The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,
Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us: peradventure Jehovah will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:
Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans that besiege you, without the walls; and I will gather them into the midst of this city.
And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation.
And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
And afterward, saith Jehovah, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, even such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and passeth over to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
For I have set my face upon this city for evil, and not for good, saith Jehovah: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
And touching the house of the king of Judah, hear ye the word of Jehovah:
O house of David, thus saith Jehovah, Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of {Another reading is, their.}your doings.
Behold, I am against thee, O {Hebrew: inhabitress.}inhabitant of the valley, {Or, and rock}and of the rock of the plain, saith Jehovah; you that say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?
And I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith Jehovah; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is round about her.
Querverweise zu Jeremia 21,2 Jer 21,2
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto Jehovah our God for us.
Behold, the mounds, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence; and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon: over against it shall ye encamp by the sea.
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
And I will {Hebrew: make strong.}harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host: and the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah. And they did so.
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 {Or, chariots}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.
And Jehovah {Hebrew: make strong.}hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: for the children 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 nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah.
And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?
Is not this the word that we spake unto 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 unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you to-day: {Or, for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to-day}for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
And it came to pass when Jerusalem was taken, (in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and besieged it;
Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had {Hebrew: devoted.}utterly destroyed it (as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king), and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;
that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Come up unto me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.
And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill-country are gathered together against us.
So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up from Gilgal all the night.
And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and he slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of Jehovah: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken unto me.
So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As Jehovah liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thy house:
But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah, in that which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.
But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that Jehovah hath showed me:
Behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, {Hebrew: The men of thy peace.}Thy familiar friends have {Or, deceived thee}set thee on, and have prevailed over thee: now that thy feet are sunk in the mire, they are turned away back.
And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and {Hebrew: thou shalt burn &c.}thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
then thou shalt say unto them, I {Hebrew: caused to fall.}presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not {Or, reported}perceived.
in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city),
And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, when Ehud was dead.
And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the {Or, nations}Gentiles.
And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
And she {Or, sat}dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatsoever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.
Then they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful witness {Or, against}amongst us, if we do not according to all the word wherewith Jehovah thy God shall send thee to us.
Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of Jehovah our God.
For through the anger of Jehovah did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence.And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.
So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Jehovah thundered with a great {Hebrew: voice.}thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Israel.
And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it {That is, The stone of help.}Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us.
And the children of Israel asked of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.
And his armorbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thy heart: turn thee, behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them.
If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for Jehovah hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us.
And both of them disclosed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armorbearer slew them after him.
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armorbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were {Or, half an acre of land}half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
Therefore they asked of Jehovah further, {Or, Is the man yet come hither?}Is there yet a man to come hither? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the baggage.
So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast {Or, reproached}defied.
This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hand.
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah.
Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
And Asa cried unto Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, {Or, there is no difference with thee to help, whether the mighty or him &c.}there is none {Or, like}besides thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: help us, O Jehovah our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Jehovah, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
So Jehovah smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians {Or, so that none remained alive}so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were {Hebrew: broken.}destroyed before Jehovah, and before his host; and they carried away very much booty.
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the {Perhaps an error for Meunim. See chapter 26:7.}Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi).
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek unto Jehovah; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of Jehovah: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.
And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court;
and he said, O Jehovah, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee.
Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
If evil come upon us, {Or, the sword of judgement}the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, and thou wilt hear and save.
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not;
behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
And all Judah stood before Jehovah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of Jehovah in the midst of the assembly;
and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: Thus saith Jehovah unto you, Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
To-morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed: to-morrow go out against them: for Jehovah is with you.
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah, worshipping Jehovah.
And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto Jehovah, and give praise {Or, in the beauty of holiness}in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks unto Jehovah; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
And when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
And when Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and {According to Vulgate, garments.}dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.
And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of {That is, Blessing.}Beracah; for there they blessed Jehovah: therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah unto this day.
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of Jehovah.
And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.
And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who spake concerning me that I should be king over this people.
And Jehovah sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth from his own bowels {Hebrew: caused him to fall.}slew him there with the sword.
And take with thee ten loaves, and cakes, and a {Or, bottle}cruse of honey, and go to him: he will tell thee what shall become of the child.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil.We have heard with our ears, O God,Our fathers have told us,What work thou didst in their days,In the days of old.
Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand;But them thou didst plant:Thou didst afflict the peoples;But them thou didst spread abroad.
