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Daniel 3 - Zephaniah 2
New King James Version
Daniel 3 - Zephaniah 2
New King James Version
The Image of Gold
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was [a]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried [b]aloud: “To you it is commanded, (A)O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall (B)be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans (C)came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, (D)“O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 (E)There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have (F)not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in (G)rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, (H)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. (I)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, (J)we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our (K)God whom we serve is able to (L)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we (M)worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Saved in Fiery Trial
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was [c]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his [d]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, (N)walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like (O)the[e] Son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the [f]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the (P)Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men (Q)on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His (R)Angel[g] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 (S)Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the (T)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be (U)cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; (V)because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
30 Then the king [h]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream
4 Nebuchadnezzar the king,
(W)To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders (X)that the Most High God has worked for me.
3 (Y)How great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is (Z)an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, (AA)and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head (AB)troubled me. 6 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 (AC)Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation. 8 But at last Daniel came before me (AD)(his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; (AE)in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: 9 “Belteshazzar, (AF)chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
10 “These were the visions of my head while on my bed:
I was looking, and behold,
(AG)A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
11 The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
12 Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
(AH)The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was (AI)a watcher, (AJ)a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 He cried [i]aloud and said thus:
(AK)‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
(AL)Let the beasts get out from under it,
And the birds from its branches.
15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
In the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven (AM)times[j] pass over him.
17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order (AN)that the living may know
(AO)That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
(AP)Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the (AQ)lowest of men.’
18 “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, (AR)since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, (AS)for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”
Daniel Explains the Second Dream
19 Then Daniel, (AT)whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts (AU)troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.”
Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may (AV)the dream [k]concern those who hate you, and its interpretation [l]concern your enemies!
20 (AW)“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, 21 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home— 22 (AX)it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, (AY)and your dominion to the end of the earth.
23 (AZ)“And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, (BA)and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven [m]times pass over him’; 24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 They shall (BB)drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you (BC)eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven [n]times shall pass over you, (BD)till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and (BE)gives it to whomever He chooses.
26 “And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that (BF)Heaven[o] rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; (BG)break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. (BH)Perhaps there may be (BI)a [p]lengthening of your prosperity.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking [q]about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king (BJ)spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
31 (BK)While the word was still in the king’s mouth, (BL)a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And (BM)they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven [r]times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”
33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
34 And (BN)at the end of the [s]time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him (BO)who lives forever:
For His dominion is (BP)an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 (BQ)All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
(BR)He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
(BS)No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, (BT)“What have You done?”
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, (BU)and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was (BV)restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was (BW)added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, (BX)praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, (BY)all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. (BZ)And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 Belshazzar the king (CA)made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels (CB)which his [t]father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold (CC)vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, (CD)and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5 (CE)In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his (CF)knees knocked against each other. 7 (CG)The king cried [u]aloud to bring in (CH)the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; (CI)and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, (CJ)but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (CK)troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were [v]astonished.
10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 (CL)There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your [w]father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your [x]father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and [y]explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, (CM)whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
The Writing on the Wall Explained
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel [z]who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my [aa]father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that (CN)the [ab]Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now (CO)the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and [ac]explain enigmas. (CP)Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, (CQ)the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your [ad]father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, (CR)all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he (CS)executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 (CT)But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was (CU)driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, (CV)till he [ae]knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, (CW)have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 (CX)And you have [af]lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the (CY)vessels of [ag]His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, (CZ)which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand (DA)and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the [ah]fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25 “And this is the inscription that was written:
[ai]MENE, MENE, [aj]TEKEL, [ak]UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: (DB)You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the (DC)Medes and (DD)Persians.”[al] 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him (DE)that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar’s Fall
30 (DF)That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 (DG)And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
The Plot Against Daniel
6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, (DH)because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. 4 (DI)So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: (DJ)“King Darius, live forever! 7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have (DK)consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the (DL)law of the Medes and Persians, which [am]does not alter.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open (DM)toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees (DN)three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 (DO)And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”
The king answered and said, “The thing is true, (DP)according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which [an]does not alter.”
