high mountain and beneath every green tree, and commit unchastity there. And I said, after she had been doing all these things, Unto me, shall thou return? and she returned not, - and her treacherous sister Judah saw it! Though she saw that for all this, apostate Israel having committed adultery, I had sent her away, and had given a scroll of divorcement unto her, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but, she also, went and committed unchastity. Yea though it had come to pass that through the levity of her unchastity, she had defiled the land, - and committed adultery with Stone and with Tree, yet, in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah returned not unto me, with all her heart, - but, falsely, Declareth Yahweh. Then said Yahweh unto me, - Apostate Israel, hath justified herself, - more than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words, towards the North and say - Return! thou apostate - Israel, Urgeth Yahweh, I will not lower my face against you, - for full of lovingkindness, I am, Declareth Yahweh, I will not maintain mine anger unto times age-abiding. Only, acknowledge thine iniquity, that against Yahweh thy God, hast thou transgressed, - and hast gone hither and thither unto foreigners under every green tree, and unto my voice, ye have not hearkened Declareth Yahweh. Return, ye apostate sons, Urgeth Yahweh, for, I, am become your husband, - therefore will I take you one of a city, and two of a family, and will bring you to Zion; and will give you shepherds according to mine own heart, - who will feed you with knowledge and discretion.

Can ye then say - The way of My Lord will not be equal? Hear I pray you O house of Israel, Will my way, not be equal? Will not your ways be unequal? When a righteous man shall turn away from his righteousness and do that which is perverse and die because of those things In his own perversity which he hath done, shall he die. But when a lawless man turneth away from his lawlessness which he hath done, And hath done justice and righteousness He, shall save his own soul, alive: read more.
When he considered, then he turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, He shall surely live. He shall not die. Can the house of Israel then say- The way of My Lord will not be equal? Will my ways, not be equal O house of Israel? Will not your ways be unequal? Therefore, Every man according to his own ways, will I judge you O house of Israel, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Return ye - and make good your return - from all your transgressions, That they become not unto you a stumbling_ block of iniquity. Cast off from you all your transgressions which ye have committed against me, And make you a new heart; And a new spirit,- For why should ye die, O house of Israel? For I cannot take delight in the death of him that dieth, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Make good your return then and, live!

Thou, therefore, Son of man, Say unto the house of Israel, Thus, have ye spoken saying: When our transgressions and our sins are upon us, - and for them, we are melting away How then can we live? Say unto them, As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely, I can take no pleasure in the death of the lawless man, But that the lawless man turn from his way, and live,- Turn ye, turn ye, from your wicked ways, For wherefore should ye die. O house of Israel? Thou, therefore, Son of man Say unto the sons of thy people - The righteousness of the righteous man, shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression, And as for the lawlessness of the lawless man, He shall not stumble thereby, in the day of his return from his lawlessness,- Nor shall the righteous man be able to live thereby, in the day of his sin. read more.
When I say of the righteous man He shall surely live but he hath trusted in his righteousness and committed perversity None of his righteous deeds shall be mentioned, But by his perversity which he hath committed - thereby, shall he die. And when I say to the lawless man Thou shalt surely die, but he shall turn from his sin, and do justice and righteousness: The debt-pledge, the lawless man shall restore Plunder, shall pay back, In the statutes of life, hath walked, so as not to commit perversity. He shall surely live he shall not die: - None of his sins which he hath committed shall be called to mind against him, - Justice and righteousness, hath he done He shall surely live. And can the sons of thy people say, The way of The Lord will not be equal? Nay! but as for them, their way will not be equal! When the righteous man shall turn from his righteousness and commit perversity Then shall he die for them; But when the lawless man shall turn from his lawlessness, and do justice and righteousness Upon them, shall he live. And can ye then say, The way of The Lord will not be equal? Every man - according to his own ways so will I judge you O house of Israel?

Hear, I pray you, what, Yahweh, is saying, - arise thou, maintain thy controversy before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice: - Hear, ye mountains, the controversy of Yahweh, and ye lasting rocks, the foundations of the earth, - for, a controversy, hath Yahweh, with his people, and, with Israel, will he dispute. O my people! what have I done to thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify thou against me! read more.
For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and, out of the house of slaves, I ransomed thee, - and I sent before thee, Moses, Aaron and Miriam. O my people! remember, I pray you, what Balak king of Moab, counseled, and what Balaam son of Beer, answered him, - from the Acacias as far as Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of Yahweh. Wherewith, shall I come before Yahweh? bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before him with ascending-sacrifice? with calves of a year old? Will Yahweh, be pleased, with thousands of rams? with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath told thee, O son of earth, what is good, - what then is, Yahweh, seeking of thee, but, to do justice, to delight in lovingkindness, and humbly to walk with thy God? The voice of Yahweh, to the city, crieth out, With safety for him who regardeth his name, - Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

