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Famous People and Stories

Noah and the Flood: Genesis 6:9 through 9:19

[Click to read scripture]|[Genesis 6:9 through 9:19:] This is the history of Noah. Noah was a righteous man. He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries. Noah walked with the true God. In time Noah became father to three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. But the earth had become ruined in the sight of the true God, and the earth was filled with violence. Yes, God looked upon the earth, and it was ruined; all flesh had ruined its way on the earth. After that God said to Noah: “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, because the earth is full of violence on account of them, so I am bringing them to ruin together with the earth. Make for yourself an ark from resinous wood. You will make compartments in the ark and cover it with tar inside and outside. This is how you will make it: The ark should be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. You will make a window for light for the ark, one cubit from the top. You should put the entrance of the ark in its side and make it with a lower deck, a second deck, and a third deck. “As for me, I am going to bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy from under the heavens all flesh that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. And I am establishing my covenant with you, and you must go into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And bring into the ark two of every sort of living creature in order to preserve them alive with you, a male and a female; of the flying creatures according to their kinds, the domestic animals according to their kinds, and all creeping animals of the ground according to their kinds, two of each will go in there to you to preserve them alive. For your part, you are to collect and take with you every kind of food to eat, to serve as food for you and for the animals.” And Noah did according to all that God had commanded him. He did just so. After that Jehovah said to Noah: “Go into the ark, you and all your household, because you are the one I have found to be righteous before me among this generation. You must take with you every kind of clean animal by sevens, the male and its mate; and of every animal that is not clean just two, the male and its mate; also of the flying creatures of the sky by sevens, male and female, to preserve their offspring alive over all the earth. For in just seven days, I will make it rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and I will wipe from the surface of the ground every living thing that I have made.” Then Noah did everything that Jehovah had commanded him. Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the earth. So Noah, along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark ahead of the floodwaters. Of every clean animal and of every animal that is not clean and of the flying creatures and of everything that moves on the ground, they went inside the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. And seven days later the floodwaters came upon the earth. In the 600th year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the 17th day of the month, on that day all the springs of the vast watery deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And the rain poured down on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. On that very day, Noah went into the ark along with his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife and the three wives of his sons. They went in with every wild animal according to its kind, and every domestic animal according to its kind, and every creeping animal of the earth according to its kind, and every flying creature according to its kind, every bird, every winged creature. They kept going to Noah inside the ark, two by two, of every sort of flesh that has the breath of life. So they went in, male and female of every sort of flesh, just as God had commanded him. After that Jehovah shut the door behind him. The flooding continued for 40 days on the earth, and the waters kept increasing and began carrying the ark, and it was floating high above the earth. The waters became overwhelming and kept increasing greatly upon the earth, but the ark floated on the surface of the waters. The waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly that all the tall mountains under the whole heavens were covered. The waters rose up to 15 cubits above the mountains. So all living creatures that were moving on the earth perished, the flying creatures, the domestic animals, the wild animals, the swarming creatures, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. So He wiped every living thing from the surface of the earth, including man, animals, creeping animals, and the flying creatures of the sky. They were all wiped off the earth; only Noah and those with him in the ark survived. And the waters continued overwhelming the earth for 150 days. But God gave attention to Noah and to all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark, and God caused a wind to blow over the earth, and the waters began to subside. The springs of the watery deep and the floodgates of the heavens were stopped up, so the rain from the heavens stopped falling. Then the waters began to recede progressively from the earth. By the end of 150 days, the waters had subsided. In the seventh month, on the 17th day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters were steadily decreasing until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared. So at the end of 40 days, Noah opened the window that he had made in the ark and sent out a raven; it continued flying outside and returning, until the waters dried off the earth. Later he sent out a dove to see whether the waters had receded from the surface of the ground. The dove did not find any resting-place to perch, so it returned to him into the ark because the waters were still covering the surface of the whole earth. So he reached his hand out and brought it inside the ark. He waited seven more days, and once again he sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove came to him toward evening, he saw that there was a freshly plucked olive leaf in its bill! So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. He waited still another seven days. Then he sent out the dove, but it did not return to him anymore. Now in the 601st year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters had drained from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was drying. In the second month, on the 27th day of the month, the earth had dried off. God now said to Noah: “Go out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives. Bring out with you all the living creatures of every sort of flesh, of the flying creatures and of the animals and of all the creeping animals of the earth, that they may multiply on the earth and be fruitful and become many on the earth.” So Noah went out, together with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives. Every living creature, every creeping animal and every flying creature, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families. Then Noah built an altar to Jehovah and took some of all the clean animals and of all the clean flying creatures and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And Jehovah began to smell a pleasing aroma. So Jehovah said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground on man’s account, for the inclination of the heart of man is bad from his youth up; and never again will I strike down every living thing as I have done. From now on, the earth will never cease to have seed-sowing and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night.” God went on to bless Noah and his sons and to say to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth. A fear of you and a terror of you will continue upon every living creature of the earth and upon every flying creature of the heavens, upon everything that moves on the ground and upon all the fish of the sea. They are now given into your hand. Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. Just as I gave you the green vegetation, I give them all to you. Only flesh with its life—its blood—you must not eat. Besides that, I will demand an accounting for your lifeblood. I will demand an accounting from every living creature; and from each man I will demand an accounting for the life of his brother. Anyone shedding man’s blood, by man will his own blood be shed, for in God’s image He made man. As for you, be fruitful and become many, and increase abundantly on the earth and multiply.” Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I am now establishing my covenant with you and with your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the animals, and all the living creatures of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark—every living creature of the earth. Yes, I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all flesh be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and never again will a flood bring the earth to ruin.” And God added: “This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. I put my rainbow in the cloud, and it will serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth, then the rainbow will certainly appear in the cloud. And I will certainly remember my covenant that I made between me and you and every living creature of every kind; and never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the rainbow will occur in the cloud, and I will certainly see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind on the earth.” God repeated to Noah: “This is the sign of the covenant that I establish between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham later became the father of Canaan. These three were Noah’s sons, and all the earth’s population came from them and spread abroad. [Click to close]

Moses at the Red Sea: Exodus 13:17 through 14:31

[Click to read scripture]|[Exodus 13:17 through 14:31:] Now when Pharaoh sent the people away, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although it was near. For God said: “The people may change their minds when they are confronted by war and will return to Egypt.” So God made the people go around by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. But it was in battle formation that the Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt. Moses also took Joseph’s bones with him, because Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear: “God will not fail to turn his attention to you, and you must take my bones up out of here with you.” They departed from Succoth and encamped at Etham, at the edge of the wilderness. Now Jehovah was going ahead of them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud would not move away from before the people during the day, nor the pillar of fire at night. Jehovah now said to Moses: “Tell the Israelites that they should turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, within view of Baal-zephon. You are to encamp facing it by the sea. Then Pharaoh will say about the Israelites, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land. The wilderness has closed in on them.’ I will allow Pharaoh’s heart to become obstinate, and he will chase after them, and I will glorify myself by means of Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians will certainly know that I am Jehovah.” So that is what they did. Later it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had run away. Immediately, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart regarding the people, and they said: “Why did we do this and release Israel from serving as slaves for us?” So he made his war chariots ready, and he took his people with him. He took 600 chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on every one of them. Thus Jehovah allowed the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt to become obstinate, and he chased after the Israelites, while the Israelites were going out with confidence. The Egyptians chased after them, and all the chariot horses of Pharaoh and his cavalrymen and his army were catching up with them while they were camping by the sea, by Pihahiroth, facing Baal-zephon. When Pharaoh got closer, the Israelites raised their eyes and saw the Egyptians pursuing them. The Israelites became terrified and began to cry out to Jehovah. They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no burial places in Egypt that you have brought us here to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by leading us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt when we said, ‘Let us alone, so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Then Moses said to the people: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the salvation of Jehovah that he will perform for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will never ever see again. Jehovah himself will fight for you, and you will keep silent.” Jehovah now said to Moses: “Why do you keep crying out to me? Tell the Israelites that they should break camp. As for you, lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites may go through the midst of the sea on dry ground. As for me, I am allowing the hearts of the Egyptians to become obstinate, so that they will go in after them; thus I will glorify myself by means of Pharaoh and all his army, his war chariots, and his cavalrymen. And the Egyptians will certainly know that I am Jehovah when I glorify myself by means of Pharaoh, his war chariots, and his cavalrymen.” Then the angel of the true God who was going ahead of the camp of Israel departed and went to their rear, and the pillar of cloud that was in front of them moved to the rear and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. On the one side, it was a dark cloud. On the other side, it was lighting up the night. So the one camp did not come near the other camp all night long. Moses now stretched out his hand over the sea; and Jehovah drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night long, turning the sea basin into dry ground, and the waters divided. So the Israelites went through the midst of the sea on dry ground, while the waters formed a wall on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his war chariots, and his cavalrymen began going after them into the midst of the sea. During the morning watch, Jehovah looked at the camp of the Egyptians from within the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. He kept taking wheels off their chariots so that they were driving them with difficulty, and the Egyptians were saying: “Let us flee from any contact with Israel, because Jehovah is fighting for them against the Egyptians.” Then Jehovah said to Moses: “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, their war chariots, and their cavalrymen.” Moses at once stretched out his hand over the sea, and as morning approached, the sea returned to its normal condition. As the Egyptians fled from it, Jehovah shook the Egyptians off into the midst of the sea. The returning waters covered the war chariots and the cavalrymen and all of Pharaoh’s army who had gone into the sea after them. Not so much as one among them was allowed to survive. But the Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the seabed, and the waters formed a wall on their right hand and on their left. Thus Jehovah saved Israel on that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel also saw the great power that Jehovah wielded against the Egyptians, and the people began to fear Jehovah and to put faith in Jehovah and in his servant Moses. [Click to close]

