Thematic Bible: Select readings
Thematic Bible
Christ » Devotions of » Select readings
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men? Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? read more.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. read more.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Then David the king went in, and sat before LORD. And he said, Who am I, O lord LORD, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far? And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD! And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD. read more.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
And Solomon stood before the altar of LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their heart, who have kept with thy servant David my father that which thou did promise him. Yea, thou spoke with thy mouth, and have fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. read more.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, that when he ceased, a certain man of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. May thy kingdom come, may thy will happen on the earth as also in heaven. Give us our bread sufficient for each day. read more.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And he also spoke a parable to them about it being necessary to always pray, and not to give up, saying, In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God, and did not regard man. And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my opponent. read more.
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
Daily duty » Select readings
See that not any man repays evil for evil to any man, but always pursue the good, both for each other and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. read more.
In everything express thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not disdain prophecies, but examine all things. Hold firm the good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And may the God of peace himself sanctify you thoroughly. And may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it. Brothers, pray about us. Salute all the brothers by a holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord that the letter be read to all the holy brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. Truly.
In everything express thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not disdain prophecies, but examine all things. Hold firm the good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And may the God of peace himself sanctify you thoroughly. And may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it. Brothers, pray about us. Salute all the brothers by a holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord that the letter be read to all the holy brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. Truly.
The Dead » Resurrection of » Select readings
But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that ye may not grieve, as also the others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and arose, so also those who became asleep through Jesus, God will bring with him. For this we say to you in the word of Lord, that we who are alive, who remain for the coming of the Lord, will no, not precede those who became asleep. read more.
Because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the arch-agent, and with a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up simultaneously with them in clouds to the Lord's gathering in the air. And so we will always be with Lord. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the arch-agent, and with a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up simultaneously with them in clouds to the Lord's gathering in the air. And so we will always be with Lord. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Now a certain Lazarus, from Bethany of the village of Mary and her sister Martha, was sick. And Mary was the woman who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou love is sick. read more.
But when Jesus heard, he said, This sickness is not about death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he is sick, then he actually remained two days in that place he was. Later after this he says to the disciples, Let us go into Judea again. The disciples say to him, Rabbi, the Jews were now seeking to stone thee, and thou go there again. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if any man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. He spoke these things, and after this he says to them, Our friend Lazarus has become asleep, but I go that I may awake him. His disciples therefore said, Lord, if he has become asleep, he will be healed. But Jesus had spoken about his death, but those men thought that he was speaking about the restfulness of sleep. Therefore Jesus then said to them plainly, Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that ye may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. Therefore Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. So when Jesus came, he found him already four days being kept in the sepucher. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs away from it, and many of the Jews had come to the women, about Martha and Mary, so that they might console them about their brother. Therefore Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, met him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Martha therefore said to Jesus, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. But I know even now that as many things as thou may ask of God, God will give to thee. Jesus says to her, Thy brother will rise. Martha says to him, I know that he will rise in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he died, he will live. And every man who lives and believes in me will, no, not die, into the age. Do thou believe this? She says to him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that thou are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world. And when she said these things, she departed and called Mary her sister privately, saying, The teacher is here and calls thee. When that woman heard, she rises quickly, and comes to him. (Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.) The Jews therefore being with her in the house and consoling her, having seen Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying that she was going to the sepulcher that she may weep there. Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was, after seeing him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who gathered with her, weeping, he groaned in the spirit, and was himself troubled. And he said, Where have ye laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him. But some of them said, This man who opened the eyes of the blind man, was he not also able to cause that this man also would not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself comes to the sepulcher. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus says, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of the man who came to end, says to him, Lord, he smells now, for is the fourth day. Jesus says to her, Did I not to say thee, that if thou believed, thou will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone where the man who died was laying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heard me. And I had known that thou always hear me, but because of the multitude that stands by I spoke, so that they may believe that thou sent me. And having said these things, he cried out with a great voice, Lazarus, come out. And the man who died came forth, wrapped hands and feet with grave-clothes, and his face had been wrapped around with a face cloth. Jesus says to them, Loose him, and allow him to go.
But when Jesus heard, he said, This sickness is not about death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he is sick, then he actually remained two days in that place he was. Later after this he says to the disciples, Let us go into Judea again. The disciples say to him, Rabbi, the Jews were now seeking to stone thee, and thou go there again. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if any man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. He spoke these things, and after this he says to them, Our friend Lazarus has become asleep, but I go that I may awake him. His disciples therefore said, Lord, if he has become asleep, he will be healed. But Jesus had spoken about his death, but those men thought that he was speaking about the restfulness of sleep. Therefore Jesus then said to them plainly, Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that ye may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. Therefore Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. So when Jesus came, he found him already four days being kept in the sepucher. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs away from it, and many of the Jews had come to the women, about Martha and Mary, so that they might console them about their brother. Therefore Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, met him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Martha therefore said to Jesus, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. But I know even now that as many things as thou may ask of God, God will give to thee. Jesus says to her, Thy brother will rise. Martha says to him, I know that he will rise in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he died, he will live. And every man who lives and believes in me will, no, not die, into the age. Do thou believe this? She says to him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that thou are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world. And when she said these things, she departed and called Mary her sister privately, saying, The teacher is here and calls thee. When that woman heard, she rises quickly, and comes to him. (Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.) The Jews therefore being with her in the house and consoling her, having seen Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying that she was going to the sepulcher that she may weep there. Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was, after seeing him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who gathered with her, weeping, he groaned in the spirit, and was himself troubled. And he said, Where have ye laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him. But some of them said, This man who opened the eyes of the blind man, was he not also able to cause that this man also would not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself comes to the sepulcher. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus says, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of the man who came to end, says to him, Lord, he smells now, for is the fourth day. Jesus says to her, Did I not to say thee, that if thou believed, thou will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone where the man who died was laying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heard me. And I had known that thou always hear me, but because of the multitude that stands by I spoke, so that they may believe that thou sent me. And having said these things, he cried out with a great voice, Lazarus, come out. And the man who died came forth, wrapped hands and feet with grave-clothes, and his face had been wrapped around with a face cloth. Jesus says to them, Loose him, and allow him to go.
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that having come, they might anoint him. And very much early morning on the first day of the week, they come near to the sepulcher when the sun was risen. And they said to themselves, Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the sepulcher? read more.
And having looked, they see that the stone has been rolled back, for it was very large. And having entered into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he says to them, Be not alarmed. Ye seek Jesus, the man of Nazareth who was crucified. He was raised. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goes before you into Galilee. Ye will see him there, just as he said to you. And having come out, they fled from the sepulcher, and trembling and astonishment seized them. And they said nothing to any man, for they were afraid. Now having risen early morning on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. That woman, having gone, informed those who became with him, as they mourned and wept. And those men, when they heard that he is alive, and was seen by her, did not believe. And after these things he appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked going into the countryside. And those men having departed, they reported to the others. Neither did they believe those men. Afterward he became visible to them, to the eleven, who were relaxing. And he upbraided their unbelief and hard heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he was raised.
And having looked, they see that the stone has been rolled back, for it was very large. And having entered into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he says to them, Be not alarmed. Ye seek Jesus, the man of Nazareth who was crucified. He was raised. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goes before you into Galilee. Ye will see him there, just as he said to you. And having come out, they fled from the sepulcher, and trembling and astonishment seized them. And they said nothing to any man, for they were afraid. Now having risen early morning on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. That woman, having gone, informed those who became with him, as they mourned and wept. And those men, when they heard that he is alive, and was seen by her, did not believe. And after these things he appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked going into the countryside. And those men having departed, they reported to the others. Neither did they believe those men. Afterward he became visible to them, to the eleven, who were relaxing. And he upbraided their unbelief and hard heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he was raised.