13 So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, (DQ)who is [ao]one of the captives from Judah, (DR)does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 And the king, when he heard these words, (DS)was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he [ap]labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men [aq]approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is (DT)the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” 17 (DU)Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, (DV)and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
Daniel Saved from the Lions
18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no [ar]musicians were brought before him. (DW)Also his sleep [as]went from him. 19 Then the (DX)king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a [at]lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, (DY)has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel said to the king, (DZ)“O king, live forever! 22 (EA)My God sent His angel and (EB)shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, (EC)because he believed in his God.
Darius Honors God
24 And the king gave the command, (ED)and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, (EE)their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
25 (EF)Then King Darius wrote:
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
26 (EG)I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must (EH)tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
(EI)For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be (EJ)destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues,
(EK)And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the [au]power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius (EL)and in the reign of (EM)Cyrus the Persian.
Vision of the Four Beasts
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, (EN)Daniel [av]had a dream and (EO)visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling [aw]the main facts.
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts (EP)came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was (EQ)like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a (ER)man’s heart was given to it.
5 (ES)“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had (ET)four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, (EU)a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, (EV)and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and (EW)there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes (EX)of a man, (EY)and a mouth speaking [ax]pompous words.
Vision of the Ancient of Days
9 “I(EZ) watched till thrones were [ay]put in place,
And (FA)the Ancient of Days was seated;
(FB)His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
(FC)Its wheels a burning fire;
10 (FD)A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
(FE)A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
(FF)The [az]court was seated,
And the books were opened.
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the [ba]pompous words which the horn was speaking; (FG)I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, (FH)One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 (FI)Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all (FJ)peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is (FK)an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel’s Visions Interpreted
15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit [bb]within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four [bc]kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But (FL)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke [bd]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21 “I was watching; (FM)and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, (FN)and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
(FO)A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 (FP)The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 (FQ)He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall (FR)persecute[be] the saints of the Most High,
And shall (FS)intend to change times and law.
Then (FT)the saints shall be given into his hand
(FU)For a time and times and half a time.
26 ‘But(FV) the court shall be seated,
And they shall (FW)take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the (FX)kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
(FY)His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
(FZ)And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
28 “This is the end of the [bf]account. As for me, Daniel, (GA)my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I (GB)kept the matter in my heart.”
Vision of a Ram and a Goat
8 In[bg] the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me (GC)the first time. 2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in (GD)Shushan,[bh] the [bi]citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was (GE)higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could [bj]withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, (GF)but he did according to his will and became great.
5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable (GG)horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, [bk]attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it (GH)four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 (GI)And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, (GJ)toward the east, and toward the (GK)Glorious Land. 10 (GL)And it grew up to (GM)the host of heaven; and (GN)it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 (GO)He even exalted himself as high as (GP)the Prince of the host; (GQ)and by him (GR)the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of [bl]His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, (GS)an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast (GT)truth down to the ground. He (GU)did all this and prospered.
13 Then I heard (GV)a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression [bm]of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred [bn]days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
Gabriel Interprets the Vision
15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and (GW)was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me (GX)one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice (GY)between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, (GZ)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and (HA)fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”
18 (HB)Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; (HC)but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; (HD)for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the [bo]male goat is the [bp]kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes (HE)is the first king. 22 (HF)As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
(HG)Having fierce [bq]features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, (HH)but not by his own power;
He shall destroy [br]fearfully,
(HI)And shall prosper and thrive;
(HJ)He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through(HK) his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his [bs]rule;
(HL)And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
(HM)He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be (HN)broken without human [bt]means.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
(HO)Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
27 (HP)And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was [bu]astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
Daniel’s Prayer for the People
9 In the first year (HQ)of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through (HR)Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 (HS)Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O (HT)Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 (HU)we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 (HV)Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, (HW)righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 (HX)To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, (HY)all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the (HZ)Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has (IA)confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; (IB)for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 (IC)“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; (ID)yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has (IE)kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for (IF)the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, (IG)who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself (IH)a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 “O Lord, (II)according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, (IJ)Your holy mountain; because for our sins, (IK)and for the iniquities of our fathers, (IL)Jerusalem and Your people (IM)are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, (IN)and (IO)for the Lord’s sake [bv]cause Your face to shine on [bw]Your sanctuary, (IP)which is desolate. 18 (IQ)O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes (IR)and see our desolations, and the city (IS)which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man (IT)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, [bx]being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the [by]command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly (IU)beloved; therefore (IV)consider the matter, and understand the vision:
24 “Seventy [bz]weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
[ca]To make an end of sins,
(IW)To make reconciliation for iniquity,
(IX)To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
(IY)And to anoint [cb]the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until (IZ)Messiah (JA)the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The [cc]street shall be built again, and the [cd]wall,
Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
(JB)Messiah shall [ce]be cut off, (JC)but not for Himself;
And (JD)the people of the prince who is to come
(JE)Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm (JF)a [cf]covenant with (JG)many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
(JH)Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the [cg]desolate.”
Vision of the Glorious Man
10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose (JI)name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, [ch]but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no [ci]pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the [cj]Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in (JJ)linen, whose waist was (JK)girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, (JL)and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my [ck]vigor was turned to [cl]frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece
10 (JM)Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, (JN)man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then he said to me, (JO)“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, (JP)your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 (JQ)But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, (JR)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people (JS)in the latter days, (JT)for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
15 When he had spoken such words to me, (JU)I [cm]turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, (JV)one having the likeness of the [cn]sons of men (JW)touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision (JX)my sorrows have [co]overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 (JY)And he said, “O man greatly beloved, (JZ)fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight (KA)with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, (KB)except Michael your prince.
Warring Kings of North and South
11 “Also (KC)in the first year of (KD)Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3 Then (KE)a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and (KF)do according to his will. 4 And when he has arisen, (KG)his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity (KH)nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Warring Kings of North and South
5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her [cp]authority, and neither he nor his [cq]authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. 7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their [cr]princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
9 “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come (KI)and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return (KJ)to his fortress and stir up strife.
11 “And the king of the South shall be (KK)moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the (KL)multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be [cs]lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, [ct]violent men of your people shall exalt themselves [cu]in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall (KM)fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and (KN)build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the [cv]forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him (KO)shall do according to his own will, and (KP)no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his [cw]power.
17 “He shall also (KQ)set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and [cx]upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, (KR)or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall (KS)stumble and fall, (KT)and not be found.
20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. 21 And in his place (KU)shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the [cy]force of a (KV)flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, (KW)and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him (KX)he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, [cz]spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall [da]be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the (KY)appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
The Northern King’s Blasphemies
29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 (KZ)For ships from [db]Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.
“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And [dc]forces shall be mustered by him, (LA)and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall [dd]corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by [de]intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, (LB)to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall (LC)exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the [df]God of his fathers nor the desire of women, (LD)nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for [dg]gain.
The Northern King’s Conquests
40 “At the (LE)time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him (LF)like a whirlwind, with chariots, (LG)horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: (LH)Edom, Moab, and the [dh]prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of (LI)Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow (LJ)at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and (LK)the glorious holy mountain; (LL)yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
Prophecy of the End Time
12 “At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
(LM)And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people (LN)shall be delivered,
Every one who is found (LO)written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
(LP)Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame (LQ)and everlasting [di]contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall (LR)shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
(LS)And those who turn many to righteousness
(LT)Like the stars forever and ever.
4 “But you, Daniel, (LU)shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall (LV)run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that (LW)riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in (LX)linen, who was above the waters of the river, (LY)“How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he (LZ)held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him (MA)who lives forever, (MB)that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; (MC)and when the power of (MD)the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 (ME)Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, (MF)but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but (MG)the wise shall understand.