For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword,Neither did their own arm save them;But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance,Because thou wast favorable unto them.
Thou art my King, O God:Command {Or, victories}deliverance for Jacob.
And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we {Or, keep silence}are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire {Hebrew: to-day.}first, I pray thee, for the word of Jehovah.
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we may inquire of him?
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Come, behold the works of Jehovah, {Or, Who hath made desolation &c.}What desolations he hath made in the earth.
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;He burneth the chariots in the fire.
{Or, Let be}Be still, and know that I am God:I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Jehovah of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our {Or, high tower}refuge. [Selah
But the angel of Jehovah said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
For, lo, the kings assembled themselves,They {Or, passed away}passed by together.
They saw it, then were they amazed;They were dismayed, they {Or, were stricken with terror}hasted away.
Trembling took hold of them there,Pain, as of a woman in travail.
{Or, As with the east wind that breatheth}With the east windThou breakest the ships of Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seenIn the city of Jehovah of hosts, in the city of our God:God will establish it for ever. [Selah
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, that we may inquire of Jehovah by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of Jehovah is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay; for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
And Elisha said, As Jehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done,His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
O ye seed of Abraham his servant,Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is Jehovah our God:His judgments are in all the earth.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever,The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which he made with Abraham,And his oath unto Isaac,
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute,To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan,The {Hebrew: cord, or, line.}lot of your inheritance;
When they were but a few men in number,Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
And they went about from nation to nation,From one kingdom to another people.
He suffered no man to do them wrong;Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
Saying, Touch not mine anointed ones,And do my prophets no harm.
And he called for a famine upon the land;He brake the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them;Joseph was sold for a servant:
His feet they hurt with fetters: {Hebrew: His soul entered into the iron.}He was laid in chains of iron,
Until the time that his word came to pass,The word of Jehovah tried him.
The king sent and loosed him;Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.
He made him lord of his house,And ruler of all his substance;
To bind his princes at his pleasure,And teach his elders wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt;And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And he increased his people greatly,And made them stronger than their adversaries.
He turned their heart to hate his people,To deal subtly with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant,And Aaron whom he had chosen.
They set among them {Hebrew: the words of his signs.}his signs,And wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark;And they rebelled not against his words.
He turned their waters into blood,And slew their fish.
Their land swarmed with frogsIn the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came swarms of flies,And lice in all their borders.
He gave them hail for rain,And flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig-trees,And brake the trees of their borders.
He spake, and the locust came,And the grasshopper, and that without number,
And did eat up every herb in their land,And did eat up the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the first-born in their land,The {Hebrew: beginning. See Deuteronomy 21:17.}chief of all their strength.
And he brought them forth with silver and gold;And there was {Or, none that stumbled}not one feeble person among his tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed;For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering,And fire to give light in the night.
They asked, and he brought quails,And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and waters gushed out;They ran in the dry places like a river.
For he remembered his holy word,And Abraham his servant.
And he brought forth his people with joy,And his chosen with singing.
And he gave them the lands of the nations;And they took the labor of the peoples in possession:
That they might keep his statutes,And observe his laws. {Hebrew: Hallelujah.}Praise ye Jehovah.
Go ye, inquire of Jehovah for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of Jehovah that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is {Or, enjoined us}written concerning us.
Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
Oh give thanks unto the God of gods;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
Oh give thanks unto the Lord of lords;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him who alone doeth great wonders;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that by understanding made the heavens;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that spread forth the earth above the waters;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that made great lights;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
The sun to rule by day;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
The moon and stars to rule by night;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that smote Egypt in their first-born;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And brought out Israel from among them;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
But {Hebrew: shook off.}overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that led his people through the wilderness;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
To him that smote great kings;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And slew famous kings;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
Sihon king of the Amorites;For his lovingkindness endureth forever;
And Og king of Bashan;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And gave their land for a heritage;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
Even a heritage unto Israel his servant;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
Who remembered us in our low estate;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
And hath delivered us from our adversaries;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
Who giveth food to all flesh;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven;For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the {Hebrew: Mishneh.}second quarter); and they communed with her.
Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Son of man, these men have {Hebrew: caused to come up.}taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him {Or, according thereto Another reading is, he is come in the multitude &c.}therein according to the multitude of his idols;
that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire {Or, of him concerning me}for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself:
but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.
And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Is it to inquire of me that ye are come? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.