Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Now, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets, made outcry unto Elisha, saying - Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and, thou, knowest that, thy servant, was one who revered Yahweh, - now, the creditor, hath come to take my two boys to himself as bondmen.

Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others.


and, he, not having, wherewith to pay, the master ordered him to be sold, and the wife, and the children, and whatsoever he had, - and payment to be made.


By the rivers of Babylon, there, we sat down, yea we wept - when we remembered Zion: Upon the willows - in the midst thereof, hanged we our lyres: For, there, our captors asked of us words of song, and our plunderers - gladness, - Sing us of the songs of Zion! read more.
How shall we sing the song of Yahweh, on a foreign soil? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right-hand forget: Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember thee! if I do not lift up Jerusalem above the head of mine own gladness.

Be strong, and let us put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, - and, Yahweh, do what is good in his own eyes.

Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, - against their brethren the Jews. And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, - that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive. And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. read more.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others. And it angered me greatly, - when I heard their outcry, and these words. So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest - every man to his brother, are ye making, - So I appointed over them a great assembly; and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer. Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, - ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest! Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, - also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them. And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise. Also, my lap, shook I out, and said - Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, - And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise. Moreover, from the day I was commanded to become their pasha in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year, even unto the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren, pasha's bread, have not eaten; whereas, the former pashas, who were before me, suffered themselves to be a burden upon the people, and took from them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver, even, their young men, bare rule over the people, - but, I, did not so, because of the fear of God. Moreover also, in this work of the wall, I repaired, and, no field, did we buy, - though, all my young men, were gathered thither unto the work. And, Jews and deputies, a hundred and fifty men, and they who were coming in unto us from among the nations which were round about us, depended upon my table. Now, that which was prepared for a single day, was - one ox, six choice sheep, also, fowls, were prepared for me, and, apportioned unto ten days, of every sort of wine, in abundance, - yet, in spite of this, the bread of the pasha, demanded I not, because heavy was the bondage upon this people.


Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, - against their brethren the Jews. And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, - that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive. And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. read more.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others. And it angered me greatly, - when I heard their outcry, and these words. So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest - every man to his brother, are ye making, - So I appointed over them a great assembly; and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer. Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, - ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest! Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, - also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them.


Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:

The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;

Now, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets, made outcry unto Elisha, saying - Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and, thou, knowest that, thy servant, was one who revered Yahweh, - now, the creditor, hath come to take my two boys to himself as bondmen.


Be making agreement with thine adversary, quickly, while thou art with him, in the way, - lest once thine adversary deliver thee up unto the judge, and the judge, unto the officer, and, into prison, thou be cast. Verily, I say unto thee, In nowise, mayest thou come out from thence, until thou pay the last halfpenny.

For, as thou art going along with thine adversary unto a ruler, on the way, take pains to get a release from him; lest once he drag thee along unto the judge, and, the judge, deliver thee up to the punisher, - and, the punisher, cast thee into prison: I tell thee - In nowise shalt thou come out from thence, until, even the last fraction, thou pay!

Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, - against their brethren the Jews. And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, - that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive. And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. read more.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others. And it angered me greatly, - when I heard their outcry, and these words. So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest - every man to his brother, are ye making, - So I appointed over them a great assembly; and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer. Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, - ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest! Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, - also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them. And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise. Also, my lap, shook I out, and said - Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, - And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise.

In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult! For he hath oppressed - hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild. Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, - With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:

Be not of them who strike hands, of them who are sureties for debts: If thou hast nothing to pay, why should one take away thy bed from under thee?

But that servant, going out, found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him, a hundred denaries, and, laying hold of him, he began seizing him by the throat, saying, Pay! if anything thou owest. His fellow servant, therefore, falling down, began beseeching him, saying, Have patience with me! And I will pay thee. He, however, would not, but went away and cast him into prison, - until he should pay what was owing. read more.
His fellow-servants, therefore, seeing, the things that were done, were grieved exceedingly, - and went and made quite plain to their master all the things which had been done. Then, calling him near, his master saith unto him - O wicked servant! All that debt, forgave I thee, because thou didst beseech me. Was it not binding, upon thee also, to have mercy upon thy fellow-servant, as, I also, on thee, had mercy? And, provoked to anger, his master delivered him up to the torturers, until he should pay all that was owing. Thus, my heavenly Father also, will do unto you, if ye forgive not each one his brother, from your hearts.


If, silver, thou wilt lend unto my people - unto the humbled one by thee, thou shalt not be to him like one that lendeth on interest, - thou shalt not lay upon him interest.

Upon interest, hath put out. And increase, hath accepted - , And shall he live? He shall not live All these abominations, he hath done, He shall surely be put to death, His blood, upon himself, shall be.

He that increaseth his substance by interest and profit, for one ready to favour the poor, doth gather it.

Bribes, have they accepted in thee, For the sake of shedding blood,-Interest and increase, hast thou accepted And thou hast overreached thy neighbour by oppression, And me, hast thou forgotten, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

His silver, hath he not put out on interest, nor, a bribe against the innocent, hath he taken. He that doeth these things, shall not be shaken unto times age-abiding.

And it shall be - As the people, so, the priest, As the servant, so his lord, As the maid, so, her mistress, - As the buyer, so, the seller, As the lender, so, the borrower, As the debtor, so! his creditor.

Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, - against their brethren the Jews. And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, - that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive. And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. read more.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others. And it angered me greatly, - when I heard their outcry, and these words. So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest - every man to his brother, are ye making, - So I appointed over them a great assembly; and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer. Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, - ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest! Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, - also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them. And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise. Also, my lap, shook I out, and said - Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, - And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise.

Thou shalt not lend on interest to thy brother, interest of silver, interest of food, - interest of any thing that can be lent on interest: to a foreigner, thou mayest lend on interest, but to thy brother, shalt thou not lend on interest, - that Yahweh thy God may bless thee, in everything where-unto thou puttest thy hand, upon the land which thou art entering to possess.

Do not accept from him interest or profit, but stand thou in awe of thy God, - so shall thy brother live with thee. Thy silver, shalt thou not give him on interest, - neither, for profit, shalt thou give him thy food.

Upon interest, hath not put out his money. And increase, hath not accepted, From dishonesty, hath turned back his hand, - Justice in truth, hath doze, between man and man; In my statutes, hath walked. And my regulations, hath observed to do them in truth, Righteous, he is, He shall surely live, Declareth My Lord. Yahweh.

From dishonesty, hath turned back his hand Neither interest nor increase, hath accepted, my regulations, hath executed, In my statutes, hath walked, - He shall not die for the iniquity of his father He shall surely live.


And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others.


Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, - against their brethren the Jews. And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, - that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive. And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. read more.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others. And it angered me greatly, - when I heard their outcry, and these words. So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest - every man to his brother, are ye making, - So I appointed over them a great assembly; and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer. Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, - ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest! Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, - also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them. And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise. Also, my lap, shook I out, and said - Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, - And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise.


Now, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets, made outcry unto Elisha, saying - Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and, thou, knowest that, thy servant, was one who revered Yahweh, - now, the creditor, hath come to take my two boys to himself as bondmen.

And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others.


Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, - against their brethren the Jews. And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, - that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive. And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, - -that we may obtain corn in the dearth. read more.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king's tribute, - upon our lands and our vineyards. Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others. And it angered me greatly, - when I heard their outcry, and these words. So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest - every man to his brother, are ye making, - So I appointed over them a great assembly; and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer. Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, - ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest! Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, - also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them. And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise. Also, my lap, shook I out, and said - Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, - And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise.