Balaam's Third Oracle

24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at (A)other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel (B)camping tribe by tribe. And (C)the Spirit of God came upon him, and he (D)took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,[a]
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    (E)falling down with his eyes uncovered:
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
    your encampments, O Israel!
Like palm groves[b] that stretch afar,
    like gardens beside a river,
(F)like aloes (G)that the Lord has planted,
    like cedar trees beside the waters.
Water shall flow from his buckets,
    and his seed shall be (H)in many waters;
his king shall be higher than (I)Agag,
    and (J)his kingdom shall be exalted.
God brings him out of Egypt
    and is for him like the (K)horns of the wild ox;
he shall (L)eat up the nations, his adversaries,
    and shall (M)break their bones in pieces
    and (N)pierce them through with his arrows.
He crouched, he lay down like a lion
    and (O)like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
(P)Blessed are those who bless you,
    and cursed are those who curse you.”

10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he (Q)struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, (R)“I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, (S)‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 (T)‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad (U)of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, (V)I will let you know what this people will do to your people (W)in the latter days.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15
  2. Numbers 24:6 Or valleys

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(A) he did not resort to divination(B) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(C) When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(D) and he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(E)
the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(F)
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,[a](G)
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

“How beautiful are your tents,(H) Jacob,
    your dwelling places, Israel!

“Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,(I)
like aloes(J) planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.(K)
Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;(L)
    their kingdom will be exalted.(M)

“God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces;(N)
    with their arrows they pierce them.(O)
Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness(P)—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed(Q)
    and those who curse you be cursed!”(R)

10 Then Balak’s anger burned(S) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(T) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(U) but you have blessed them(V) these three times.(W) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(X) I said I would reward you handsomely,(Y) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(Z) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(AA)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(AB) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(AC)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16

Offerings for the Temple

29 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is (A)young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for (B)the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of (C)onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: (D)3,000 talents[a] of gold, of the gold of (E)Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house,[b] and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself[c] today to the Lord?”

Then (F)the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and (G)the officers over the king's work. They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 (H)darics[d] of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of (I)Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a (J)whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David Prays in the Assembly

10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: (K)“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 (L)Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 (M)Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. (N)In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 (O)For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are (P)like a shadow, and there is no abiding.[e] 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17 I know, my God, (Q)that you test the heart and (R)have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 18 O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. 19 (S)Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may (T)build the palace (U)for which I have made provision.”

20 Then David said to all the assembly, (V)“Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, (W)and bowed their heads and paid homage to the Lord and to the king. 21 And they offered sacrifices to the Lord, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the Lord, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their (X)drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness.

Solomon Anointed King

And they made Solomon the son of David king (Y)the second time, and they (Z)anointed him as prince for the Lord, and (AA)Zadok as priest.

23 (AB)Then Solomon sat on the (AC)throne of the Lord as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 25 And the Lord made Solomon very (AD)great in the sight of all Israel and (AE)bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

The Death of David

26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 The (AF)time that he reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28 Then he died (AG)at a good age, (AH)full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles (AI)of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of (AJ)Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of (AK)Gad the seer, 30 with accounts of all his rule and his might and of the circumstances (AL)that came upon him and upon Israel and upon all the kingdoms of the countries.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 29:4 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 1 Chronicles 29:4 Septuagint; Hebrew houses
  3. 1 Chronicles 29:5 Or ordaining himself; Hebrew filling his hand
  4. 1 Chronicles 29:7 A daric was a coin weighing about 1/4 ounce or 8.5 grams
  5. 1 Chronicles 29:15 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew hope, or prospect

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced.(A) The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold(B) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,[a](C) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.(D) Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided(E) for this holy temple: three thousand talents[b] of gold (gold of Ophir)(F) and seven thousand talents[c] of refined silver,(G) for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”

Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials(H) in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.(I) They(J) gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents[d] and ten thousand darics[e] of gold, ten thousand talents[f] of silver, eighteen thousand talents[g] of bronze and a hundred thousand talents[h] of iron. Anyone who had precious stones(K) gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.(L) The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly(M) to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power(N)
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.(O)
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.(P)
12 Wealth and honor(Q) come from you;
    you are the ruler(R) of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?(S) Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.(T) 15 We are foreigners and strangers(U) in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,(V) without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart(W) and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.(X) 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion(Y) to keep your commands, statutes and decrees(Z) and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”(AA)

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

Solomon Acknowledged as King(AB)

21 The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him:(AC) a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.(AD) 22 They ate and drank with great joy(AE) in the presence of the Lord that day.

Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok(AF) to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat(AG) on the throne(AH) of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons,(AI) pledged their submission to King Solomon.