Ruth and Naomi: Ruth chapters 1 through 4

[Click to read scripture]|[Ruth chapters 1 through 4:] Now in the days when the judges administered justice, a famine occurred in the land; and a man went from Bethlehem in Judah to reside as a foreigner in the fields of Moab, he along with his wife and his two sons. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they came to the fields of Moab and remained there. After some time Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. The men later married Moabite women; one was named Orpah, and the other was named Ruth. They remained there for about ten years. Then the two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, also died, and the woman was left without her two children and her husband. So she started out with her daughters-in-law to return from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in Moab that Jehovah had turned his attention to his people by giving them food.She left the place where she had been living with both of her daughters-in-law. As they were walking on the road to return to the land of Judah, Naomi said to both of her daughters-in-law: “Go, return, each of you to your mother’s home. May Jehovah show loyal love to you, just as you have shown it to the men who have died and to me. May Jehovah grant that each of you finds security in the home of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept loudly. They kept saying to her: “No, but we will go with you to your people.” But Naomi said: “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Can I still give birth to sons who could become your husbands? Return, my daughters. Go, for I have grown too old to marry. Even if I could hope to find a husband tonight and could also bear sons, would you keep waiting for them until they could grow up? Would you refrain from getting remarried for their sakes? No, my daughters, I feel very bitter for you, because the hand of Jehovah has turned against me.” Again they wept loudly, after which Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and departed. But Ruth stuck with her. So Naomi said: “Look! Your widowed sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Return with your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said: “Do not plead with me to abandon you, to turn back from accompanying you; for where you go I will go, and where you spend the night, I will spend the night. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May Jehovah do so to me and add to it if anything but death should separate me from you.” When Naomi saw that Ruth insisted on going with her, she stopped trying to convince her. And they both continued on their way until they came to Bethlehem. As soon as they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city became stirred up over them, and women were saying: “Is this Naomi?” She would say to the women: “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I was full when I went, but Jehovah made me return empty-handed. Why should you call me Naomi, when it is Jehovah who opposed me and the Almighty who caused me calamity?” This is how Naomi returned from the fields of Moab, along with her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side who was very wealthy; his name was Boaz, and he was of the family of Elimelech. Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi: “Let me go out, please, to the fields and glean among the ears of grain behind whoever looks on me with favor.” So Naomi said to her: “Go, my daughter.” At that she went out and began to glean in the field behind the harvesters. By chance she came upon a plot of land belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters: “Jehovah be with you.” And they replied: “Jehovah bless you.” Boaz then asked the young man in charge of the harvesters: “To whom does this young woman belong?” The young man in charge of the harvesters answered: “The young woman is a Moabitess who returned with Naomi from the fields of Moab. She asked, ‘Please, may I glean and gather among the cut-off ears of grain left behind by the harvesters?’ And she has been on her feet since she came this morning until just now, when she sat in the shelter for a short rest.” Then Boaz said to Ruth: “Listen, my daughter. Do not go away to glean in another field, and do not go anywhere else; stay close by my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that they harvest, and go with them. I have commanded the young men not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the young men have drawn.” At that she fell facedown and bowed down to the ground and said to him: “How have I found favor in your eyes, and why have you taken notice of me, when I am a foreigner?” Boaz answered her: “A full report was made to me of all you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your relatives to go to a people whom you had not known before. May Jehovah reward you for what you have done, and may there be a perfect wage for you from Jehovah the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” To this she said: “Let me find favor in your eyes, my lord, because you have comforted me and spoken reassuringly to your servant, although I am not even one of your servants.” Boaz said to her at mealtime: “Come here, eat some of the bread, and dip your piece in the vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters. He then handed her some roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied, and she had something left over. When she got up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men: “Let her glean even among the cut-off ears of grain, and do not mistreat her. You should also be sure to pull out some ears of grain from the bundles for her and leave them behind for her to glean, and do not say anything to stop her.” So she continued to glean in the field until evening. When she beat out what she had gleaned, it came to about an ephah of barley. Then she took it and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. Ruth also took out and gave to her the food that was left over after she had eaten her fill. Her mother-in-law then said to her: “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law about whom she had worked with, saying: “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.” At that Naomi said to her daughter-in-law: “May he be blessed by Jehovah, who has not failed in his loyal love toward the living and the dead.” Naomi continued: “The man is related to us. He is one of our repurchasers.” Then Ruth the Moabitess said: “He also told me, ‘Stay close by my young people until they have finished my entire harvest.’” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth: “It is better, my daughter, for you to go out with his young women than to be harassed in another field.” So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz and gleaned until the barley harvest and the wheat harvest came to an end. And she kept dwelling with her mother-in-law. Naomi, her mother-in-law, now said to her: “My daughter, should I not look for a home for you, so that it may go well with you? Is not Boaz our relative? He is the one whose young women you were with. Tonight he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor. So wash yourself and rub on some perfumed oil; then dress up and go down to the threshing floor. Do not make your presence known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, take note of the place where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.” At that she replied: “All that you say to me I will do.” So she went down to the threshing floor and did all that her mother-in-law had instructed her to do. Meanwhile, Boaz ate and drank and was feeling good at heart. Then he went to lie down at the end of the grain heap. After that she quietly came and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight the man began to shiver, and he leaned forward and saw a woman lying at his feet. He said: “Who are you?” She replied: “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread out your garment over your servant, for you are a repurchaser.” At that he said: “May Jehovah bless you, my daughter. You have shown your loyal love more in this last instance than in the first instance, by not going after the young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, have no fear. I will do for you everything that you say, for everyone in the city knows that you are an excellent woman. While it is true that I am a repurchaser, there is a repurchaser more closely related than I am. Stay here tonight, and if he will repurchase you in the morning, fine! Let him repurchase you. But if he does not want to repurchase you, I will then repurchase you myself, as surely as Jehovah lives. Lie down here until the morning.” So she lay at his feet until the morning and then got up before it was light enough for anyone to be recognized. He then said: “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.” He also said: “Bring the cloak that you are wearing, and hold it out.” So she held it out, and he put six measures of barley in it and put it on her, after which he went into the city. She went her way to her mother-in-law, who now said: “How did it go for you, my daughter?” She told her everything that the man had done for her. She added: “He gave me these six measures of barley and said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” At that she said: “Sit here, my daughter, until you learn how the matter will turn out, for the man will not rest until he settles the matter today.” Now Boaz went up to the city gate and sat there. And look! the repurchaser whom Boaz had mentioned passed by. At that Boaz said: “Come here and sit down, So-and-so.” And he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten of the city elders and said: “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Boaz now said to the repurchaser: “Naomi, who has returned from the fields of Moab, must sell the plot of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought I should disclose it to you and say, ‘Buy it in front of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will repurchase it, repurchase it. But if you will not repurchase it, tell me so that I will know, for you have the claim to repurchase it, and I am next in line after you.’” He replied: “I am willing to repurchase it.” Then Boaz said: “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead man, in order to restore the name of the dead man to his inheritance.” To this the repurchaser said: “I am unable to repurchase it, for I may ruin my own inheritance. Repurchase it for yourself with my right of repurchase, because I am not able to repurchase it.” Now this was the custom of former times in Israel concerning the right of repurchase and exchange to validate every sort of transaction: A man had to remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this was the manner of confirming an agreement in Israel. So when the repurchaser said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he removed his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people: “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. I am also acquiring Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, as a wife to restore the name of the dead man to his inheritance, so that the name of the dead man will not be cut off from among his brothers and from the city gate of his home. You are witnesses today.” At this all the people who were in the city gate and the elders said: “We are witnesses! May Jehovah grant the wife who is entering your house to be like Rachel and like Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephrathah and make a good name in Bethlehem. May your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring that Jehovah will give you by this young woman.” So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He had relations with her, and Jehovah let her conceive and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi: “Praised be Jehovah, who has not left you without a repurchaser today. May his name be proclaimed in Israel! He has restored your life and will sustain you in your old age, because he has been born to your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons.” Naomi took the child and held him to her bosom, and she cared for him. Then the neighbor women gave him a name. They said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, David’s father. Now this is the family line of Perez: Perez became father to Hezron; Hezron became father to Ram; Ram became father to Amminadab; Amminadab became father to Nahshon; Nahshon became father to Salmon; Salmon became father to Boaz; Boaz became father to Obed; Obed became father to Jesse; and Jesse became father to David. [Click to close]