And on the first day of the week, very early morning, they came to the sepulcher bringing the spices that they prepared, and some women with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And having entered in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. read more.
And it came to pass while they were bewildered about this, that behold, two men stood near them in shining apparel. And since they became frightened and bowing down their face to the ground, they said to them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but was raised. Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day to rise. And they remembered his sayings. And having returned from the sepulcher, they reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the others. Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. And their sayings appeared before them as idle talk, and they disbelieved them. But having risen, Peter ran to the sepulcher. And having stooped down, he sees the linen cloths laying alone. And he departed, wondering to himself at that which happened. And behold, two of them were going the same day to a village that was sixty furlongs away from Jerusalem, which name was Emmaus. And they conversed with each other about all these things that happened. And it came to pass, while they conversed and discussed, that Jesus himself also having approached, went along with them. But their eyes were held, not to recognize him. And he said to them, What are these words that ye toss back to each other, while walking and are looking sad. And one, whose name was Cleopas, having answered, said to him, Thou only visit Jerusalem and do not know the things that happened in it during these days? And he said to them, What? And they said to him, The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who became a prophet, a mighty man in work and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up for condemnation of death, and crucified him. But we hoped that he is the man who is going to redeem Israel. But even with all these things, it brings this third day today from which time these things happened. But also some of our women astonished us, having come to be at the sepulcher early morning. And not having found his body, they came, saying also to have seen a vision of heavenly agents who say he is alive. And some of those with us went to the sepulcher, and found it this way, just as also the women said, but they did not see him. And he said to them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets spoke. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? And having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things about himself. And they came near to the village where they were going, and he pretended to go further. And they constrained him, saying, Remain with us, because it is toward evening, and the day has declined. And he went in to remain with them. And it came to pass during his dining with them, that, having taken the bread, he blessed, and having broken in pieces he gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he became invisible from them. And they said to each other, Was not our heart burning within us while he spoke to us on the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? And having risen up the same hour, they returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them who said, The Lord really was raised, and was seen by Simon. And they reported the things on the road, and how he was made known to them during the breaking of the bread. And as they spoke these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and says to them, Peace to you. But having seen startled, and having become frightened, they presumed to see a spirit. And he said to them, Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as ye see me having. And having said this, he displayed to them his hands and feet. And while they still disbelieved from joy and wondering, he said to them, Have ye anything to eat here? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and from a bees honeycomb. And having taken it, he ate before them. And he said to them, These are the words that I spoke to you while still being with you, that it is necessary for all things that are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms about me to be fulfulled. Then he opened their mind to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day,
And it came to pass while they were bewildered about this, that behold, two men stood near them in shining apparel. And since they became frightened and bowing down their face to the ground, they said to them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but was raised. Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day to rise. And they remembered his sayings. And having returned from the sepulcher, they reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the others. Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. And their sayings appeared before them as idle talk, and they disbelieved them. But having risen, Peter ran to the sepulcher. And having stooped down, he sees the linen cloths laying alone. And he departed, wondering to himself at that which happened. And behold, two of them were going the same day to a village that was sixty furlongs away from Jerusalem, which name was Emmaus. And they conversed with each other about all these things that happened. And it came to pass, while they conversed and discussed, that Jesus himself also having approached, went along with them. But their eyes were held, not to recognize him. And he said to them, What are these words that ye toss back to each other, while walking and are looking sad. And one, whose name was Cleopas, having answered, said to him, Thou only visit Jerusalem and do not know the things that happened in it during these days? And he said to them, What? And they said to him, The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who became a prophet, a mighty man in work and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up for condemnation of death, and crucified him. But we hoped that he is the man who is going to redeem Israel. But even with all these things, it brings this third day today from which time these things happened. But also some of our women astonished us, having come to be at the sepulcher early morning. And not having found his body, they came, saying also to have seen a vision of heavenly agents who say he is alive. And some of those with us went to the sepulcher, and found it this way, just as also the women said, but they did not see him. And he said to them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets spoke. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? And having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things about himself. And they came near to the village where they were going, and he pretended to go further. And they constrained him, saying, Remain with us, because it is toward evening, and the day has declined. And he went in to remain with them. And it came to pass during his dining with them, that, having taken the bread, he blessed, and having broken in pieces he gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he became invisible from them. And they said to each other, Was not our heart burning within us while he spoke to us on the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? And having risen up the same hour, they returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them who said, The Lord really was raised, and was seen by Simon. And they reported the things on the road, and how he was made known to them during the breaking of the bread. And as they spoke these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and says to them, Peace to you. But having seen startled, and having become frightened, they presumed to see a spirit. And he said to them, Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as ye see me having. And having said this, he displayed to them his hands and feet. And while they still disbelieved from joy and wondering, he said to them, Have ye anything to eat here? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and from a bees honeycomb. And having taken it, he ate before them. And he said to them, These are the words that I spoke to you while still being with you, that it is necessary for all things that are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms about me to be fulfulled. Then he opened their mind to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day,
God » Wisdom of » Select readings
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me. read more.
It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens. Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears. God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven, to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out. And to man he said, Behold, the fear of LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens. Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears. God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven, to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out. And to man he said, Behold, the fear of LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding. For the gain of it is better than the gain of silver, and the profit of it than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and none of the things thou can desire are to be compared to her. read more.
Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her. And happy is everyone who retains her. LORD by wisdom founded the earth. By understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then thou shall walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou lay down, thou shall not be afraid. Yea, thou shall lay down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her. And happy is everyone who retains her. LORD by wisdom founded the earth. By understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then thou shall walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou lay down, thou shall not be afraid. Yea, thou shall lay down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine. Forsake ye not my law. For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. read more.
And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee. Wisdom [is] the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her. She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness. When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.
And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee. Wisdom [is] the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her. She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness. When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.
spiritual Growth » Encouraged » Select readings
About whom, much subject matter from us is also difficult to explain, since ye have become sluggish in hearing. For also men who ought to be teachers because of the time, ye have need again for some man to teach you the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God, and have become men who have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every man partaking of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is childlike. read more.
But solid food is for mature men, those having their sensibilities trained through practice for the discernment of both good and evil.
But solid food is for mature men, those having their sensibilities trained through practice for the discernment of both good and evil.
Therefore having left the word of the primacy of Christ, let us be brought forward to perfection, not again laying a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of doctrine of washings, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if of course God will permit. read more.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and who tasted of the heavenly gift, and who became partakers of Holy Spirit, and who tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, and who fell away, to restore again to repentance, crucifying to themselves the Son of God, and disgracing him publicly. For the soil that has drunk the rain often coming upon it, and bringing forth vegetation useful for those by whom also it is cultivated, partakes of a blessing from God. But producing thorns and thistles it is unfit and near a curse, the end of which is for burning. But we are persuaded better things about you, beloved, and things that have salvation, even though we speak this way. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labor of love that ye showed toward his name, having served the sanctified, and who are serving. And we earnestly desire each of you to show the same diligence toward the full assurance of the hope until the end, so that ye may not become lazy, but imitators of those who, through faith and longsuffering, inherit the promises. For God who promised to Abraham, since he had none greater to swear by, swore by himself, saying, Surely indeed, blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And this way, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men certainly swear by the greater, and of every dispute with them the oath is final for confirmation.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and who tasted of the heavenly gift, and who became partakers of Holy Spirit, and who tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, and who fell away, to restore again to repentance, crucifying to themselves the Son of God, and disgracing him publicly. For the soil that has drunk the rain often coming upon it, and bringing forth vegetation useful for those by whom also it is cultivated, partakes of a blessing from God. But producing thorns and thistles it is unfit and near a curse, the end of which is for burning. But we are persuaded better things about you, beloved, and things that have salvation, even though we speak this way. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labor of love that ye showed toward his name, having served the sanctified, and who are serving. And we earnestly desire each of you to show the same diligence toward the full assurance of the hope until the end, so that ye may not become lazy, but imitators of those who, through faith and longsuffering, inherit the promises. For God who promised to Abraham, since he had none greater to swear by, swore by himself, saying, Surely indeed, blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And this way, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men certainly swear by the greater, and of every dispute with them the oath is final for confirmation.
Heavenly » Home heavenly home the final dwelling place of the saints » Select readings
And I say to you, make friends for yourselves from the mammon of unrighteousness, so that, when ye cease, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
Verse Concepts
Importunity » Select readings
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men? Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? read more.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. read more.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Then David the king went in, and sat before LORD. And he said, Who am I, O lord LORD, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far? And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD! And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD. read more.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
And Solomon stood before the altar of LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their heart, who have kept with thy servant David my father that which thou did promise him. Yea, thou spoke with thy mouth, and have fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. read more.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, that when he ceased, a certain man of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. May thy kingdom come, may thy will happen on the earth as also in heaven. Give us our bread sufficient for each day. read more.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And he also spoke a parable to them about it being necessary to always pray, and not to give up, saying, In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God, and did not regard man. And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my opponent. read more.
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
Prayer » Select readings
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men? Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? read more.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. read more.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Then David the king went in, and sat before LORD. And he said, Who am I, O lord LORD, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far? And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD! And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD. read more.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
And Solomon stood before the altar of LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their heart, who have kept with thy servant David my father that which thou did promise him. Yea, thou spoke with thy mouth, and have fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. read more.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, that when he ceased, a certain man of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. May thy kingdom come, may thy will happen on the earth as also in heaven. Give us our bread sufficient for each day. read more.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And he also spoke a parable to them about it being necessary to always pray, and not to give up, saying, In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God, and did not regard man. And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my opponent. read more.
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
Select readings » The raising of lazarus
Now a certain Lazarus, from Bethany of the village of Mary and her sister Martha, was sick. And Mary was the woman who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou love is sick.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs away from it, and many of the Jews had come to the women, about Martha and Mary, so that they might console them about their brother. Therefore Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, met him, but Mary was sitting in the house. read more.
Martha therefore said to Jesus, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. But I know even now that as many things as thou may ask of God, God will give to thee. Jesus says to her, Thy brother will rise. Martha says to him, I know that he will rise in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he died, he will live. And every man who lives and believes in me will, no, not die, into the age. Do thou believe this? She says to him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that thou are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world. And when she said these things, she departed and called Mary her sister privately, saying, The teacher is here and calls thee. When that woman heard, she rises quickly, and comes to him. (Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.) The Jews therefore being with her in the house and consoling her, having seen Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying that she was going to the sepulcher that she may weep there. Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was, after seeing him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who gathered with her, weeping, he groaned in the spirit, and was himself troubled. And he said, Where have ye laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him. But some of them said, This man who opened the eyes of the blind man, was he not also able to cause that this man also would not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself comes to the sepulcher. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus says, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of the man who came to end, says to him, Lord, he smells now, for is the fourth day. Jesus says to her, Did I not to say thee, that if thou believed, thou will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone where the man who died was laying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heard me. And I had known that thou always hear me, but because of the multitude that stands by I spoke, so that they may believe that thou sent me. And having said these things, he cried out with a great voice, Lazarus, come out. And the man who died came forth, wrapped hands and feet with grave-clothes, and his face had been wrapped around with a face cloth. Jesus says to them, Loose him, and allow him to go. Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and who saw what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus did.
Martha therefore said to Jesus, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. But I know even now that as many things as thou may ask of God, God will give to thee. Jesus says to her, Thy brother will rise. Martha says to him, I know that he will rise in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he died, he will live. And every man who lives and believes in me will, no, not die, into the age. Do thou believe this? She says to him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that thou are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world. And when she said these things, she departed and called Mary her sister privately, saying, The teacher is here and calls thee. When that woman heard, she rises quickly, and comes to him. (Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.) The Jews therefore being with her in the house and consoling her, having seen Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying that she was going to the sepulcher that she may weep there. Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was, after seeing him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if thou were here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who gathered with her, weeping, he groaned in the spirit, and was himself troubled. And he said, Where have ye laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him. But some of them said, This man who opened the eyes of the blind man, was he not also able to cause that this man also would not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself comes to the sepulcher. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus says, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of the man who came to end, says to him, Lord, he smells now, for is the fourth day. Jesus says to her, Did I not to say thee, that if thou believed, thou will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone where the man who died was laying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heard me. And I had known that thou always hear me, but because of the multitude that stands by I spoke, so that they may believe that thou sent me. And having said these things, he cried out with a great voice, Lazarus, come out. And the man who died came forth, wrapped hands and feet with grave-clothes, and his face had been wrapped around with a face cloth. Jesus says to them, Loose him, and allow him to go. Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and who saw what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus did.
Select readings » David's lament over absalom
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me now run, and bear the king news, how that LORD has avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said to him, Thou shall not be the bearer of news this day, but thou shall bear news another day. But this day thou shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead. Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou have seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran. read more.
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why will thou run, my son, seeing that thou will have no reward for the news? But come what may, [he said], I will run. And he said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite. Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the porter, and said, Behold, [another] man running alone. And the king said, He also brings news. And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news. And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be LORD thy God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the ki And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, the Cushite came. And the Cushite said, News for my lord the king, for LORD has avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee. And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why will thou run, my son, seeing that thou will have no reward for the news? But come what may, [he said], I will run. And he said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite. Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the porter, and said, Behold, [another] man running alone. And the king said, He also brings news. And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news. And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be LORD thy God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the ki And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, the Cushite came. And the Cushite said, News for my lord the king, for LORD has avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee. And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Select readings » The betrayal of jesus by judas iscariot
While he yet spoke, behold, a multitude, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them. And he came near to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, Judas, thou betray the Son of man with a kiss? And when those who were around him saw what would be, they said, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? read more.
And a certain one of them struck the bondman of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. But having answered, Jesus said, Allow ye as far as this. And having touched his ear, he healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders, who came to him, Have ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, ye did not stretch forth hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. And having seized him, they led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed from afar. And having kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and having sat down together, Peter sat in the midst of them. But a certain servant girl having seen him sitting near the light, and having looked intently upon him, she said, This man was also with him. But he denied him, saying, Woman, I do not know him. And after a little while, another man having see him, said, Thou also are from them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about one hour having passed, some other man insisted, saying, In truth this man was also with him, for he is also a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I do not know what thou are saying. And immediately, while he still spoke, a cock sounded. And having turned, the Lord looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said to him, Before a cock sounds thou will deny me thrice. And having gone outside, Peter wept bitterly.
And a certain one of them struck the bondman of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. But having answered, Jesus said, Allow ye as far as this. And having touched his ear, he healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders, who came to him, Have ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, ye did not stretch forth hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. And having seized him, they led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed from afar. And having kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and having sat down together, Peter sat in the midst of them. But a certain servant girl having seen him sitting near the light, and having looked intently upon him, she said, This man was also with him. But he denied him, saying, Woman, I do not know him. And after a little while, another man having see him, said, Thou also are from them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about one hour having passed, some other man insisted, saying, In truth this man was also with him, for he is also a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I do not know what thou are saying. And immediately, while he still spoke, a cock sounded. And having turned, the Lord looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said to him, Before a cock sounds thou will deny me thrice. And having gone outside, Peter wept bitterly.
Select readings » The parable of the good samaritan
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up testing him, and saying, Teacher, having done what, would I inherit eternal life? And he said to him, What is written in the law? How read thou? And having answered, he said, Thou shall love Lord thy God from thy whole heart, and from thy whole soul, and from thy whole strength, and from thy whole mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. read more.
