28 “‘But nothing that a person owns and devotes[a](A) to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy(B) to the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 27:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.

17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a](A) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute(B) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid(C) the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things,(D) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction(E) and bring trouble(F) on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron(G) are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 6:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 18 and 21.

19 When the Lord your God gives you rest(A) from all the enemies(B) around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek(C) from under heaven. Do not forget!

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16 However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.(A) 17 Completely destroy[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 20:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

21 When the field is released in the Jubilee,(A) it will become holy,(B) like a field devoted to the Lord;(C) it will become priestly property.

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20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god(A) other than the Lord must be destroyed.[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law(A) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:13 Deut. 21:23

10 For all who rely on the works of the law(A) are under a curse,(B) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26

22 If anyone does not love the Lord,(A) let that person be cursed!(B) Come, Lord[a]!(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 16:22 The Greek for Come, Lord reproduces an Aramaic expression (Marana tha) used by early Christians.

For I could wish that I myself(A) were cursed(B) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(C) those of my own race,(D)

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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)

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41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,(A) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire(B) prepared for the devil and his angels.(C)

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32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”

Agag came to him in chains.[a] And he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

33 But Samuel said,

“As your sword has made women childless,
    so will your mother be childless among women.”(A)

And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’

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Jonathan Eats Honey

24 Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath,(A) saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.

25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb.(B) He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.[a] 28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 14:27 Or his strength was renewed; similarly in verse 29

18 We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath:(A) ‘Cursed be anyone who gives(B) a wife to a Benjamite.’

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Then the Israelites asked, “Who from all the tribes of Israel(A) has failed to assemble before the Lord?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah was to be put to death.

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30 And Jephthah made a vow(A) to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph(B) from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.(C)

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11 Israel has sinned;(A) they have violated my covenant,(B) which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied,(C) they have put them with their own possessions.(D) 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;(E) they turn their backs(F) and run(G) because they have been made liable to destruction.(H) I will not be with you anymore(I) unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves(J) in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

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Achan’s Sin

But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things[a];(A) Achan(B) son of Karmi, the son of Zimri,[b] the son of Zerah,(C) of the tribe of Judah,(D) took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned(E) against Israel.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 7:1 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 11, 12, 13 and 15.
  2. Joshua 7:1 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 2:6; Hebrew Zabdi; also in verses 17 and 18.

26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath:(A) “Cursed(B) before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

“At the cost of his firstborn son
    he will lay its foundations;
at the cost of his youngest
    he will set up its gates.”(C)

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15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,[a](A) both its people and its livestock.(B) 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town(C) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.(D) That town is to remain a ruin(E) forever, never to be rebuilt,

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 13:15 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

Driving Out the Nations

When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess(A) and drives out before you many nations(B)—the Hittites,(C) Girgashites,(D) Amorites,(E) Canaanites, Perizzites,(F) Hivites(G) and Jebusites,(H) seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered(I) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy(J) them totally.[a](K) Make no treaty(L) with them, and show them no mercy.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.

Then Israel made this vow(A) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy[a](B) their cities.” The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites(C) over to them. They completely destroyed them(D) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.[b](E)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
  2. Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[a] to the Lord(A) is yours.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.

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