David and Goliath: 1 Samuel chapter 17

[Click to read scripture]|[1 Samuel chapter 17:] And the Philistines assembled their armies for war. They assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle formation to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied the mountain on one side, and the Israelites occupied the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. Then a champion came out from the camps of the Philistines; his name was Goliath, from Gath, and his height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of copper on his head, and he was wearing a coat of mail of overlapping scales. The weight of the copper coat of mail was 5,000 shekels. He had shin guards of copper on his legs and a javelin of copper slung between his shoulders. The wooden shaft of his spear was like the beam of loom workers, and the iron blade of his spear weighed 600 shekels; and his shield-bearer was marching ahead of him. Then he stood and called out to the battle line of Israel and said to them: “Why have you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will then become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and serve us.” The Philistine then said: “I do taunt the battle line of Israel this day. Give me a man, and let us fight it out!” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they became terrified and greatly afraid. Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons and who in the days of Saul was already an old man. The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the war. The names of his three sons who went to war were Eliab the firstborn, his second son Abinadab, and the third Shammah. David was the youngest, and the three oldest followed Saul. David was going back and forth from Saul to tend the sheep of his father at Bethlehem. Meanwhile, the Philistine would come forward and take his position each morning and each evening for 40 days. Then Jesse said to his son David: “Take, please, this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers in the camp. And take these ten portions of cheese to the chief of the thousand; also, you should check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back some token from them.” They were with Saul and all the other men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. So David got up early in the morning and left someone in charge of the sheep; then he packed up and went just as Jesse had commanded him. When he came to the camp enclosure, the army was going out to the battle line, shouting a battle cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up so that one battle line faced the other battle line. David immediately left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he began asking about the welfare of his brothers. While he was speaking with them, there came the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath. He came out from the battle line of the Philistines, and he spoke the same words as before, and David heard him. When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him, terrified. The men of Israel were saying: “Have you seen this man who is coming out? He comes to taunt Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who strikes him down, he will give him his own daughter, and he will give the house of his father exemption in Israel.” David began to say to the men who were standing near him: “What will be done for the man who strikes down that Philistine over there and takes away reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the battle line of the living God?” Then the people told him the same thing as before: “This is what will be done for the man who strikes him down.” When his oldest brother Eliab heard him speak to the men, he became angry with David and said: “Why have you come down? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I well know your presumptuousness and the bad intentions of your heart; you came down just to see the battle.” To this David said: “What have I done now? I was only asking a question!” So he turned from him toward someone else and asked the same thing as before, and the people gave him the same reply as before. The words that David had spoken were overheard and reported to Saul. So he sent for him. David said to Saul: “Let no one lose heart because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” But Saul said to David: “You are not able to go fight against this Philistine, for you are but a boy, and he has been a soldier from his youth.” David then said to Saul: “Your servant became a shepherd of his father’s flock, and a lion came, also a bear, and each carried off a sheep from the flock. I went out after it and struck it down and rescued it from its mouth. When it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its fur and struck it down and put it to death. Your servant struck down both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will become like one of them, for he has taunted the battle lines of the living God.” Then David added: “Jehovah, who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear, he is the one who will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” At this Saul said to David: “Go, and may Jehovah be with you.” Saul now clothed David with his garments. He put a copper helmet on his head, after which he clothed him with a coat of mail. Then David strapped on his sword over his garments and tried to go but could not, for he was not used to them. David said to Saul: “I am unable to go in these things, for I am not used to them.” So David took them off. He then took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the streambed and placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and his sling was in his hand. And he began approaching the Philistine. The Philistine came closer and closer to David, and his shield-bearer was ahead of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he sneered at him in contempt because he was just a ruddy and handsome boy. So the Philistine said to David: “Am I a dog, so that you are coming against me with sticks?” With that the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David: “Just come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field.” David replied to the Philistine: “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I am coming against you in the name of Jehovah of armies, the God of the battle line of Israel, whom you have taunted. This very day Jehovah will surrender you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and on this day I will give the corpses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth; and people of all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. And all those gathered here will know that it is not with the sword or the spear that Jehovah saves, for the battle belongs to Jehovah, and he will give all of you into our hand.” Then the Philistine rose and drew steadily closer to meet David, but David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David thrust his hand into his bag and took a stone from there and slung it. He struck the Philistine in the forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead and he fell facedown on the ground. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; he struck down the Philistine and put him to death, though there was no sword in David’s hand. David continued running and stood over him. Then he took hold of the Philistine’s sword and pulled it out of its sheath and made sure that he was dead by cutting off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty one had died, they fled. At that the men of Israel and of Judah rose and broke into shouting and pursued the Philistines all the way from the valley to the gates of Ekron, and the slain of the Philistines lay fallen along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. After the Israelites returned from hotly pursuing the Philistines, they pillaged their camps. Then David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent. At the moment that Saul saw David go out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, the chief of the army: “Whose son is this boy, Abner?” Abner replied: “As surely as you live, O king, I do not know!” The king said: “Find out whose son the young man is.” So as soon as David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Saul now said to him: “Whose son are you, boy?” to which David said: “The son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” [Click to close]

