18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, (A)“Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off (B)her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute[a] who was at (C)Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law (D)has been immoral.[b] Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.”[c] And Judah said, “Bring her out, and (E)let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, (F)the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, (G)“She is more righteous than I, since (H)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called (I)Perez.[d] 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called (J)Zerah.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:21 Hebrew sacred woman; a woman who served a pagan deity by prostitution; also verse 22
  2. Genesis 38:24 Or has committed prostitution
  3. Genesis 38:24 Or by prostitution
  4. Genesis 38:29 Perez means a breach

18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”

“Your seal(A) and its cord, and the staff(B) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.(C) 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes(D) again.

20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite(E) in order to get his pledge(F) back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute(G) who was beside the road at Enaim?”

“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has,(H) or we will become a laughingstock.(I) After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”(J)

25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”(K)

26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I,(L) since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.(M)” And he did not sleep with her again.

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.(N) 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife(O) took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist(P) and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out,(Q) and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[a](R) 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist,(S) came out. And he was named Zerah.[b](T)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:29 Perez means breaking out.
  2. Genesis 38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.

Hannah's Prayer

And Hannah prayed and said,

(A)“My heart exults in the Lord;
    (B)my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because (C)I rejoice in your salvation.

(D)“There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is (E)no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
(F)The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
(G)The barren has borne seven,
    (H)but she who has many children is forlorn.
(I)The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
(J)The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    (K)he brings low and he exalts.
(L)He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
(M)to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
(N)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
    and on them he has set the world.

(O)“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
    for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 (P)The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
    (Q)against them he will thunder in heaven.
(R)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    (S)and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

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Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:(A)

“My heart rejoices(B) in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn[a](C) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(D) over my enemies,(E)
    for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy(F) like(G) the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock(H) like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(I)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(J)
    and by him deeds(K) are weighed.(L)

“The bows of the warriors are broken,(M)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(N)
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry(O) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(P) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;(Q)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.(R)
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(S)
    he humbles and he exalts.(T)
He raises(U) the poor(V) from the dust(W)
    and lifts the needy(X) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.(Y)

“For the foundations(Z) of the earth are the Lord’s;
    on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet(AA) of his faithful servants,(AB)
    but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(AC)

“It is not by strength(AD) that one prevails;
10     those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(AE)
The Most High will thunder(AF) from heaven;
    the Lord will judge(AG) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength(AH) to his king
    and exalt the horn(AI) of his anointed.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.

The Compassion of the Lord

55 (A)“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    (B)come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
(C)Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
    (D)hear, that your soul may live;
(E)and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    (F)my steadfast, sure love for (G)David.
(H)Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    (I)a leader and commander for the peoples.
(J)Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
    and (K)a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
    (L)for he has glorified you.

(M)“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
(N)For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 (O)“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    (P)giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but (Q)it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12 (R)“For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
(S)the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 (T)Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

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Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(A)
    come to the waters;(B)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(D)
    without money and without cost.(E)
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(G)
    and you will delight in the richest(H) of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
    listen,(I) that you may live.(J)
I will make an everlasting covenant(K) with you,
    my faithful love(L) promised to David.(M)
See, I have made him a witness(N) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander(O) of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations(P) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,(Q)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One(R) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”(S)

Seek(T) the Lord while he may be found;(U)
    call(V) on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake(W) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.(X)
Let them turn(Y) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(Z) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(AA)

“For my thoughts(AB) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”(AC)
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,(AD)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.(AE)
10 As the rain(AF) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(AG)
    so that it yields seed(AH) for the sower and bread for the eater,(AI)
11 so is my word(AJ) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,(AK)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose(AL) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(AM)
    and be led forth in peace;(AN)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song(AO) before you,
and all the trees(AP) of the field
    will clap their hands.(AQ)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers(AR) the myrtle(AS) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(AT)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

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31 “Can you bind the chains of (A)the Pleiades
    or loose the cords of (B)Orion?
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth[a] in their season,
    or can you guide (C)the Bear with its children?
33 Do you know (D)the ordinances of the heavens?
    Can you establish their rule on the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
    that (E)a flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
    and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (F)put wisdom in (G)the inward parts[b]
    or given understanding to the mind?[c]
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
    Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38 when the dust runs into a mass
    and (H)the clods stick fast together?

39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
    or (I)satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their (J)dens
    or lie in wait (K)in their thicket?
41 Who provides for (L)the raven its prey,
    when its young ones cry to God for help,
    and wander about for lack of food?

39 “Do you know when (M)the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you observe (N)the calving of the does?
Can you number the months that they fulfill,
    and do you know the time when they give birth,
when they (O)crouch, bring forth their offspring,
    and are delivered of their young?
Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
    they go out and (P)do not return to them.

“Who has let the wild donkey go free?
    Who has (Q)loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
to whom I have given (R)the arid plain for his home
    and (S)the salt land for his dwelling place?
He scorns the tumult of the city;
    he hears not the shouts of the driver.
He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
    and he searches after every green thing.

“Is (T)the wild ox willing to serve you?
    Will he spend the night at your (U)manger?

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:32 Probably the name of a constellation
  2. Job 38:36 Or in the ibis
  3. Job 38:36 Or rooster

31 “Can you bind the chains[a] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(A)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(B) in their seasons[b]
    or lead out the Bear[c] with its cubs?(C)
33 Do you know the laws(D) of the heavens?(E)
    Can you set up God’s[d] dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?(F)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(G)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[e](H)
    or gives the rooster understanding?[f](I)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars(J) of the heavens(K)
38 when the dust becomes hard(L)
    and the clods of earth stick together?(M)

39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions(N)
40 when they crouch in their dens(O)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?(P)
41 Who provides food(Q) for the raven(R)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?(S)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(T) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(U)
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?(V)
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

“Who let the wild donkey(W) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
I gave it the wasteland(X) as its home,
    the salt flats(Y) as its habitat.(Z)
It laughs(AA) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.(AB)
It ranges the hills(AC) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

“Will the wild ox(AD) consent to serve you?(AE)
    Will it stay by your manger(AF) at night?

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  2. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  3. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  4. Job 38:33 Or their
  5. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  6. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

15 (A)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how (B)to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent (C)their disciples to him, along with (D)the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, (E)we know that you are true and teach (F)the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for (G)you are not swayed by appearances.[a] 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay (H)taxes to (I)Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why (J)put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.[b] 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, (K)“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they (L)left him and went away.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:16 Greek for you do not look at people's faces
  2. Matthew 22:19 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(A)

15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.(B) “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a](C) to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,(D) and to God what is God’s.”

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:17 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens

A Plot to Kill Paul

12 When it was day, (A)the Jews made a plot and (B)bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered (C)the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul (D)the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, (E)“The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who (F)have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

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The Plot to Kill Paul

12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy(A) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.(B) 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.(C) 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin(D) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks(E) and told Paul.

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner,(F) sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

20 He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin(G) tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.(H) 21 Don’t give in to them, because more than forty(I) of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.(J) They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

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