American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For Jehovah giveth wisdom;Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding:
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, {Some ancient authorities omit to whom.}to whom be the glory {Greek: unto the ages.}for ever. Amen.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Jehovah did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples:
Now shalt thou gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
{The two oldest Greek manuscripts, and some other authorities, omit from verse 9 to the end. Some other authorities have a different ending to the Gospel.}Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turneth herself, and saith unto him in Hebrew, Rabboni; which is to say, Teacher.
Jesus saith to her, {Greek: Take not hold on me}Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.
Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, I have seen the Lord; and that he had said these things unto her.
Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:
For {Or, ye behold}behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
that no flesh should glory before God.
Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the {Some ancient authorities read revelations—wherefore, that &c.}revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a {Or, stake}thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
that, according as it is written, {Jeremiah 9:23 f.}He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, {Some ancient authorities omit to whom.}to whom be the glory {Greek: unto the ages.}for ever. Amen.
Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank {Some ancient authorities omit my.}my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;
that in everything ye were enriched in him, in all {Greek: word.}utterance and all knowledge;
even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye be unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no {Greek: schisms.}divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
{Or, Christ is divided! Was Paul crucified for you?}Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?
{Some ancient authorities read I give thanks that.}I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius;
lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name.
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to {Greek: bring good tidings. Compare Matthew 11:5.}preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.
For the word of the cross is to them that {Or, are perishing}perish foolishness; but unto us who {Or, are being saved}are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, {Isaiah 29:14.}I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this {Or, age}world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the {Greek: thing preached.}preaching to save them that believe.
Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:
but we preach {Or, a Messiah}Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;
but unto {Greek: the called themselves.}them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For {Or, ye behold}behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
that no flesh should glory before God.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, {Or, both rightousness and sanctification and redemption}and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
that, according as it is written, {Jeremiah 9:23 f.}He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, {Deuteronomy 21:23.}Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of {That is, Trembling. See verse 3.}Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, {Or, from the hill of Moreh onwards in the valley}by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and {Or, go round about}depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
So he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
And Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place.
So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Arise, get thee down {Or, against}into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.
But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp:
and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp.
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, {Or, A sword for &c.}The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and {Another reading is, fled.}put them to flight.
And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the {Hebrew: lip.}border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, {Or, and also}even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, {Or, and also}even the Jordan.
And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.
saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
In all this Job sinned not, nor {Or, attributed folly to God}charged God foolishly.
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man {Hebrew: before.}with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah had given {Hebrew: salvation.}victory unto 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 {Hebrew: was before.}waited on Naaman's wife.
And she said unto her mistress, Would that my lord were {Hebrew: before.}with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy.
And {Or, he}one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden that is of the land of Israel.
And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand {Or, shekels}pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh {Or, an occasion}a quarrel against me.
And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
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 unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and {Hebrew: be thou clean.}thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
Are not {Another reading is, Amanah. See Song of Solomon 4:8.}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 spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith 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 unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a {Hebrew: blessing.}present of thy servant.
But he said, As Jehovah liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
And Naaman said, If not, yet, I pray thee, let there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth; for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto Jehovah.
In this thing Jehovah pardon thy servant: when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Jehovah pardon thy servant in this thing.
And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him {Or, some distance}a little way.
But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.
And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
And when he came to the {Hebrew: Ophel.}hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
And he said unto him, {Or, My heart went not from me, when &c.}Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done {Greek: though.}in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.The heavens declare the glory of God;And the firmament showeth his handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech,And night unto night showeth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language;Their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth,And their words to the end of the world.In them hath he set a {Hebrew: tent.}tabernacle for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,And rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course.
His going forth is from the end of the heavens,And his circuit unto the ends of it;And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul:The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart:The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever:The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned:In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?Clear thou me from hidden faults.
Keep back thy servant also {Or, from the proud}from presumptuous sins;Let them not have dominion over me:Then shall I be upright,And I shall be clear from great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartBe acceptable in thy sight,O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.
Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy,
to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and {Greek: unto all the ages.}for evermore. Amen.
because it is written, {Leviticus 11:44 f.; 19:2; 20:7.}Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.