Abigail: 1 Samuel 25:2 through 35

[Click to read scripture]|[ 1 Samuel 25:2 through 35:] Now there was a man in Maon whose work was in Carmel. The man was very wealthy; he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was then shearing his sheep at Carmel. The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. The wife was discerning and beautiful, but the husband, a Calebite, was harsh, and he behaved badly. David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. So David sent ten young men to him, and David told the young men: “Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, ask him in my name about his welfare. Then say, ‘May you live long and may you be well and may your household be well and may all that you have be well. Now I hear that you are doing your shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them, and they found nothing missing the whole time they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. May my young men find favor in your eyes, because we have come at a joyous time. Please give to your servants and to your son David whatever you can spare.’” So David’s young men went and told all of this to Nabal in David’s name. When they finished, Nabal answered David’s servants: “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays many servants are breaking away from their masters. Do I have to take my bread and my water and the meat that I butchered for my shearers and give it to men who come from who knows where?” At that David’s young men returned and reported all these words to him. David immediately said to his men: “Everyone strap on your sword!” So they all strapped on their swords, and David also strapped on his own sword, and about 400 men went up with David, while 200 men stayed with the baggage. Meanwhile, one of the servants reported to Abigail, Nabal’s wife: “Look! David sent messengers from the wilderness to wish our master well, but he screamed insults at them. Those men were very good to us. They never harmed us, and we did not miss a single thing the whole time we were together with them in the fields. They were like a protective wall around us, both by night and by day, the whole time we were with them shepherding the flock. Now decide what you are going to do, for disaster has been determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that no one can speak to him.” So Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, two large jars of wine, five dressed sheep, five seah measures of roasted grain, 100 cakes of raisins, and 200 cakes of pressed figs and put all of it on the donkeys. Then she said to her servants: “Go on ahead of me; I will follow you.” But she said nothing to her husband Nabal. While she was riding on the donkey and going down under cover of the mountain, just then David and his men were coming down toward her, and she met them. Now David had been saying: “It was for nothing that I guarded everything that belongs to this fellow in the wilderness. Not a single thing belonging to him went missing, and yet he repays me evil for good. May God do the same and more to the enemies of David if I allow a single male of his to survive until the morning.” When Abigail caught sight of David, she hurried down off the donkey and threw herself facedown before David, bowing to the ground. She then fell at his feet and said: “My lord, let the blame be on me; let your servant girl speak to you, and listen to the words of your servant girl. Please, do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless Nabal, for he is just like his name. Nabal is his name, and senselessness is with him. But I, your servant girl, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent. And now, my lord, as surely as Jehovah is living and as you are living, it is Jehovah who has held you back from incurring bloodguilt and from taking revenge with your own hand. May your enemies and those seeking injury to my lord become like Nabal. Now let this gift that your servant girl has brought to my lord be given to the young men who are following my lord. Pardon, please, the transgression of your servant girl, for Jehovah will without fail make for my lord a lasting house, because my lord is fighting the wars of Jehovah, and no evil has been found in you all your days. When someone rises up to pursue you and seeks your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag of life with Jehovah your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away like stones from a sling. And when Jehovah has done for my lord all the good things he has promised and he appoints you as leader over Israel, you will have no remorse or regret in your heart for shedding blood without cause and for letting the hand of my lord take revenge. When Jehovah confers good upon my lord, remember your servant girl.” At this David said to Abigail: “Praise Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed be your good sense! May you be blessed for restraining me this day from incurring bloodguilt and from taking revenge with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as Jehovah the God of Israel who held me back from harming you is living, if you had not come quickly to meet me, by morning there would not have remained a single male belonging to Nabal.” With that David accepted from her what she had brought him and said to her: “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to you, and I will grant your request.” [Click to close]