From the days of your fathers, have ye departed from my statutes, and not observed them, Return ye unto me, that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts. And yet ye say, Wherein shall we return? Will, a son of earth, defraud, God? Nevertheless, ye, have been defrauding me, and yet ye say, Wherein have we defrauded thee? In the tithe and the offering. With a curse, have ye been cursing, and yet, me, have ye been defrauding, - the whole nation. read more.
Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, Yea, I pray you, put me to the proof hereby, saith Yahweh of hosts, whether I will not open to you the sluices of the heavens, and pour out for you blessing, until there be no room. Then will I rebuke, for you, the devourer that he spoil not, for you, the fruit of the ground, - neither shall the vine in the field, be barren to you, saith Yahweh of hosts. So shall all the nations, pronounce you happy, - for, ye, shall become, a land of delight, saith Yahweh of hosts. Stout against me, have been your words, saith Yahweh, - and yet ye say, What have we spoken, one to another, against thee? Ye have said, Vain is it to serve God, - and, What profit when we have kept his charge, or when we have walked gloomily before Yahweh of hosts? Now, therefore, we are pronouncing happy - the proud, - and, the doers of lawlessness have, even been built up, and, they who have put God to the proof, have even been delivered.


Sacrifice and meal-offering, thou didst not delight in, Ears, didst thou pierce for me, - Ascending-sacrifice and sin-bearer, thou didst not ask:


Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, - Your ascending-offerings, add ye unto your peace-offerings and eat ye flesh. For I bade not your fathers Neither commanded I them, In the day I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, - Concerning the matter of ascending-offering and peace-offering; But, this thing, I commanded them - saying, Hearken ye unto my voice, So will I become unto you - a God, And, ye, shall become unto me - a people, - Ye shall therefore walk in all the way that I may command you, To the end it may be well with you;

And, Lebanon, is not sufficient to burn, - Nor, the beasts thereof sufficient for an ascending-sacrifice!



What then is it to me that - Frankincense from Shebah come in, or Sweet cane from a land afar off? Your own ascending-offerings, are not acceptable, Nor are, your sacrifices, pleasing to me.

He that slaughtereth an ox, is as one who smiteth a man, He that sacrificeth a lamb, is as one who beheadeth a dog, he that causeth a meal-offering to ascend, offereth it with the blood of swine, He that maketh a memorial of frankincense, is as one who blesseth iniquity: They indeed, have chosen their own ways, And in their own abominations, their soul hath found delight;

My sacrificial gifts, have they been sacrificing as common flesh, and have eaten, Yahweh, hath not accepted them, - Now, will he call to mind their iniquity, that he may punish their sin, they, to Egypt, will return.

Though they fast, I am not going to hearken unto their loud cry, and Though they offer ascending-sacrifice and meal-offering, I am not going to accept them, - For with sword and with famine and with pestilence, am, I, about to consume them.

For thou wilt not desire sacrifice - that I should give it, Ascending-offering, will not please: The sacrifices of God, are a spirit that is broken, - A heart - broken and crushed, O God, thou wilt not despise.


Not, for thy sacrifices, will I reprove thee, Nor for thine ascending-offerings, before me continually: I will not take out of thy house - a bullock, Nor out of thy folds - he-goats; For, mine, is every wild-beast of the forest, The cattle on the mountains, in their thousands; read more.
I know every bird of the mountains, And, the moving things of the plain, are with me: If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, For, mine, is the world, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of mighty oxen? Or, the blood of he-goats, will I drink? Sacrifice to God a thankoffering, And pay to the Most High thy vows;

The sacrifice of the lawless, is an abomination, how much more, when, with wickedness, he bringeth it in!

Of what use to me, is your multitude of sacrifices: Saith Yahweh: I am sated with ascending-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, - In the blood of bulls and young rams and he-goats, have I no pleasure. When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts? Ye shall not again bring in an empty, present, Incense, an abomination, is that unto me! New moon, and sabbath calling an assembly - I cannot endure, iniquity and sacred festival! read more.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul, hateth, - They have become unto me a burden I am too weary to bear:

I hate, I despise your festivals, - and can scent no fragrance in your solemn feasts. Nay, though ye cause to ascend unto me ascending-sacrifices, and your meal-offerings, I will not accept them , - nor, the peace-offering of your fat heifers, will I regard. Take thou away from me, the noise of thy songs, - Even the melody of thy harps, will I not hear. read more.
But let, justice, roll along like water, - and, righteousness, as a torrent over flowing.

Wherewith, shall I come before Yahweh? bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before him with ascending-sacrifice? with calves of a year old? Will Yahweh, be pleased, with thousands of rams? with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath told thee, O son of earth, what is good, - what then is, Yahweh, seeking of thee, but, to do justice, to delight in lovingkindness, and humbly to walk with thy God?


The conclusion of the matter - the whole, let us hear, - Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, concerneth all mankind.

Now, therefore, O Israel, what is, Yahweh thy God, asking of thee, - but to revere Yahweh thy God to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahweh thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul: to keep the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes, which I am commanding thee to-day, - for thy good?

Wherewith, shall I come before Yahweh? bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before him with ascending-sacrifice? with calves of a year old? Will Yahweh, be pleased, with thousands of rams? with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath told thee, O son of earth, what is good, - what then is, Yahweh, seeking of thee, but, to do justice, to delight in lovingkindness, and humbly to walk with thy God?

When thou shalt vow a vow unto Yahweh thy God, thou shalt not delay to make it good, - for Yahweh thy God would, require, it of thee, and it should be in thee sin.

Let a man, so, be reckoning of us, as officers of Christ, and stewards of sacred secrets of God. Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards, that, faithful, one be found.