And he said to him, Thou answered correctly. Do this and thou will live. But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And having replied, Jesus said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. And he encountered bandits, who also, having stripped him and having beat him, departed having left him being half dead. And by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise also a Levite who happened upon the place, having come, and having looked, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to him, and when he saw him, felt compassion. And having come, he wrapped up his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. And having set him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when departing, after taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him, and whatever thou might spend more, I will repay thee at my return. Which therefore, of these three, appears to thee to have become neighbor to the man who fell among the bandits? And he said, He who did mercy with him. Therefore Jesus said to him, Go, and do thou likewise.
And he said to him, Thou answered correctly. Do this and thou will live. But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And having replied, Jesus said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. And he encountered bandits, who also, having stripped him and having beat him, departed having left him being half dead. And by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise also a Levite who happened upon the place, having come, and having looked, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to him, and when he saw him, felt compassion. And having come, he wrapped up his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. And having set him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when departing, after taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him, and whatever thou might spend more, I will repay thee at my return. Which therefore, of these three, appears to thee to have become neighbor to the man who fell among the bandits? And he said, He who did mercy with him. Therefore Jesus said to him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Select readings » Elijah's miraculous preservation
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of LORD came to him, saying, Get thee from here, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. read more.
And it shall be, that thou shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according to the word of LORD, for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. And the word of LORD came to him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand. And she said, As LORD thy God lives, I do not have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse. And, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it, And Elijah said to her, Fear not, go and do as thou have said. But make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus says LORD, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that LORD sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she, and he, and her house, ate [many] days. The jar of meal was not used up, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke by Elijah.
And it shall be, that thou shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according to the word of LORD, for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. And the word of LORD came to him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand. And she said, As LORD thy God lives, I do not have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse. And, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it, And Elijah said to her, Fear not, go and do as thou have said. But make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus says LORD, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that LORD sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she, and he, and her house, ate [many] days. The jar of meal was not used up, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke by Elijah.
Select readings » The parable of the prodigal son
And he said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided to them his living. And not many days after, the younger son, having gathered all together, journeyed into a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth living recklessly. read more.
And when he spent all, a mighty famine developed in that country, and he began to be in want. And having gone, he was joined to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he longed to fill his belly from the husks that the swine ate, and no man gave to him. But when he came to himself, he said, How many hired men of my father's have abundance of loaves, but I am perishing with hunger. After rising, I will go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired men. And having risen, he went to his father. But while he was still distant, afar off, his father saw him and felt compassion. And having ran, he fell on his neck, and kissed him much. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his bondmen, Bring forth the best robe and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and shoes for his feet. And having brought the fatted calf, kill it, and having eaten, we will be cheerful, because this my son was dead, and became alive again. And he was lost, and is found. And they began to be cheerful. But his elder son was in a field. And while coming, having approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And having summoned one of the boys, and inquired what these things might be. And he said to him, Thy brother arrived, and thy father has killed the fatted calf, because he received him back healthy. But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore, his father having come out, he called him. But having answered, he said to his father, Lo, so many years do I serve thee, and I never passed by a commandment of thine, and yet thou never gave me a goat that I might be merry with my friends. But when this thy son came, who has devoured thy living with harlots, thou killed for him the fatted calf. And he said to him, Child, thou are always with me, and all my things are yours. But it was needful to make merry and be glad, because this thy brother was dead, and became alive again, and was lost, and was found.
And when he spent all, a mighty famine developed in that country, and he began to be in want. And having gone, he was joined to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he longed to fill his belly from the husks that the swine ate, and no man gave to him. But when he came to himself, he said, How many hired men of my father's have abundance of loaves, but I am perishing with hunger. After rising, I will go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired men. And having risen, he went to his father. But while he was still distant, afar off, his father saw him and felt compassion. And having ran, he fell on his neck, and kissed him much. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his bondmen, Bring forth the best robe and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and shoes for his feet. And having brought the fatted calf, kill it, and having eaten, we will be cheerful, because this my son was dead, and became alive again. And he was lost, and is found. And they began to be cheerful. But his elder son was in a field. And while coming, having approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And having summoned one of the boys, and inquired what these things might be. And he said to him, Thy brother arrived, and thy father has killed the fatted calf, because he received him back healthy. But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore, his father having come out, he called him. But having answered, he said to his father, Lo, so many years do I serve thee, and I never passed by a commandment of thine, and yet thou never gave me a goat that I might be merry with my friends. But when this thy son came, who has devoured thy living with harlots, thou killed for him the fatted calf. And he said to him, Child, thou are always with me, and all my things are yours. But it was needful to make merry and be glad, because this thy brother was dead, and became alive again, and was lost, and was found.
Select readings » The brevity of life
Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down. He too flees as a shadow, and does not continue. And do thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bring me into judgment with thee? read more.
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with thee, and thou have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass, look away from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch of it will not cease. Though the root of it grows old in the earth, and the trunk of it dies in the ground, yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant. But man dies, and is laid low. Yea, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with thee, and thou have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass, look away from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch of it will not cease. Though the root of it grows old in the earth, and the trunk of it dies in the ground, yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant. But man dies, and is laid low. Yea, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
Select readings » Paul on mars' hill
And having stood in the middle of the Areopagus, Paul said, Athenian men, I perceive you as deity-fearing in all things. For, passing through and examining your religious objects, I also found an altar on which had been engraved, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye worship unknowingly, him I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands, read more.
nor is he served by the hands of men, as needing anything, since he himself gives to all life, and breath, with all things. And he made from one blood every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, having determined prescribed times, and the limits of their occupancy, to search for the Lord, if indeed perhaps they might grope for him and find him, although being not far from each one of us. For in him we live, and move, and exist, as also some of the performers from you have said, For of him we are also offspring. Being therefore offspring of God, we ought not think the Divine to be like gold, or silver, or stone handiwork of the skill and thought of man. Indeed therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands for all men everywhere to repent. Because he appointed a day during which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he appointed, having provided assurance to all men because he raised him from the dead.
nor is he served by the hands of men, as needing anything, since he himself gives to all life, and breath, with all things. And he made from one blood every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, having determined prescribed times, and the limits of their occupancy, to search for the Lord, if indeed perhaps they might grope for him and find him, although being not far from each one of us. For in him we live, and move, and exist, as also some of the performers from you have said, For of him we are also offspring. Being therefore offspring of God, we ought not think the Divine to be like gold, or silver, or stone handiwork of the skill and thought of man. Indeed therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands for all men everywhere to repent. Because he appointed a day during which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he appointed, having provided assurance to all men because he raised him from the dead.
Select readings » Judah's defense
Then Judah came near to him, and said, Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant, for thou are even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. And his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him. read more.
And thou said to thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou said to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother be with us. And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons. And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since. And if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not [with us], that he will die. And thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever. Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide a bondman to my lord instead of the lad, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? Lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.
And thou said to thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou said to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother be with us. And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons. And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since. And if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not [with us], that he will die. And thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever. Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide a bondman to my lord instead of the lad, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? Lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.
Select readings » Paul and silas in prison
And it came to pass, as we were going to prayer, for a certain servant girl having a spirit of divination to meet us, who brought her masters much business by soothsaying. This woman having followed Paul and us was crying out, saying, These men are bondmen of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. And she did this on many days. But Paul, after being exasperated, and having turned, he said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out the same hour. read more.
But when her masters saw that the hope of their business was gone, having seized Paul and Silas, they dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers. And after bringing them to the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, disturb our city, and proclaim customs that are not permitted for us to receive nor to do, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them. And the magistrates, having torn off their clothes, commanded to beat them with rods. And having laid many blows upon them, they cast them into prison, having ordered the jailor to guard them securely, who, having received such an order, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now toward midnight Paul and Silas, while praying, were singing praises to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so as for the foundations of the prison to shake. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bonds of all the men were unfastened. And the jailor, who became awake and who saw the prison doors opened, having drawn out a sword was going to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have fled. But Paul cried out in a great voice, saying, Do nothing harmful to thyself, for we are all here. And having asked for lights, he rushed in, and having become trembling, he fell down before Paul and Silas. And after bringing them outside, he said, Sirs, what must I do so that I may be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou will be saved, thou and thy household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all those in his house. And having taken them in that hour of the night, he washed from the stripes, and was immersed, he and all those of him, immediately. And having brought them into his house, he set out a table, and rejoiced, having believed in God with all his house. But when it became day, the magistrates sent out the police, saying, Release those men. And the jailor reported these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent out so that ye may be released. Now therefore after coming out, go in peace. But Paul said to them, Having beaten us publicly, uncondemned men, being Romans, they cast us into prison, and now they thrust us out privately? Certainly not, but after coming, they shall lead us out. And the police reported these sayings to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. And having come they besought them, and when they brought them out, they asked them to go out of the city. And having departed from the prison, they came in to Lydia. And after seeing the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.
But when her masters saw that the hope of their business was gone, having seized Paul and Silas, they dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers. And after bringing them to the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, disturb our city, and proclaim customs that are not permitted for us to receive nor to do, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them. And the magistrates, having torn off their clothes, commanded to beat them with rods. And having laid many blows upon them, they cast them into prison, having ordered the jailor to guard them securely, who, having received such an order, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now toward midnight Paul and Silas, while praying, were singing praises to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so as for the foundations of the prison to shake. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bonds of all the men were unfastened. And the jailor, who became awake and who saw the prison doors opened, having drawn out a sword was going to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have fled. But Paul cried out in a great voice, saying, Do nothing harmful to thyself, for we are all here. And having asked for lights, he rushed in, and having become trembling, he fell down before Paul and Silas. And after bringing them outside, he said, Sirs, what must I do so that I may be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou will be saved, thou and thy household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all those in his house. And having taken them in that hour of the night, he washed from the stripes, and was immersed, he and all those of him, immediately. And having brought them into his house, he set out a table, and rejoiced, having believed in God with all his house. But when it became day, the magistrates sent out the police, saying, Release those men. And the jailor reported these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent out so that ye may be released. Now therefore after coming out, go in peace. But Paul said to them, Having beaten us publicly, uncondemned men, being Romans, they cast us into prison, and now they thrust us out privately? Certainly not, but after coming, they shall lead us out. And the police reported these sayings to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. And having come they besought them, and when they brought them out, they asked them to go out of the city. And having departed from the prison, they came in to Lydia. And after seeing the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.
Select readings » The majesty of God
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. Who is a great god like God? Thou are the God who does wonders. Thou have made known thy strength among the peoples. With thine arm thou have redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. read more.
The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee. They were afraid. The depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water. The skies sent out a sound. Thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lightened the world. The earth trembled and shook. Thy way was in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters. And thy footsteps were not known. Thou led thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee. They were afraid. The depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water. The skies sent out a sound. Thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lightened the world. The earth trembled and shook. Thy way was in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters. And thy footsteps were not known. Thou led thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And [his] brightness was as the light. He had rays from his hand, and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence. And fiery bolts went forth at his feet. read more.
He stood, and measured the earth. He beheld, and drove apart the nations. And the eternal mountains were scattered. The everlasting hills bowed. His goings were [as] of old. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction. The curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Was LORD displeased with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers, or thy wrath against the sea, that thou rode upon thy horses, upon thy chariots of salvation? Thy bow was made quite bare. The oaths to the tribes were a [sure] word. Selah. Thou split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and were afraid. The tempest of waters passed by. The deep uttered its voice, and lifted up its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, at the light of thine arrows as they went, at the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou marched though the land in indignation. Thou threshed the nations in anger.
He stood, and measured the earth. He beheld, and drove apart the nations. And the eternal mountains were scattered. The everlasting hills bowed. His goings were [as] of old. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction. The curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Was LORD displeased with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers, or thy wrath against the sea, that thou rode upon thy horses, upon thy chariots of salvation? Thy bow was made quite bare. The oaths to the tribes were a [sure] word. Selah. Thou split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and were afraid. The tempest of waters passed by. The deep uttered its voice, and lifted up its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, at the light of thine arrows as they went, at the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou marched though the land in indignation. Thou threshed the nations in anger.
Select readings » Song of moses when pharaoh and his army were overthrown
Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to LORD, and spoke, saying, I will sing to LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. LORD is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. LORD is a man of war. LORD is his name. read more.
Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has cast into the sea, and his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power. Thy right hand, O LORD, dashes the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrow those who rise up against thee. Thou send forth thy wrath, it consumes them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall be satisfied upon them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou did blow with thy wind, the sea covered them. They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretched out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy loving kindness have led the people that thou have redeemed. Thou have guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation. The peoples have heard, they tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed, the mighty men of Moab. Trembling takes hold upon them. All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away. Terror and dread falls upon them. By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone, till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over whom thou have purchased. Thou will bring them in, and plant them on the mountain of thine inheritance, the place, O LORD, which thou have made for thee to dwell in, the sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. LORD shall reign forever and ever. For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.
Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has cast into the sea, and his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power. Thy right hand, O LORD, dashes the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrow those who rise up against thee. Thou send forth thy wrath, it consumes them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall be satisfied upon them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou did blow with thy wind, the sea covered them. They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretched out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy loving kindness have led the people that thou have redeemed. Thou have guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation. The peoples have heard, they tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed, the mighty men of Moab. Trembling takes hold upon them. All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away. Terror and dread falls upon them. By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone, till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over whom thou have purchased. Thou will bring them in, and plant them on the mountain of thine inheritance, the place, O LORD, which thou have made for thee to dwell in, the sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. LORD shall reign forever and ever. For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.
Select readings » The deliverance of the israelites from pharaoh
And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled. And the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. read more.
And LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the sons of Israel, for the sons of Israel went out with a high hand. And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal-zephon. And when Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they were very afraid. And the sons of Israel cried out to LORD, and they said to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, have thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we spoke to thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, Fear ye not. Stand still, and see the salvation of LORD, which he will work for you today, for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. LORD will fight for you, and ye shall keep silent. And LORD said to Moses, Why do thou cry to me? Speak to the sons of Israel, that they go forward. And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them, and I will get for me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his army, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am LORD, when I have gotten for me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the agent of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And the cloud and the darkness was there, yet it gave light by night. And the one did not come near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and LORD caused the sea to go [back] by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass in the morning watch, that LORD looked forth upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and troubled the army of the Egyptians. And he took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them with difficulty, so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for LORD fights for them against the Egyptians. And LORD said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled against it, and LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the army of Pharaoh who went in after them into the sea, there remained not so much as one of them. But the sons of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.
And LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the sons of Israel, for the sons of Israel went out with a high hand. And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal-zephon. And when Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they were very afraid. And the sons of Israel cried out to LORD, and they said to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, have thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we spoke to thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, Fear ye not. Stand still, and see the salvation of LORD, which he will work for you today, for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. LORD will fight for you, and ye shall keep silent. And LORD said to Moses, Why do thou cry to me? Speak to the sons of Israel, that they go forward. And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them, and I will get for me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his army, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am LORD, when I have gotten for me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the agent of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And the cloud and the darkness was there, yet it gave light by night. And the one did not come near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and LORD caused the sea to go [back] by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass in the morning watch, that LORD looked forth upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and troubled the army of the Egyptians. And he took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them with difficulty, so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for LORD fights for them against the Egyptians. And LORD said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled against it, and LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the army of Pharaoh who went in after them into the sea, there remained not so much as one of them. But the sons of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.