Daniel in the lions’ den: Daniel chapter 6

[Click to read scripture]|[Daniel chapter 6:] It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the whole kingdom. Over them were three high officials, one of whom was Daniel; and the satraps would report to them, so that the king would not suffer loss. Now Daniel was distinguishing himself over the other high officials and the satraps, for there was an extraordinary spirit in him, and the king intended to elevate him over the entire kingdom. At that time the high officials and the satraps were seeking to find some grounds for accusation against Daniel respecting matters of state, but they could find no grounds for accusation or anything corrupt, for he was trustworthy and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. These men then said: “We will find in this Daniel no grounds for accusation at all, unless we find it against him in the law of his God.” So these high officials and satraps went in as a group to the king, and they said to him: “O King Darius, may you live on forever. All the royal officials, prefects, satraps, high royal officers, and governors have consulted together to establish a royal decree and to enforce a ban, that for 30 days whoever makes a petition to any god or man except to you, O king, should be thrown into the lions’ pit. Now, O king, may you establish the decree and sign it, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be annulled.” So King Darius signed the decree and the ban. But as soon as Daniel knew that the decree had been signed, he went to his house, which had the windows of his roof chamber open toward Jerusalem. And three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed and offered praise before his God, as he had regularly done prior to this. At that time those men burst in and found Daniel petitioning and pleading for favor before his God. So they approached the king and reminded him about the royal ban: “Did you not sign a ban stating that for 30 days any man who makes a petition to any god or man except to you, O king, should be thrown into the lions’ pit?” The king replied: “The matter is well-established according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be annulled.” They immediately said to the king: “Daniel, who is of the exiles of Judah, has paid no regard to you, O king, nor to the ban that you signed, but three times a day he is praying.” As soon as the king heard this, he was greatly distressed, and he tried to think of a way to rescue Daniel; and until the sun set he made every effort to save him. Finally those men went in as a group to the king, and they said to the king: “Take note, O king, that the law of the Medes and the Persians is that any ban or decree that the king establishes cannot be changed.” So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the pit of lions. The king said to Daniel: “Your God whom you are continually serving will rescue you.” Then a stone was brought and placed over the entrance of the pit, and the king sealed it with his signet ring and with the signet ring of his nobles, so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel. The king then went to his palace. He passed the night fasting and refused any entertainment, and he could not sleep. Finally at the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ pit. As he got near the pit, he called out to Daniel with a sad voice. The king asked Daniel: “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you are continually serving been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel immediately said to the king: “O king, may you live on forever. My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions, and they have not harmed me, for I was found innocent before him; nor have I done any wrong to you, O king.” The king was overjoyed, and he commanded that Daniel be lifted up out of the pit. When Daniel was lifted up out of the pit, he was completely unharmed, because he had trusted in his God. The king then gave an order, and the men who had accused Daniel were brought, and they were thrown into the lions’ pit, along with their sons and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the pit before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups dwelling throughout the earth: “May you have abundant peace! I am issuing an order that in every domain of my kingdom, people are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rulership is eternal. He rescues, saves, and performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for he rescued Daniel from the paw of the lions.” So this Daniel prospered in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian. [Click to close]

Elizabeth and Mary: Luke chapters 1 through 2

[Click to read scripture]|[Luke chapters 1 and 2:] Seeing that many have undertaken to compile an account of the facts that are given full credence among us, just as these were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and attendants of the message, I resolved also, because I have traced all things from the start with accuracy, to write them to you in logical order, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know fully the certainty of the things that you have been taught orally. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They both were righteous before God, walking blamelessly in accord with all the commandments and legal requirements of Jehovah. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well along in years. Now as he was serving as priest in the assignment of his division before God, according to the established practice of the priesthood it became his turn to offer incense when he entered into the sanctuary of Jehovah. And the entire multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of offering incense. Jehovah’s angel appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar. But Zechariah became troubled at the sight, and he was overcome with fear. However, the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your supplication has been favorably heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have joy and great gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth, for he will be great in the sight of Jehovah. But he must drink no wine or any alcoholic drink at all, and he will be filled with holy spirit even from before birth, and he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to Jehovah their God. Also, he will go ahead of him with Elijah’s spirit and power, to turn back the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedient ones to the practical wisdom of righteous ones, in order to get ready for Jehovah a prepared people.” Zechariah said to the angel: “How can I be sure of this? For I am old, and my wife is well along in years.” In reply the angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands near before God, and I was sent to speak with you and to declare this good news to you. But look! you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their appointed time.” Meanwhile, the people continued waiting for Zechariah, and they were surprised that he delayed so long in the sanctuary. When he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they perceived that he had just seen a supernatural sight in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them but remained speechless. When the days of his holy service were completed, he went off to his home. Some days later Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself secluded for five months, saying: “This is how Jehovah has dealt with me in these days. He has turned his attention to me to take away my reproach among men.” In her sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin promised in marriage to a man named Joseph of David’s house, and the name of the virgin was Mary. And coming in, the angel said to her: “Greetings, you highly favored one, Jehovah is with you.” But she was deeply disturbed at his words and tried to understand what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And look! you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom.” But Mary said to the angel: “How is this to be, since I am not having sexual relations with a man?” In answer the angel said to her: “Holy spirit will come upon you, and power of the Most High will overshadow you. And for that reason the one who is born will be called holy, God’s Son. And look! Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son, in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her, the so-called barren woman; for no declaration will be impossible for God.” Then Mary said: “Look! Jehovah’s slave girl! May it happen to me according to your declaration.” At that the angel departed from her. So Mary set out in those days and traveled with haste into the mountainous country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Well, as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant in her womb leaped, and Elizabeth was filled with holy spirit and loudly cried out: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruitage of your womb! So how is it that this privilege is mine, to have the mother of my Lord come to me? For look! as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Happy too is she who believed, for there will be a complete fulfillment of those things spoken to her from Jehovah.” And Mary said: “My soul magnifies Jehovah, and my spirit cannot keep from being overjoyed at God my Savior,because he has looked upon the low position of his slave girl. For look! from now on all generations will declare me happy, because the powerful One has done great deeds for me, and holy is his name, and for generation after generation his mercy is upon those who fear him. He has acted mightily with his arm; he has scattered those who are haughty in the intention of their hearts. He has brought down powerful men from thrones and has exalted lowly ones; he has fully satisfied hungry ones with good things and has sent away empty-handed those who had wealth. He has come to the aid of Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, just as he spoke to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his offspring, forever.” Mary stayed with her about three months and then returned to her own home. The time now came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And the neighbors and her relatives heard that Jehovah had magnified his mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the young child, and they were going to name him after his father, Zechariah. But his mother said in reply: “No! but he will be called John.” At this they said to her: “Not one of your relatives is called by this name.” Then they asked his father by signs what he wanted him to be called. So he asked for a tablet and wrote: “John is his name.” At this they were all amazed. Instantly his mouth was opened and his tongue was set free and he began to speak, praising God. And fear fell upon all those living in their neighborhood, and all these things began to be talked about in the whole mountainous country of Judea. And all who heard noted it in their hearts, saying: “What will this young child turn out to be?” For the hand of Jehovah was indeed with him. Then Zechariah his father was filled with holy spirit, and he prophesied, saying: “Let Jehovah be praised, the God of Israel, because he has turned his attention to his people and has brought them deliverance. And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant, just as he has spoken through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, of a salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those hating us; to show mercy in connection with our forefathers and to call to mind his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to Abraham our forefather, to grant us, after we have been rescued from the hands of enemies, the privilege of fearlessly rendering sacred service to him with loyalty and righteousness before him all our days. But as for you, young child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go ahead of Jehovah to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender compassion of our God. With this compassion a daybreak will visit us from on high, to give light to those sitting in darkness and death’s shadow and to guide our feet in the way of peace.” And the young child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he continued in the desert until the day he showed himself openly to Israel. Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered. (This first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And all the people went to be registered, each one to his own city. Of course, Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because of his being a member of the house and family of David. He went to get registered with Mary, who had been given him in marriage as promised and who was soon to give birth. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her son, the firstborn, and she wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the lodging place. There were also in the same region shepherds living out of doors and keeping watch in the night over their flocks. Suddenly Jehovah’s angel stood before them, and Jehovah’s glory gleamed around them, and they became very fearful. But the angel said to them: “Do not be afraid, for look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have. For today there was born to you in David’s city a savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying: “Glory in the heights above to God, and on earth peace among men of goodwill.” So when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another: “Let us by all means go over to Bethlehem and see what has taken place, which Jehovah has made known to us.” And they went quickly and found Mary as well as Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that they had been told concerning this young child. And all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds told them, but Mary began to preserve all these sayings, drawing conclusions in her heart. Then the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. After eight days, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived. Also, when the time came for purifying them according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to Jehovah, just as it is written in Jehovah’s Law: “Every firstborn male must be called holy to Jehovah.” And they offered a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of Jehovah: “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” And look! there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for Israel’s consolation, and holy spirit was upon him. Furthermore, it had been divinely revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Christ of Jehovah. Under the power of the spirit, he now came into the temple, and as the parents brought the young child Jesus in to do for him according to the customary practice of the Law, he took the child into his arms and praised God and said: “Now, Sovereign Lord, you are letting your slave go in peace according to your declaration, because my eyes have seen your means of salvation that you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for removing the veil from the nations and a glory of your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother continued wondering at the things being spoken about him. Also, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, the child’s mother: “Look! This child is appointed for the falling and the rising again of many in Israel and for a sign to be spoken against (yes, a long sword will be run through you), in order that the reasonings of many hearts may be revealed.” Now there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of Asher’s tribe. This woman was well along in years and had lived with her husband for seven years after they were married, and she was a widow now 84 years old. She was never missing from the temple, rendering sacred service night and day with fasting and supplications. In that very hour she came near and began giving thanks to God and speaking about the child to all who were waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance. So when they had carried out all the things according to the Law of Jehovah, they went back into Galilee to their own city, Nazareth. And the young child continued growing and getting strong, being filled with wisdom, and God’s favor continued upon him. Now his parents were accustomed to go from year to year to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival. When the days of the festival were over and they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and his parents did not notice it. Assuming that he was in the group traveling together, they went a day’s journey and then began to search for him among the relatives and acquaintances. But not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem and made a diligent search for him. Well, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and asking them questions. But all those listening to him were in constant amazement at his understanding and his answers. Now when his parents saw him, they were astounded, and his mother said to him: “Child, why did you treat us this way? Here your father and I have been frantically looking for you.” But he said to them: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in the house of my Father?” However, they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down with them and returned to Nazareth, and he continued subject to them. Also, his mother carefully kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus went on progressing in wisdom and in physical growth and in favor with God and men. [Click to close]