25 The Lord highly exalted(AJ) Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor(AK) such as no king over Israel ever had before.(AL)

The Death of David(AM)

26 David son of Jesse was king(AN) over all Israel.(AO) 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron(AP) and thirty-three in Jerusalem.(AQ) 28 He died(AR) at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.(AS)

29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer,(AT) the records of Nathan(AU) the prophet and the records of Gad(AV) the seer, 30 together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 29:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 110 tons or about 100 metric tons
  3. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 260 tons or about 235 metric tons
  4. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 190 tons or about 170 metric tons
  5. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 185 pounds or about 84 kilograms
  6. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 380 tons or about 340 metric tons
  7. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 675 tons or about 610 metric tons
  8. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 3,800 tons or about 3,400 metric tons

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was (A)filled with fury, and the expression of his face (B)was changed against (C)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army (D)to bind (E)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were (F)bound in their cloaks, their tunics,[a] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was (G)urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up (H)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell (I)bound into the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was (J)astonished and rose up (K)in haste. He declared to his (L)counselors, “Did we not cast three men (M)bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, (N)walking in the midst of the fire, and they (O)are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like (P)a son of the gods.”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, (Q)“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the (R)Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then (S)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the (T)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and (U)the king's counselors gathered together and saw that (V)the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their (W)cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of (X)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who (Y)has sent his angel and (Z)delivered his servants, who (AA)trusted in him, and set aside[b] the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than (AB)serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore (AC)I make a decree: Any (AD)people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of (AE)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (AF)shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted (AG)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in (AH)the province of Babylon.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 3:21 The meaning of the Aramaic words rendered cloaks and tunics is uncertain; also verse 27
  2. Daniel 3:28 Aramaic and changed

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven(A) times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego(B) and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,(C) 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,(D) come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers(E) crowded around them.(F) They saw that the fire(G) had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel(H) and rescued(I) his servants! They trusted(J) in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.(K) 29 Therefore I decree(L) that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble,(M) for no other god can save(N) in this way.”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.(O)

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21 My son, (A)do not lose sight of these—
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be (B)life for your soul
    and (C)adornment for your neck.
23 (D)Then you will walk on your way securely,
    (E)and your foot will not stumble.
24 (F)If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, (G)your sleep will be sweet.
25 (H)Do not be afraid of sudden terror
    or of (I)the ruin[a] of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
    and will (J)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (K)Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[b]
    when it is in your power to do it.

28 (L)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 (M)Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who (N)dwells trustingly beside you.
30 (O)Do not contend with a man for no reason,
    when he has done you no harm.
31 (P)Do not envy (Q)a man of violence
    and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for (R)the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the upright are (S)in his confidence.
33 (T)The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he (U)blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the (V)scorners he (W)is scornful,
    (X)but to the humble he gives favor.[c]
35 The wise will inherit honor,
    but fools get[d] disgrace.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:25 Hebrew storm
  2. Proverbs 3:27 Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners
  3. Proverbs 3:34 Or grace
  4. Proverbs 3:35 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

21 My son,(A) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(B)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(C)
    an ornament to grace your neck.(D)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(E)
    and your foot will not stumble.(F)
24 When you lie down,(G) you will not be afraid;(H)
    when you lie down, your sleep(I) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(J)
    and will keep your foot(K) from being snared.(L)

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
    when you already have it with you.(M)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
    who lives trustfully near you.(N)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
    when they have done you no harm.

31 Do not envy(O) the violent
    or choose any of their ways.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse(P)
    but takes the upright into his confidence.(Q)
33 The Lord’s curse(R) is on the house of the wicked,(S)
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.(T)
34 He mocks(U) proud mockers(V)
    but shows favor to the humble(W) and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
    but fools get only shame.

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23 and (A)when they did not find his body, they came back saying that (B)they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 (C)Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 (D)Was it not necessary that (E)the Christ should suffer these things and enter into (F)his glory?” 27 And (G)beginning with (H)Moses and (I)all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. (J)He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and (K)the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and (L)blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 (M)And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And (N)he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, (O)“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he (P)opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they (Q)found the eleven and (R)those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and (S)has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and (T)how he was known to them in (U)the breaking of the bread.

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23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”(A)

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”(B) 27 And beginning with Moses(C) and all the Prophets,(D) he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.(E)

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it(F) and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,(G) and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us(H) while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures(I) to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord(J) has risen and has appeared to Simon.”(K) 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.(L)

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The Man of Lawlessness

Now concerning (A)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our (B)being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,[a] not to be quickly shaken in mind or (C)alarmed, either (D)by a spirit or a (E)spoken word, or (F)a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that (G)the day of the Lord has come. (H)Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, (I)unless the rebellion comes first, and (J)the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed, (K)the son of destruction,[c] who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, (L)proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For (M)the mystery of lawlessness (N)is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then (O)the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus (P)will kill with (Q)the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by (R)the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan (S)with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for (T)those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore (U)God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe (V)what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned (W)who did not believe the truth but (X)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 15
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
  3. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Greek the son of perdition (a Hebrew idiom)

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ(A) and our being gathered to him,(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord(D) has already come.(E) Don’t let anyone deceive you(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed,(H) the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.(J)

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?(K) And now you know what is holding him back,(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed,(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(P) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(R) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(T) 11 For this reason God sends them(U) a powerful delusion(V) so that they will believe the lie(W) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin