Authority and Accountability in the Bible

28Then king David answered, Call to me Bath-sheba. She came into the king`s presence, and stood before the king.

29The king swore, and said, As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

30most assuredly as I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place; most assuredly so will I do this day.

31Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live forever.

32King David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. They came before the king.

33The king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

34and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow you the trumpet, and say, [Long] live king Solomon.

35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne; for he shall be king in my place; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.

36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say so [too].

37As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride on king David`s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet; and all the people said, [Long] live king Solomon.

40All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with the sound of them.

5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

6His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so? and he was also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom.

7He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9Adonijah killed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king`s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king`s servants:

10but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he didn`t call.

9Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

10and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he didn`t keep that which Yahweh commanded.

11Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, Because this is done of you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.

12Notwithstanding in your days I will not do it, for David your father`s sake: but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

13However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant`s sake, and for Jerusalem`s sake which I have chosen.

21When Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,

24Thus says Yahweh, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they listened to the word of Yahweh, and returned and went their way, according to the word of Yahweh.

8But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9He said to them, What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your father did put on us lighter?

10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you tell this people who spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but make you it lighter to us; thus shall you speak to them, My little finger is thicker than my father`s loins.

11Now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.

13The king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him,

14and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15So the king didn`t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

20It happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who brought him back;

21and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says Yahweh, Because you have been disobedient to the mouth of Yahweh, and have not kept the commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you,

22but came back, and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, Eat no bread, and drink no water; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.

1Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2I am going the way of all the earth: be you strong therefore, and show yourself a man;

3and keep the charge of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, [and] his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself.

4That Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

4As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;

5then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, according as I promised to David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.

6But if you shall turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

7then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

8Though this house is so high, yet shall everyone who passes by it be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why has Yahweh done thus to this land, and to this house?

9and they shall answer, Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore has Yahweh brought all this evil on them.

13Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and, behold, Yahweh has set a king over you.

14If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, and both you and also the king who reigns over you be followers of Yahweh your God, [well]:

15but if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then will the hand of Yahweh be against you, as it was against your fathers.

22Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they lay with the women who served at the door of the tent of meeting.

23He said to them, Why do you such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.

24No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: you make Yahweh`s people to disobey.

25If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against Yahweh, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they didn`t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh was minded to kill them.

27There came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, Thus says Yahweh, Did I reveal myself to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to Pharaoh`s house?

28and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

29Why kick you at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever: but now Yahweh says, Be it far from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

13For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse on themselves, and he didn`t restrain them.

10Samuel told all the words of Yahweh to the people who asked of him a king.

11He said, This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots;

12and he will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and [he will set some] to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16He will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

17He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.

18You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day.

9Then [the king] sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. He went up to him: and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He spoke to him, man of God, the king has said, Come down.

10Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. Fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

11Again he sent to him another captain of fifty and his fifty. He answered him, man of God, thus has the king said, Come down quickly.

12Elijah answered them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. The fire of God came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

13Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your sight.

14Behold, fire came down from the sky, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.

15The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, Go down with him: don`t be afraid of him. He arose, and went down with him to the king.

9It happened in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and killed him; but who struck all these?

10Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of Yahweh, which Yahweh spoke concerning the house of Ahab: for Yahweh has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.

11So Jehu struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

4Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of Yahweh, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it comes into any man`s heart to bring into the house of Yahweh,

5let the priests take it to them, every man from his acquaintance; and they shall repair the breaches of the house, wherever any breach shall be found.

6But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

7Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the [other] priests, and said to them, Why don`t you repair the breaches of the house? now therefore take no [more] money from your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.

11But Jehoshaphat said, Isn`t there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him? One of the king of Israel`s servants answered, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.

12Jehoshaphat said, The word of Yahweh is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? get you to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother. The king of Israel said to him, No; for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

14Elisha said, As Yahweh of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you.

21The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I strike them? shall I strike them?

22He answered, You shall not strike them: would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

23He prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

10Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.

11Beloved, don`t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn`t seen God.

12Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

14but I hope to see you soon, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

9I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn`t accept what we say.

13Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times, (for so was the king`s manner toward all who knew law and judgment;

14and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king`s face, and sat first in the kingdom),

15What shall we do to the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?

16Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples who are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.

17For this deed of the queen will come abroad to all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she didn`t come.

18This day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say [the like] to all the king`s princes. So [will there arise] much contempt and wrath.

19If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it not be altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who is better than she.

20When the king`s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.

21The saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:

22for he sent letters into all the king`s provinces, into every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.

1The king Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land, and on the isles of the sea.

2All the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, aren`t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

3For Mordecai the Jew was next to king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brothers, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

10The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews` enemy.

11The king said to Haman, The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.

12Then were the king`s scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king`s satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king`s ring.

10Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai [saying]:

11All the king`s servants, and the people of the king`s provinces, do know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.

12They told to Mordecai Esther`s words.

1Now it happened on the third day, that Esther put on her royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king`s house, over against the king`s house: and the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance of the house.

2It was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter.

3Then said the king to her, What will you, queen Esther? and what is your request? it shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.

7Then the king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged on the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.

8Write you also to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king`s name, and seal it with the king`s ring; for the writing which is written in the king`s name, and sealed with the king`s ring, may no man reverse.

9Then were the king`s scribes called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] of it; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

10He wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king`s ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king`s service, bred of the stud:

11in which the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

12on one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, [namely], on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

13A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14So the posts who rode on swift steeds that were used in the king`s service went out, being hurried and pressed on by the king`s commandment; and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.

8You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you, says the Lord Yahweh.

9I will bring you forth out of the midst of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

11This [city] shall not be your caldron, neither shall you be the flesh in the midst of it; I will judge you in the border of Israel;

12and you shall know that I am Yahweh: for you have not walked in my statutes, neither have you executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.

13My net also will I spread on him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

14I will scatter toward every wind all who are round about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15They shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.

16But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.

22Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive:

23Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

8Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord Yahweh.

9My hand shall be against the prophets who see false visions, and who divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

16It happened at the end of seven days, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

17Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18When I tell the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.

19Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn`t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

20Again, when a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand.

21Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.

5To the others he said in my hearing, Go you through the city after him, and strike: don`t let your eye spare, neither have you pity;

6kill utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but don`t come near any man on whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men that were before the house.

21Make you now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.

3At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?

5But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

7let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.

25You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach you him who doesn`t know them.

26Whoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

24Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them,

30So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

11Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.

12To the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, spoke Joshua, saying,

13Remember the word which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, saying, Yahweh your God gives you rest, and will give you this land.

14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;

15until Yahweh have given your brothers rest, as [he has given] you, and they also have possessed the land which Yahweh your God gives them: then you shall return to the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.

16They answered Joshua, saying, All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

17According as we listened to Moses in all things, so will we listen to you: only Yahweh your God be with you, as he was with Moses.

18Whoever he be who shall rebel against your commandment, and shall not listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of good courage.

1Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses` minister, saying,

2Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

14On that day Yahweh magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

6Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams` horns before the ark of Yahweh.

7They said to the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of Yahweh.

10Yahweh said to Joshua, Get you up; why are you thus fallen on your face?

11Israel has sinned; yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yes, they have even taken of the devoted thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their own stuff.

12Therefore the children of Israel can`t stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except you destroy the devoted thing from among you.

13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of you, Israel; you can not stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted thing from among you.

14In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Yahweh takes shall come near by families; and the family which Yahweh shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Yahweh shall take shall come near man by man.

15It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has; because he has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh, and because he has done folly in Israel.

17Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

18The people, the princes of Gilead, said one to another, What man is he who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

16Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who despoiled them.

17Yet they didn`t listen to their judges; for they played the prostitute after other gods, and bowed themselves down to them: they turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Yahweh; [but] they didn`t do so.

18When Yahweh raised them up judges, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and vexed them.

19But it happened, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them; they didn`t cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way.

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule you over us, both you, and your son, and your son`s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.

23Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Yahweh shall rule over you.

24Gideon said to them, I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25They answered, We will willingly give them. They spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil.

26The weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels` necks.

27Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel played the prostitute after it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

1Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother`s brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother`s father, saying,

2Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

3His mother`s brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

4They gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.

5He went to his father`s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

6All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

22Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.

23God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

24that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

25The men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

16Yahweh said to Moses, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

17I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.

24Moses went out, and told the people the words of Yahweh: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent.

25Yahweh came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders: and it happened that when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.

26But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested on them; and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.

27There ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? would that all Yahweh`s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!

30Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

6He said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Yahweh will make myself known to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream.

7My servant Moses is not so; he is faithful in all my house:

8with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the form of Yahweh shall he see: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2Send you men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man, everyone a prince among them.

3Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Yahweh: all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.

11Yahweh said to Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?

12I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.

1Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [men]:

2and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown;

3and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them: why then lift you up yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?

4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face:

5and he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, In the morning Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near to him.

6This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

7and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Yahweh does choose, he [shall be] holy: you take too much on you, you sons of Levi.

8Moses said to Korah, Hear now, you sons of Levi:

9[seems it but] a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tent of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

10and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? and seek you the priesthood also?

11Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Yahweh: and Aaron, what is he who you murmur against him?

28Moses said, Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of my own mind.

29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Yahweh hasn`t sent me.

30But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.

31It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them;

32and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods.

33So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.

35Fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

7Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

8Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak you to the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their cattle drink.

9Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.

10Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?

11Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.

12Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, Because you didn`t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.