American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them,
that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose.
And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not {Or, rule in According to Septuagint Version, Vulgate and Syriac abide in.}strive with man for ever, {Or, in their going astray they are flesh}for that he also is flesh: {Or, therefore}yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.
The {Or, giants See Numbers 13:33.}Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.
And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
And Jehovah said, I will {Hebrew: blot out.}destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and {Or, blameless}perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; {Hebrew: nests.}rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
A {Or, roof}light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it {Or, from above}upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die.
But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people magnified them;
{Or, and there were the more added to them, believing on the Lord}and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women;
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?
And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah; even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of Jehovah for ever:
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman {Or, by the brook}in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
And be not fashioned according to this {Or, age}world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is {Or, the will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect}the good and {Greek: well-pleasing.}acceptable and perfect will of God.
And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,
wherein ye once walked according to the {Greek: age.}course of this world, according to the prince of the {Greek: power.}powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;
among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the {Greek: thoughts.}mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:—
Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;
that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:
If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
And when the day of Pentecost {Greek: was being fulfill.}was now come, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them tongues {Or, parting among them Or, distributing themselves}parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.
And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galilæans?
And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?
Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judæa and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,
in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.
And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine.
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words.
For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day;
but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:
{Joel 2:28 ff.}And it shall be in the last days, saith God,I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh:And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,And your young men shall see visions,And your old men shall dream dreams:
Yea and on my {Greek: bondmen.}servants and on my {Greek: bondmaidens.}handmaidens in those daysWill I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heaven above,And signs on the earth beneath;Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness,And the moon into blood,Before the day of the Lord come,That great and notable day.
And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by {Greek: powers.}mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know;
him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of {Or, men without the law See Romans 2:12.}lawless men did crucify and slay:
whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
For David saith concerning him, {Psalm 16:8 ff.}I beheld the Lord always before my face;For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;Moreover my flesh also shall {Or, tabernacle}dwell in hope:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades,Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption.
Thou madest known unto me the ways of life;Thou shalt make me full of gladness {Or, in thy presence}with thy countenance.
Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day.
Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins {Or, one should sit}he would set one upon his throne;
he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
This Jesus did God raise up, {Or, of whom}whereof we all are witnesses.
Being therefore {Or, at }by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.
For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, {Psalm 110:1.}The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
Let {Or, every house}all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made himboth Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?
And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.
And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
They then {Or, having received}that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and {Or, in fellowship}fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles {Many ancient authorities add in Jerusalem; and great fear was upon all.}.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.
And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added {Greek: together.}to them day by day those that {Or, were being saved}were saved.
These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee:
even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that {Greek: whatsoever thou hast given him, to them he &c.}to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life.
And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.
I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do.
And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word.
Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee:
for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received them, and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me.
I {Greek: make request.}pray for them: I {Greek: make request.}pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:
and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them.
And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; {Psalm 41:9?}that the scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.
I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I {Greek: make request.}pray not that thou shouldest take them {Greek: out of}from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them {Greek: out of}from {Or, evil}the evil one.
They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.
{Or, Consecrate}Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.
As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world.
And for their sakes I {Or, Consecrate}sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
Neither for these only do I {Greek: make request.}pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.
Father, {Greek: that which thou hast given me, I desire that where I am, they also may be with me, that &c.}I desire that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world knew thee not, but I knew thee; and these knew that thou didst send me;
and I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou lovedst me may be in them, and I in them.
wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same {Or, flood}excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.
Ye {That is, who break your marriage vow to God.}adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.
that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as {Greek: luminaries. Wisd. 13:2; compare Revelation 21:11}lights in the world,
Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said, How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with {Greek: Beliar.}Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?
And what agreement hath a {Or, santuary}temple of God with idols? for we are a {Or, santuary}temple of the living God; even as God said, {Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 29:45; Ezekiel 37:27; Jeremiah 31:1.}I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore {Isaiah 52:11.}Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,saith the Lord,And touch no unclean thing;And I will receive you,
{Hosea 1:10; Isaiah 43:6.}And will be to you a Father,And ye shall be to me sons and daughters,saith the Lord Almighty.
