Vows

30 ^[a]Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel:^(A) “This is what the Lord commands: ² When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.^(B)

³ “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge ⁴ and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.^{(C) 5} But if her father forbids her^(D) when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

⁶ “If she marries after she makes a vow^(E) or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself ⁷ and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ⁸ But if her husband^(F) forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.^(G)

⁹ “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

¹⁰ “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath ¹¹ and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ¹² But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand.^(H) Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. ¹³ Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.^{[b] 14} But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. ¹⁵ If, however, he nullifies them^(I) some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

¹⁶ These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

Shishak Attacks Jerusalem^(A)

12 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established^(B) and he had become strong,^(C) he and all Israel^[a](D) with him abandoned^(E) the law of the Lord. ² Because they had been unfaithful^(F) to the Lord, Shishak^(G) king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. ³ With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans,^(H) Sukkites and Cushites^[b](I) that came with him from Egypt, ⁴ he captured the fortified cities^(J) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah^(K) came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon^(L) you to Shishak.’”

⁶ The leaders of Israel and the king humbled^(M) themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”^(N)

⁷ When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.^(O) My wrath^(P) will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. ⁸ They will, however, become subject^(Q) to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”

⁹ When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields^(R) Solomon had made. ¹⁰ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. ¹¹ Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

¹² Because Rehoboam humbled^(S) himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good^(T) in Judah.

¹³ King Rehoboam established^(U) himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name.^(V) His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. ¹⁴ He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

¹⁵ As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah^(W) the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ¹⁶ Rehoboam^(X) rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah^(Y) his son succeeded him as king.

Daniel’s Vision of a Man

10 In the third year of Cyrus^(A) king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar).^(B) Its message was true^(C) and it concerned a great war.^[a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.

² At that time I, Daniel, mourned^(D) for three weeks. ³ I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;^(E) and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank^(F) of the great river, the Tigris,^{(G) 5} I looked up^(H) and there before me was a man dressed in linen,^(I) with a belt of fine gold^(J) from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz,^(K) his face like lightning,^(L) his eyes like flaming torches,^(M) his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze,^(N) and his voice^(O) like the sound of a multitude.

⁷ I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it,^(P) but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone,^(Q) gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left,^(R) my face turned deathly pale^(S) and I was helpless.^{(T) 9} Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.^(U)

¹⁰ A hand touched me^(V) and set me trembling on my hands and knees.^{(W) 11} He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed,^(X) consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up,^(Y) for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid,^(Z) Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble^(AA) yourself before your God, your words^(AB) were heard, and I have come in response to them.^{(AC) 13} But the prince^(AD) of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael,^(AE) one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain^(AF) to you what will happen to your people in the future,^(AG) for the vision concerns a time yet to come.^(AH)”

¹⁵ While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.^{(AI) 16} Then one who looked like a man^[b] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak.^(AJ) I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish^(AK) because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. ¹⁷ How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”^(AL)

¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched^(AM) me and gave me strength.^{(AN) 19} “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,”^(AO) he said. “Peace!^(AP) Be strong now; be strong.”^(AQ)

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”^(AR)

²⁰ So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece^(AS) will come; ²¹ but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth.^(AT) (No one supports me against them except Michael,^(AU) your prince.

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

³¹ The one who comes from above^(A) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(B) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(C) but no one accepts his testimony.^{(D) 33} Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent^(E) speaks the words of God, for God^[a] gives the Spirit^(F) without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^{(G) 36} Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(H) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Melchizedek the Priest

7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem^(A) and priest of God Most High.^(B) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,^{(C) 2} and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy,^(D) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,^(E) he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch^(F) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!^{(G) 5} Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people^(H)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed^(I) him who had the promises.^{(J) 7} And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.^{(K) 9} One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.