Wisdom for Daily Living

Family life: Ephesians 5:28 and 29

[Click to read scripture]|[Ephesians 5:28 and 29:] In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cherishes it, just as the Christ does the congregation, [Click to close]

Family life: Ephesians 5:33

[Click to read scripture]|[Ephesians 5:33:] Nevertheless, each one of you must love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband. [Click to close]

Family life: Ephesians 6:1 through 4

[Click to read scripture]|[Ephesians 6:1 through 4:] Children, be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is righteous. “Honor your father and your mother” is the first command with a promise: “That it may go well with you and you may remain a long time on the earth.” And fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and admonition of Jehovah. [Click to close]

Friendships: Proverbs 13:20

[Click to read scripture]|[Proverbs 13:20:] The one walking with the wise will become wise, But the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly. [Click to close]

Friendships: Proverbs 17:17

[Click to read scripture]|[Proverbs 17:17:] A true friend shows love at all times And is a brother who is born for times of distress. [Click to close]

Friendships: Proverbs 27:17

[Click to read scripture]|[Proverbs 27:17:] As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens his friend. [Click to close]

Prayer: Psalm 55:22

[Click to read scripture]|[Psalm 55:22:] Throw your burden on Jehovah, And he will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to fall. [Click to close]

Prayer: Psalm 62:8

[Click to read scripture]|[Psalm 62:8:] Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us. [Click to close]

Prayer: 1 John 5:14

[Click to read scripture]|[1 John 5:14:] And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that no matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us. [Click to close]

Sermon on the Mount: Matthew chapters 5 through 7

[Click to read scripture]|[Matthew chapters 5 through 7:] When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he opened his mouth and began teaching them, saying: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. “Happy are those who mourn, since they will be comforted. “Happy are the mild-tempered, since they will inherit the earth. “Happy are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, since they will be filled. “Happy are the merciful, since they will be shown mercy. “Happy are the pure in heart, since they will see God. “Happy are the peacemakers, since they will be called sons of God. “Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. “Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you. “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its strength, how will its saltiness be restored? It is no longer usable for anything except to be thrown outside to be trampled on by men. “You are the light of the world. A city cannot be hid when located on a mountain. People light a lamp and set it, not under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. Likewise, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens. “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill. Truly I say to you that sooner would heaven and earth pass away than for one smallest letter or one stroke of a letter to pass away from the Law until all things take place. Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in relation to the Kingdom of the heavens. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in relation to the Kingdom of the heavens. For I say to you that if your righteousness does not surpass that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the Kingdom of the heavens. “You heard that it was said to those of ancient times: ‘You must not murder, but whoever commits a murder will be accountable to the court of justice.’ However, I say to you that everyone who continues wrathful with his brother will be accountable to the court of justice; and whoever addresses his brother with an unspeakable word of contempt will be accountable to the Supreme Court; whereas whoever says, ‘You despicable fool!’ will be liable to the fiery Gehenna. “If, then, you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away. First make your peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift. “Be quick to settle matters with your legal opponent, while you are with him on the way there, so that somehow the opponent may not turn you over to the judge, and the judge to the court attendant, and you get thrown into prison. I say to you for a fact, you will certainly not come out of there until you have paid over your last small coin. “You heard that it was said: ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If, now, your right eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be pitched into Gehenna. Also, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to land in Gehenna. “Moreover, it was said: ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ However, I say to you that everyone divorcing his wife, except on account of sexual immorality, makes her a subject for adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again you heard that it was said to those of ancient times: ‘You must not swear without performing, but you must pay your vows to Jehovah.’ However, I say to you: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, since you cannot turn one hair white or black. Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one. “You heard that it was said: ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ However, I say to you: Do not resist the one who is wicked, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him. And if a person wants to take you to court and get possession of your inner garment, let him also have your outer garment; and if someone in authority compels you into service for a mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from one who wants to borrow from you. “You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good and makes it rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. “Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. So when you make gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gifts of mercy may be in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. “Also, when you pray, do not act like the hypocrites, for they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. When praying, do not say the same things over and over again as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him. “You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. Give us today our bread for this day; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.’ “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. “When you fast, stop becoming sad-faced like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when fasting, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting to men but only to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The lamp of the body is the eye. If, then, your eye is focused, your whole body will be bright. But if your eye is envious, your whole body will be dark. If the light that is in you is really darkness, how great that darkness is! “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches. “On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your lives as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not life mean more than food and the body than clothing? Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles. “Stop judging that you may not be judged; for with the judgment you are judging, you will be judged, and with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you. Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye but do not notice the rafter in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to remove the straw from your eye,’ when look! a rafter is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the straw from your brother’s eye. “Do not give what is holy to dogs nor throw your pearls before swine, so that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open. “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you; for everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking, it will be opened. Indeed, which one of you, if his son asks for bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not hand him a serpent, will he? Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him! “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them. This, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean. “Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it. “Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men. “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’ “Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock. Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.” When Jesus finished these sayings, the effect was that the crowds were astounded at his way of teaching, for he was teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes. [Click to close]

Work: Proverbs 14:23

[Click to read scripture]|[Proverbs 14:23:] There is benefit in every kind of hard work, But mere talk leads to want. [Click to close]

Work: Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13

[Click to read scripture]|[Ecclesiastes 3:12 and 13:] I have concluded that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during their life, also that everyone should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all his hard work. It is the gift of God. [Click to close]

Work: Ecclesiastes 4:6

[Click to read scripture]|[Ecclesiastes 4:6:] Better is a handful of rest than two handfuls of hard work and chasing after the wind. [Click to close]

When You Need Help With . . .

Discouragement: Psalm 23

[Click to read scripture]|[Psalm 23:] Jehovah is my Shepherd. I will lack nothing. In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; He leads me to well-watered resting-places. He refreshes me. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of his name. Though I walk in the valley of deep shadow, I fear no harm, For you are with me; Your rod and your staff reassure me. You prepare a table for me before my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; My cup is well-filled. Surely goodness and loyal love will pursue me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for all my days. [Click to close]

Discouragement: Isaiah 41:10

[Click to read scripture]|[Isaiah 41:10:] Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you, I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness.’ [Click to close]

Grief: 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4;

[Click to read scripture]|[2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4:] Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God. [Click to close]

Grief: 1 Peter 5:7

[Click to read scripture]|[1 Peter 5:7:] while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. [Click to close]

Guilt: Psalm 86:5

[Click to read scripture]|[Psalm 86:5:] For you, O Jehovah, are good and ready to forgive; You abound in loyal love for all those who call on you. [Click to close]

Guilt: Ezekiel 18:21 and 22

[Click to read scripture]|[Ezekiel 18:21 and 22:] “‘Now if someone wicked turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps my statutes and does what is just and righteous, he will surely keep living. He will not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed will be held against him. He will keep living for doing what is righteous.’ [Click to close]

What the Bible Says About . . .

The last days: Matthew 24:3 through 14

[Click to read scripture]|[Matthew 24:3 through 14:] While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” In answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you, for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for these things must take place, but the end is not yet. “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress. “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. [Click to close]

The last days: 2 Timothy 3:1 through 5

[Click to read scripture]|[2 Timothy 3:1 through 5:] But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. [Click to close]

Hope for the future: Psalm 37:10 and 11

[Click to read scripture]|[Psalm 37:10 and 11:] Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there. But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. [Click to close]

Hope for the future: Psalm 37:29

[Click to read scripture]|[Psalm 37:29:] The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it. [Click to close]

Hope for the future: Revelation 21:3 and 4

[Click to read scripture]|[Revelation 21:3 and 4:] With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” [Click to close]

Tip: To see the context of the scriptures cited above, read the entire chapter(s) that contains those verses. Use the chart “Track Your Bible Reading” at the end of this publication to mark off each chapter as you read it. Make it your goal to read a portion of the Bible each day.

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