Thematic Bible: The israelites


Thematic Bible



And Moses told these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. And they rose up early in the morning, and got up to the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we are here, and will go up to the place which LORD has promised, for we have sinned.


And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned, and no man put his ornaments on him.


And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against LORD, and against thee. Pray to LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.


Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed of the king of Assyria, nor of all the multitude that is with him. For there is a greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lay down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, nor shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.


And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would that we had died in this wilderness! And why does LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey. Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? read more.
And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of LORD your God. And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because LORD hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven, and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.


When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits. Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.


And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid.


And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men. And they chased them [from] before the gate even to Shebarim, and smote them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.


And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of LORD in the hand of the sons of David, and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not driven out the priests of LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for you after the manner of the peoples of [other] lands? So that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven r But as for us, LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And [we have] priests ministering to LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work. read more.
And they burn to LORD every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense. Also [they set] the showbread in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps of it to burn every evening. For we kee And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O sons of Israel, fight ye not against LORD, the God of your fathers. For ye shall not prosper. But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come around behind them, so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them. And they cried to LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout. And as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. And Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter. So there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. Thus the sons of Israel were brought under at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon LORD, the God of their fathers.


And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them, for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated by them because they put their trust in him.


And the people believed. And when they heard that LORD had visited the sons of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.


Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but stiffened their neck, like the neck of their fathers who did not believed in LORD their God.

because all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of them who despised me see it.

Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again to LORD. And they testified against them, but they would not give ear.

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed. He gave them all into his

But they and our fathers dealt proudly and stiffened their neck, and did not hearken to thy commandments, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou did among them, but stiffened their neck. And in their rebellion they appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou are a God ready to pardon, gracious a

and testified against them, that thou might bring them again to thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and did not hearken to thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), and withdre Yet many years thou bore with them, and testified against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore thou gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity. And I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them, but they did no


And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent. And the anger of LORD was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. And Moses said to LORD, Why have thou dealt ill with thy servant? And why have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou lay the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that thou should say to me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father carries the sucking child, to the land which thou swore to their fathers? read more.
From where should I have flesh to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness. And LORD said to Moses, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them. And bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there. And I will take from the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou not bear it thyself alone. And say thou to the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt. Therefore LORD will give you Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome to you, because ye have rejected LORD who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why did we come forth out of Egypt?


And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly. And the sons of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic, but now our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all except this manna to look upon.


The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.


And LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died.


And the sons of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.


And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul loathes this light bread.


He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud. They kept his testimonies, and the statute that he gave them.

And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies,) then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoever is on LORD's side, [come] to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man read more.
And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves today to LORD, yea, every man against his son, and against his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

And the sons of Israel went and did so, as LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

who said of his father, and of his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brothers, nor knew he his own sons, for they have observed thy word, and keep thy covenant.

And the people served LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of LORD that he had wrought for Israel.

According to all that LORD commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and, behold, they had done it, as LORD had commanded, even so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.

And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle, then according to the commandment of LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of LORD they journeyed. And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning, and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed, or [if] by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.


who are Israelites, of whom is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the divine service, and the promises,


And Moses told these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.


And LORD said to Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

Know therefore, that LORD thy God does not give thee this good land to possess it for thy righteousness, for thou are a stiff-necked people.

Furthermore LORD spoke to me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people.


And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bore a son. And when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch. And she put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's edge. read more.
And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

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.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal craftily with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when war happens, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land. read more.
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. And they were grieved because of the sons of Israel. And the Egyptians made the sons of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, with which they made them serve with rigor. And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the male children alive? And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively, and are delivered before the midwife comes to them. And God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them households. And Pharaoh ordered all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

This man, who cunningly victimized our race, mistreated our fathers to make their infants be placed outside in order not to keep alive.


Therefore I set in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set [there] the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants labored in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail. And the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.


They chose new gods, then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found.


Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make for them swords or spears,


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 he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.


And a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, Thus says LORD, Because the Syrians have said, LORD is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude And they encamped one opposite the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined. And the sons of Israel killed of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.


And the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, Go, strengthen thyself. And mark, and see what thou do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their god is a god of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing: Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place. read more.
And number thee an army, like the army that thou have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. And we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened to their voice, and did


And, behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, Thus says LORD, Have thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day, and thou shall know that I am LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says LORD, By the young men of the rulers of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou. Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered all the people, even all the sons of Israel, being seven thousand. read more.
And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him. And the young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria. And he said, Whether they come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they come out for war, taken them alive. So these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them. And they killed everyone his man. And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.


And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad says, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother. Now the men observed diligently whether anything would come from him. And they quickly caught it, and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him, and he caused him to come up read more.
And [Ben-hadad] said to him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore, and thou shall make streets for thee in Damascus as my father made in Samaria. And I, [said Ahab], will let thee go with this covenant. So And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said by the word of LORD to his fellow, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. Then said he to him, Because thou have not obeyed the voice of LORD, behold, as soon as thou are departed from me, a lion shall kill thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him. Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him. So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes. And as the king passed by, he cried out to the king, and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, Keep this man. If by any means he is missing, And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So shall thy judgment be, thyself have decided it. And he hastened, and took the headband away from his eyes, and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. And he said to him, Thus says LORD, Because thou have let go out of thy hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.


And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle, but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel, and they turned aside to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. read more.
And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am severely wounded. And the battle increased that day. And the king was propped up in his chariot against the Syrians. And he died at evening, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. And there went a cry throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his country.


And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. And the sons of Israel were mustered, and were supported, and went against them. And the sons of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids, but the Syrians filled the country.


And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria? And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou are, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of LORD. read more.
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, for LORD will deliver it into the hand of the k But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of LORD besides, that we may inquire of him? And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the kin Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for him horns of iron, and said, Thus says LORD, With these thou shall push the Syrians until they be consumed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper, for LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one mouth. Let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As LORD lives, what LORD says to me, that I will speak. And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper, and LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And LORD said, These have no master, let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? And [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear thou the word of LORD. I saw LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before LORD, and said, I will entice him. And LORD said to him, With what? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shall entice him, and shall also prevail. Go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and LORD has spoken evil concerning thee. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the Spirit of LORD go from me to speak to thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shall see on that day when thou shall go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son, and say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.


Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou not pass such a place, for the Syrians are coming down there. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of. And he saved himself there, not once nor twice. read more.
And the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled for this thing, and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, No, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that thou speak in thy bedchamber.


And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.


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 they said to them, LORD look upon you, and judge, because ye have made our fragrance to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.


And it came to pass, when the agent of LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to LORD.


And Moses told these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.