Select readings » The prophetic blessing of zacharias
And his father Zacharias was filled of Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed is Lord, the God of Israel, because he came to help, and made ransom for his people. And he raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his boy David, read more.
just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, to do mercy with our fathers, and his holy covenant to be remembered, the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to give to us, without fear from the hand of our enemies, having been saved to serve him in piety and righteousness before him all our the days of our life. And thou, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. For thou will go ahead, before the face of Lord, to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins, because of the bowels of mercy of our God, by which the dayspring from on high came to help us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into a way of peace. And the child grew, and became strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate regions until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, to do mercy with our fathers, and his holy covenant to be remembered, the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to give to us, without fear from the hand of our enemies, having been saved to serve him in piety and righteousness before him all our the days of our life. And thou, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. For thou will go ahead, before the face of Lord, to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins, because of the bowels of mercy of our God, by which the dayspring from on high came to help us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into a way of peace. And the child grew, and became strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate regions until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Select readings » Joseph revealing his identity
Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried out, Cause every man to go out from me. And no man stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph, does my father yet live? And his brothers could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. read more.
And Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near, and he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hasten ye, and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says thy son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, delay not. And thou shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shall be near to me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou have. And there will I nourish thee, for there are yet five years of famine, lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou have. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen. And ye shall hasten and bring down my father here. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers, and wept upon them. And after that his brothers talked with him.
And Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near, and he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hasten ye, and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says thy son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, delay not. And thou shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shall be near to me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou have. And there will I nourish thee, for there are yet five years of famine, lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou have. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen. And ye shall hasten and bring down my father here. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers, and wept upon them. And after that his brothers talked with him.
Select readings » Mankind in extremity
I love thee, O LORD, my strength. LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I will call upon LORD, who is worthy to be praised. So I shall be saved from my enemies. read more.
The cords of death encompassed me, and the floods of lawlessness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were round about me. The snares of death came upon me. In my distress I called upon LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken because he was angry. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it. He also bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them, Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but LORD was my stay. He also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.
The cords of death encompassed me, and the floods of lawlessness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were round about me. The snares of death came upon me. In my distress I called upon LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken because he was angry. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it. He also bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them, Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but LORD was my stay. He also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.
Select readings » Mary's magnificat
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the lowliness of his bondmaid. For behold, from henceforth all generations will regard me blessed, read more.
because the Mighty has done great things to me. And his name is holy. And his mercy is for generations of generations to those who fear him. He did a mighty work by his arm. He scattered the proud in the mentality of their heart. He brought down potentates from thrones, and raised up lowly men. He filled those who are hungry with good things, and those who are rich he sent away empty. He helped his boy Israel to be reminded of mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and his seed into the age. And Mary dwelt with her about three months, and returned to her house.
because the Mighty has done great things to me. And his name is holy. And his mercy is for generations of generations to those who fear him. He did a mighty work by his arm. He scattered the proud in the mentality of their heart. He brought down potentates from thrones, and raised up lowly men. He filled those who are hungry with good things, and those who are rich he sent away empty. He helped his boy Israel to be reminded of mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and his seed into the age. And Mary dwelt with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Select readings » God's providence
Look to the birds of the sky, because they sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not more valuable then they? And which man of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? And why are ye anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, nor do they spin, read more.
yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. And if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into an oven, will he not much more you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, What may we eat? or, What may we drink? or, What may we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that ye need all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow, for the morrow will be anxious about things of itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil of it.
yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. And if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into an oven, will he not much more you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, What may we eat? or, What may we drink? or, What may we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that ye need all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow, for the morrow will be anxious about things of itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil of it.
Select readings » Naaman the leper
Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper. And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden, and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said to her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy. read more.
And a man went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter has come to thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee that thou may heal him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But consider, I pray you, and see ho And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have thou torn thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Is So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean. But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he says to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
And a man went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter has come to thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee that thou may heal him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But consider, I pray you, and see ho And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have thou torn thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Is So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean. But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he says to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Select readings » The resurrection of jesus Christ
And on the first day of the week, very early morning, they came to the sepulcher bringing the spices that they prepared, and some women with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And having entered in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. read more.
And it came to pass while they were bewildered about this, that behold, two men stood near them in shining apparel. And since they became frightened and bowing down their face to the ground, they said to them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but was raised. Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day to rise. And they remembered his sayings. And having returned from the sepulcher, they reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the others. Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. And their sayings appeared before them as idle talk, and they disbelieved them. But having risen, Peter ran to the sepulcher. And having stooped down, he sees the linen cloths laying alone. And he departed, wondering to himself at that which happened.
And it came to pass while they were bewildered about this, that behold, two men stood near them in shining apparel. And since they became frightened and bowing down their face to the ground, they said to them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but was raised. Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day to rise. And they remembered his sayings. And having returned from the sepulcher, they reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the others. Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. And their sayings appeared before them as idle talk, and they disbelieved them. But having risen, Peter ran to the sepulcher. And having stooped down, he sees the linen cloths laying alone. And he departed, wondering to himself at that which happened.
Select readings » Wise and foolish builders
Not every man who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of my Father in the heavens. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then I will profess to them, I never acknowledged you. Depart from me, ye who work lawlessness. read more.
Therefore every man, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded upon the rock. And every man who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be compared to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it.
Therefore every man, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded upon the rock. And every man who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be compared to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it.
Select readings » Peter on the day of pentecost
And while fulfilling the day of Pentecost, they were all together at the same place. And suddenly there developed a sound from the sky as of a forceful wind moving, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them dividing tongues, as of fire, and they settled upon each one of them. read more.
And they were all filled of Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to declare. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And the sound of this that happened brought the multitude together. And it was bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and marveled, saying to each other, Behold, are not all these men who speak Galileans? And how do we each hear our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those dwelling in Mesopotamia, and Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, and Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya along Cyrene, and those Roman aliens, including Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. We hear them speaking in our tongues the great things of God. And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, others saying to others, Whatever does this intend to be? But others, mocking said, They are filled of wine. But Peter having stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and spoke out to them, saying, Jewish men, and all who dwell at Jerusalem, be this known to you, and listen to my sayings. For these men are not drunken, as ye suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams. And also on my bondmen and on my bondmaids in those days I will pour out from my Spirit, and they will prophesy. And I will give wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and wonderful day of Lord comes. And it will be, that every man, whoever may call on the name of Lord will be saved. Men, Israelites, hear ye these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man shown by God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, this man, having been designated (by the purpose and foreknowledge of God) a man delivered up, ye, having taken by lawless hands, killed, having crucified, whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David speaks for him: I beheld the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, so that I may not be moved. Because of this my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad. And moreover my flesh will also rest in hope. Because thou will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will thou give thy Holy man to see decay. Thou made known to me the paths of life. Thou will fill me of joy with thy countenance. Men, brothers, being permitted to speak to you with openness about the patriarch David, that he both perished and was buried, and his sepulcher is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, to raise the Christ from the fruit of his loins according to flesh to sit upon his throne. Having foreseen this, he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left behind in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay. This Jesus, God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, exalted by the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out this that ye now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I place thine enemies a footstool of thy feet. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made him, this Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.
And they were all filled of Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to declare. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And the sound of this that happened brought the multitude together. And it was bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and marveled, saying to each other, Behold, are not all these men who speak Galileans? And how do we each hear our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those dwelling in Mesopotamia, and Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, and Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya along Cyrene, and those Roman aliens, including Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. We hear them speaking in our tongues the great things of God. And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, others saying to others, Whatever does this intend to be? But others, mocking said, They are filled of wine. But Peter having stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and spoke out to them, saying, Jewish men, and all who dwell at Jerusalem, be this known to you, and listen to my sayings. For these men are not drunken, as ye suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams. And also on my bondmen and on my bondmaids in those days I will pour out from my Spirit, and they will prophesy. And I will give wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and wonderful day of Lord comes. And it will be, that every man, whoever may call on the name of Lord will be saved. Men, Israelites, hear ye these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man shown by God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, this man, having been designated (by the purpose and foreknowledge of God) a man delivered up, ye, having taken by lawless hands, killed, having crucified, whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David speaks for him: I beheld the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, so that I may not be moved. Because of this my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad. And moreover my flesh will also rest in hope. Because thou will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will thou give thy Holy man to see decay. Thou made known to me the paths of life. Thou will fill me of joy with thy countenance. Men, brothers, being permitted to speak to you with openness about the patriarch David, that he both perished and was buried, and his sepulcher is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, to raise the Christ from the fruit of his loins according to flesh to sit upon his throne. Having foreseen this, he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left behind in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay. This Jesus, God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, exalted by the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out this that ye now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I place thine enemies a footstool of thy feet. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made him, this Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Select readings » Elisha and the widow's oil
Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou know that thy servant feared LORD, and the creditor has come to take my two children to him to be bo And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what have thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything in the house except a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow for thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. read more.
And thou shall go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and thou shall set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons. They brought [the vessels] to her, and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is no more a vessel. And the oil halted. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons from the rest.
And thou shall go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and thou shall set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons. They brought [the vessels] to her, and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is no more a vessel. And the oil halted. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons from the rest.
Select readings » Stephen's defense
And the high priest said, Are these things so? And he said, Men, brothers, and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran. And he said to him, Go forth out of thy land, and from thy kinfolk, and come into a land that I will show thee. read more.
Then after coming out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God resettled him in this land in which ye now dwell. And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep. And he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, although there was no child by him. And God spoke thus: His seed would be alien in a foreign land, and they would enslave and mistreat them four hundred years. And I will judge the nation to whomever they will be in bondage, God said, and after these things they will come forth and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. And Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs, being envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. And God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him governor over Egypt and his entire house. Now a famine came on all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard of grain being in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. And during the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's race became manifest to Pharaoh. And Joseph having sent forth, he summoned Jacob his father. And all his kinfolk, in souls, were seventy-five. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he perished, he and our fathers. And they were carried into Shechem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor of Shechem. But as the time of the promise approached that God swore to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, until another king arose who had not known Joseph. This man, who cunningly victimized our race, mistreated our fathers to make their infants be placed outside in order not to keep alive. During which time Moses was born (and he was well-formed by God) who was reared three months in his father's house. And when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him away, and reared him for a son to herself. And Moses was reared in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. But when a forty year time span was fulfilled by him, it came into his heart to go help his brothers, the sons of Israel. And after seeing a certain man suffering wrong, he defended him, and did vengeance for the man being oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian. And he presumed his brothers understood that, by his hand, God was giving them salvation, but they did not understand. And on the next day he was seen by them as they fought, and he was reconciling them for peace, having said, Men, ye are brothers. Why is it that ye wrong each other? But the man doing wrong to his neighbor thrust him away, having said, Who appointed thee a ruler and a judge over us? Do thou not want to kill me, as thou killed the Egyptian yesterday? And Moses fled at this word, and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons. And forty years having been fulfilled, an agent of Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in a flame of fire of a bush. And when Moses looked, he wondered at the sight. And as he approached to examine, a voice of Lord came to him, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. But Moses, who developed trembling, dared not examine. And the Lord said to him, Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the place on which thou stand is holy ground. Having looked, I saw the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I heard their groaning, and I came down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, having said, Who appointed thee a ruler and a judge? This man God sent, a ruler and a liberator by the hand of the heavenly agent who appeared to him in the bush. This man brought them forth after performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you, from your brothers, like me. This is he who became in the congregation in the wilderness with the heavenly agent who spoke to him on the mount Sinai, and of our fathers who received living oracles to give to us. To whom our fathers did not want to become obedient, but they thrust away, and turned back in their heart to Egypt, after saying to Aaron, Make gods for us who will lead us. For this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered up sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned, and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did ye offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, the images that ye made to worship them. And I will deport you beyond Babylon. The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, just as he arranged (he who spoke to Moses), to make it according to the pattern that he had seen. Which also our fathers, having received in succession, brought in with Joshua into the possession of the nations whom God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David who found favor in the sight of God. And he asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. However the Most High does not dwell in man-made temples, just as the prophet says, The heaven is to me a throne, and the earth a footstool of my feet. What house will ye build for me? says Lord. Or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things? Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers, ye also. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold about the coming of the Righteous man, of whom ye now have become betrayers and murderers, who received the law at directions of heavenly agents, and did not keep it. Now when they heard these things, they were split with a saw in their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth against him. But being full of Holy Spirit, having gazed into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Then after coming out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God resettled him in this land in which ye now dwell. And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep. And he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, although there was no child by him. And God spoke thus: His seed would be alien in a foreign land, and they would enslave and mistreat them four hundred years. And I will judge the nation to whomever they will be in bondage, God said, and after these things they will come forth and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. And Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs, being envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. And God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him governor over Egypt and his entire house. Now a famine came on all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard of grain being in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. And during the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's race became manifest to Pharaoh. And Joseph having sent forth, he summoned Jacob his father. And all his kinfolk, in souls, were seventy-five. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he perished, he and our fathers. And they were carried into Shechem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor of Shechem. But as the time of the promise approached that God swore to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, until another king arose who had not known Joseph. This man, who cunningly victimized our race, mistreated our fathers to make their infants be placed outside in order not to keep alive. During which time Moses was born (and he was well-formed by God) who was reared three months in his father's house. And when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him away, and reared him for a son to herself. And Moses was reared in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. But when a forty year time span was fulfilled by him, it came into his heart to go help his brothers, the sons of Israel. And after seeing a certain man suffering wrong, he defended him, and did vengeance for the man being oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian. And he presumed his brothers understood that, by his hand, God was giving them salvation, but they did not understand. And on the next day he was seen by them as they fought, and he was reconciling them for peace, having said, Men, ye are brothers. Why is it that ye wrong each other? But the man doing wrong to his neighbor thrust him away, having said, Who appointed thee a ruler and a judge over us? Do thou not want to kill me, as thou killed the Egyptian yesterday? And Moses fled at this word, and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons. And forty years having been fulfilled, an agent of Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in a flame of fire of a bush. And when Moses looked, he wondered at the sight. And as he approached to examine, a voice of Lord came to him, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. But Moses, who developed trembling, dared not examine. And the Lord said to him, Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the place on which thou stand is holy ground. Having looked, I saw the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I heard their groaning, and I came down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, having said, Who appointed thee a ruler and a judge? This man God sent, a ruler and a liberator by the hand of the heavenly agent who appeared to him in the bush. This man brought them forth after performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you, from your brothers, like me. This is he who became in the congregation in the wilderness with the heavenly agent who spoke to him on the mount Sinai, and of our fathers who received living oracles to give to us. To whom our fathers did not want to become obedient, but they thrust away, and turned back in their heart to Egypt, after saying to Aaron, Make gods for us who will lead us. For this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered up sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned, and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did ye offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, the images that ye made to worship them. And I will deport you beyond Babylon. The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, just as he arranged (he who spoke to Moses), to make it according to the pattern that he had seen. Which also our fathers, having received in succession, brought in with Joshua into the possession of the nations whom God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David who found favor in the sight of God. And he asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. However the Most High does not dwell in man-made temples, just as the prophet says, The heaven is to me a throne, and the earth a footstool of my feet. What house will ye build for me? says Lord. Or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things? Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers, ye also. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold about the coming of the Righteous man, of whom ye now have become betrayers and murderers, who received the law at directions of heavenly agents, and did not keep it. Now when they heard these things, they were split with a saw in their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth against him. But being full of Holy Spirit, having gazed into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Select readings » The beatitudes
And having seen the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And having opened his mouth, he taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. read more.
Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, because they will obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted because of righteousness, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. Blessed are ye when they revile you, and persecute you, and say every evil word, being deceitful against you because of me. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for so they persecuted the prophets before you. Ye are the salt material of the earth. But if the salt material becomes ineffective, by what will it be salted? It is potent for nothing further, except to be cast outside and to be trodden down by men. Ye are the light of the world. A city setting on a hill cannot be hid, nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, and it shines to all in the house. Thus your light should shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in the heavens.
Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, because they will obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted because of righteousness, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. Blessed are ye when they revile you, and persecute you, and say every evil word, being deceitful against you because of me. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for so they persecuted the prophets before you. Ye are the salt material of the earth. But if the salt material becomes ineffective, by what will it be salted? It is potent for nothing further, except to be cast outside and to be trodden down by men. Ye are the light of the world. A city setting on a hill cannot be hid, nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, and it shines to all in the house. Thus your light should shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in the heavens.
Select readings » Old age
Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them, before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows shall be darkened, read more.
and the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low, yea, they shall be afraid of height, and terrors [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail, because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
and the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low, yea, they shall be afraid of height, and terrors [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail, because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Select readings » The wrath of God
I saw LORD standing beside the altar. And he said, Smite the capitals, that the thresholds may shake, and break them in pieces on the head of all of them, and I will kill the last of them with the sword. There shall not one of them Though they dig into Sheol, from there my hand shall take them, and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. And though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out from there. And though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. read more.
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them. And I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. For the Lord, LORD of hosts, [is] he who touches the land and it melts, and all who dwell therein shall mourn. And it shall rise up wholly like the River, and shall sink again like the River of Egypt. He who builds his chambers in the heavens, and has founded his vault upon the earth, he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth, LORD is his name.
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them. And I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. For the Lord, LORD of hosts, [is] he who touches the land and it melts, and all who dwell therein shall mourn. And it shall rise up wholly like the River, and shall sink again like the River of Egypt. He who builds his chambers in the heavens, and has founded his vault upon the earth, he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth, LORD is his name.
Select readings » Esther's triumph
Select readings » The omnipotence and incomparableness of God
Select readings » The majesty and providence of God
Select readings » Christ's kingdom foreshadowed
Select readings » The animals of the field
Select readings » God's challenge to job
Select readings » Nature's testimony
Select readings » In captivity
Select readings » The omnipresence of God
Select readings » Charity
Select readings » The new heaven and the new earth
Select readings » Paul in front of governor felix
Select readings » Paul in front of agrippa
Select readings » The joy of the righteous
Select readings » The state of the Godly
Select readings » Confidence in God
Select readings » The king of glory
Select readings » God, our refuge
Select readings » The new song
Select readings » The river of life
Select readings » God, Glory of
Select readings » The righteous and the wicked in contrast
Select readings » The triumphant king
Select readings » Lights and shadows
Select readings » Mankind in nature
United prayer » Select readings
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men? Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? read more.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. read more.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Then David the king went in, and sat before LORD. And he said, Who am I, O lord LORD, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far? And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD! And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD. read more.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
And Solomon stood before the altar of LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their heart, who have kept with thy servant David my father that which thou did promise him. Yea, thou spoke with thy mouth, and have fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. read more.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, that when he ceased, a certain man of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. May thy kingdom come, may thy will happen on the earth as also in heaven. Give us our bread sufficient for each day. read more.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And he also spoke a parable to them about it being necessary to always pray, and not to give up, saying, In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God, and did not regard man. And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my opponent. read more.
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
Unwise prayers » Select readings
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men? Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? read more.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. read more.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for thou have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou ask for my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Then David the king went in, and sat before LORD. And he said, Who am I, O lord LORD, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far? And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD! And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD. read more.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Therefore thou are great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have spoken. And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord LORD, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
And Solomon stood before the altar of LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their heart, who have kept with thy servant David my father that which thou did promise him. Yea, thou spoke with thy mouth, and have fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. read more.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, that when he ceased, a certain man of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. May thy kingdom come, may thy will happen on the earth as also in heaven. Give us our bread sufficient for each day. read more.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every man who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said to them, Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him, and that man from inside, having answered, would say, Do not cause toils for me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, after getting up, to give thee? I say to you, though he will not give him, after getting up, because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, having awaken, he will give him as many as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and ye will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For every man who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. And which father of you, if the son will ask a loaf, will give him a stone, or also if a fish, in place of a fish will give him a serpent? Or if he should ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father from heaven will give Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
And he also spoke a parable to them about it being necessary to always pray, and not to give up, saying, In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God, and did not regard man. And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my opponent. read more.
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
And for a time he would not, but after these things he said within himself, Although I fear not God, and regard not man, yet because this widow causes me a beating, I will avenge her, lest by no end of coming she give me a black eye. And the Lord said, Hear ye what the unrighteous judge says. And God, will he, no, not do the vengeance of his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and yet being patient toward them? I say to you, that he will do their vengeance speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he then find faith on the earth?
Wealth » Accumulation of » Select readings
And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth well. And he pondered within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have nowhere I will store my crops? And he said, I will do this. I will dismantle my barns, and I will build greater, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. read more.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou have many goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Thou foolish man, they demand thy soul from thee this night, and the things that thou prepared, whose will they be? So is he who stores up for himself, and is not being rich toward God.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou have many goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Thou foolish man, they demand thy soul from thee this night, and the things that thou prepared, whose will they be? So is he who stores up for himself, and is not being rich toward God.
Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously daily. But there was a certain poor man named Lazarus, who had been placed near his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. But even the dogs that came licked his sores. read more.
And it came to pass for the poor man to die and be carried by the heavenly agents to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died and was buried. And having lifted up his eyes in Hades, being in torments, he sees Abraham from afar and Lazarus by his bosom. And having cried out, he said, Father Abraham, be merciful to me, and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame. But Abraham said, Child, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now here he is comforted and thou are in agony. And besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those here who want to cross over to you are not able, nor may those go across from there to us. And he said, I beg thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham says to him, They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. And he said, No, father Abraham, but if some man would go to them from the dead they will repent. And he said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if some man would rise from the dead.
And it came to pass for the poor man to die and be carried by the heavenly agents to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died and was buried. And having lifted up his eyes in Hades, being in torments, he sees Abraham from afar and Lazarus by his bosom. And having cried out, he said, Father Abraham, be merciful to me, and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame. But Abraham said, Child, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now here he is comforted and thou are in agony. And besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those here who want to cross over to you are not able, nor may those go across from there to us. And he said, I beg thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham says to him, They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. And he said, No, father Abraham, but if some man would go to them from the dead they will repent. And he said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if some man would rise from the dead.
Wisdom » Select readings
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me. read more.
It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens. Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears. God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven, to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out. And to man he said, Behold, the fear of LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens. Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears. God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven, to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out. And to man he said, Behold, the fear of LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding. For the gain of it is better than the gain of silver, and the profit of it than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and none of the things thou can desire are to be compared to her. read more.
Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her. And happy is everyone who retains her. LORD by wisdom founded the earth. By understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then thou shall walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou lay down, thou shall not be afraid. Yea, thou shall lay down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her. And happy is everyone who retains her. LORD by wisdom founded the earth. By understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then thou shall walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou lay down, thou shall not be afraid. Yea, thou shall lay down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine. Forsake ye not my law. For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. read more.
And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee. Wisdom [is] the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her. She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness. When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.
And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee. Wisdom [is] the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her. She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness. When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.