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is {Greek: begotten.}conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
For our {Or, commonwealth}citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged.
Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.
Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged.
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with {Greek: Beliar.}Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?
And what agreement hath a {Or, santuary}temple of God with idols? for we are a {Or, santuary}temple of the living God; even as God said, {Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 29:45; Ezekiel 37:27; Jeremiah 31:1.}I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore {Isaiah 52:11.}Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,saith the Lord,And touch no unclean thing;And I will receive you,
{Hosea 1:10; Isaiah 43:6.}And will be to you a Father,And ye shall be to me sons and daughters,saith the Lord Almighty.
We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.
{Isaiah 41:1 f.}The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, {Or, Wherefore}Because he anointed me to preach {Or, the gospel}good tidings to the poor:He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives,And recovering of sight to the blind,To set at liberty them that are bruised,
Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
and that repentance {Some ancient authorities read unto.}and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the {Or, nations. Beginning from Jerusalem, ye are witnesses}nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you {Greek: all the days.}always, even unto {Or, the consummation of the age.}the end of the world.
and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died;
But he answered and said, It is written, {Deuteronomy 8:3}Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
He saved others; {Or, can he not save himself?}himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
For what the law could not do, {Greek: wherein.}in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of {Greek: flesh of sin.}sinful flesh {Or, and as an offering for sin Leviticus 7:37 & c. Hebrews 10:6 & c. }and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
that the {Or, requirement}ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies {Many ancient authorities read because of.}through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:
for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the {Greek: doings.}deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, {Or, in hope: because the creation & c.}in hope
that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain {Or, with us}together until now.
And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
For {Or, by}in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: {Many ancient authorities read for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?}for who {Some ancient authorities read awaiteth.}hopeth for that which he seeth?
But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with {Or, stedfastness}patience wait for it.
And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;
and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, {Or, that}because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that to them that love God {Some ancient authorities read God worketh all things with them for good.}all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? {Or, Shall God that justifieth?}It is God that justifieth;
who is he that condemneth? {Or, Shall Christ Jesus that died…us?}It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love {Some ancient authorities read of God.}of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Even as it is written, {Psalms 44:22}For thy sake we are killed all the day long;We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other {Or, creation}creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thou hast beset me behind and before,And laid thy hand upon me.
Wherefore also he is able to save {Greek: completely.}to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning {Greek: loaves.}bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.
I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture {1 Kings 19:10}saith of {Or, in…Compare Mark 12:26}Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel:
Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
But what {1 Kings 19:18}saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened:
according as it is written, {Isaiah 29:10; Deuteronomy 29:4.}God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day.
And David saith, {Psalm 69:22 f.}Let their table be made a snare, and a trap,And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them:
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see,And bow thou down their back always.
I say then, Did they stumble that they might fall? God forbid: but by their {Or, trespass Compare chapter 5:15 ff.}fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;
if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.
For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
And if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them {Many ancient authorities read of the root and of the fatness.}of the root of the fatness of the olive tree;
glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee.
Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee.
Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;
and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, {Isaiah 59:20 f.}There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer;He shall turn away {Greek: ungodlinesses.}ungodliness from Jacob:
{Isaiah 27:9}And this is {Greek: the covenant from me.}my covenant unto them,When I shall take away their sins.
As touching the {See chapter 10:15, 16 and marginal note on chapter 1:1}gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.
For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy.
For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
O the depth {Or, of the riches and the wisdom & c.}of the riches {Or, both of wisdom & c.}both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory {Greek: unto the ages.}for ever. Amen.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the {Or, chief soothsayers}judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the {Or, lawyers}sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the {Or, chief soothsayers}judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the {Or, lawyers}sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, {Or, bagpipe}dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up;
and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews.
They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live for ever.
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;
and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar answered and said unto them, Is it of purpose, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, {Or, we are not careful}we have no need to answer thee in this matter.
{Or, behold, our God &c. Or, If our God whom we serve be able to deliver us, he will deliver us from…and out of thy hand, O King}If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then these men were bound in their hosen, their {Or, turbans}tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spake and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the {Aramaic: door.}mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire.
And the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.