11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
13 “But you, go your way till the end; (MH)for you shall rest, (MI)and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
Hosea’s Unfaithful Wife
1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of (MJ)Uzziah, (MK)Jotham, (ML)Ahaz, and (MM)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of (MN)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
The Family of Hosea
2 When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea:
(MO)“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For (MP)the land has committed great [dj]harlotry
By departing from the Lord.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to him:
“Call his name Jezreel,
For in a little while
(MQ)I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
(MR)And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 (MS)It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:
“Call her name [dk]Lo-Ruhamah,
(MT)For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
[dl]But I will utterly take them away.
7 (MU)Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
Will save them by the Lord their God,
And (MV)will not save them by bow,
Nor by sword or battle,
By horses or horsemen.”
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said:
“Call his name [dm]Lo-Ammi,
For you are not My people,
And I will not be your God.
The Restoration of Israel
10 “Yet (MW)the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
(MX)And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
‘You are [dn]not My (MY)people,’
There it shall be said to them,
‘You are (MZ)sons of the living God.’
11 (NA)Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel
Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head;
And they shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel!
The Lord’s Love for His Unfaithful People
God’s Unfaithful People
2 “Bring[dq] charges against your mother, [dr]bring charges;
For (NB)she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband!
Let her put away her (NC)harlotries from her sight,
And her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest (ND)I strip her naked
And expose her, as in the day she was (NE)born,
And make her like a wilderness,
And set her like a dry land,
And slay her with (NF)thirst.
4 “I will not have mercy on her children,
For they are the (NG)children of harlotry.
5 For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
(NH)Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.’
6 “Therefore, behold,
(NI)I will hedge up your way with thorns,
And [ds]wall her in,
So that she cannot find her paths.
7 She will [dt]chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
(NJ)‘I will go and return to my (NK)first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’
8 For she did not (NL)know
That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil,
And multiplied her silver and gold—
Which they prepared for Baal.
9 “Therefore I will return and take away
My grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And will take back My wool and My linen,
Given to cover her nakedness.
10 Now (NM)I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,
And no one shall deliver her from My hand.
11 (NN)I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.
12 “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees,
Of which she has said,
‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’
So I will make them a forest,
And the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,” says the Lord.
God’s Mercy on His People
14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak [du]comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And (NO)the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in (NP)the days of her youth,
(NQ)As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the Lord,
“That you will call Me [dv]‘My Husband,’
And no longer call Me [dw]‘My Master,’
17 For (NR)I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
18 In that day I will make a (NS)covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air,
And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle (NT)I will shatter from the earth,
To make them (NU)lie down safely.
19 “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And (NV)you shall know the Lord.
21 “It shall come to pass in that day
That (NW)I will answer,” says the Lord;
“I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
22 The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer [dx]Jezreel.
23 Then (NX)I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
(NY)And I will have mercy on her who had [dy]not obtained mercy;
Then (NZ)I will say to those who were [dz]not My people,
‘You are [ea]My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”
Israel Will Return to God
3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a (OA)lover[eb] and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You shall (OB)stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days (OC)without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without (OD)ephod or (OE)teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and (OF)seek the Lord their God and (OG)David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the (OH)latter days.
God’s Charge Against Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a (OI)charge[ec] against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or (OJ)knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed [ed]upon bloodshed.
3 Therefore (OK)the land will mourn;
And (OL)everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those (OM)who contend with the priest.
5 Therefore you shall stumble (ON)in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6 (OO)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
(OP)Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 “The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
(OQ)I[ee] will change [ef]their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their [eg]heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be: (OR)like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And [eh]reward them for their deeds.
10 For (OS)they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
The Idolatry of Israel
11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine (OT)enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their (OU)wooden idols,
And their [ei]staff informs them.
For (OV)the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 (OW)They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
(OX)Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.
14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a (OY)ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15 “Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
(OZ)Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to (PA)Beth[ej] Aven,
(PB)Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
16 “For Israel (PC)is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the Lord will let them forage
Like a lamb in [ek]open country.
17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,
(PD)Let him alone.
18 Their drink [el]is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
(PE)Her [em]rulers [en]dearly love dishonor.
19 (PF)The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And (PG)they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah
5 “Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For [eo]yours is the judgment,
Because (PH)you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.
2 The revolters are (PI)deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
3 (PJ)I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, (PK)you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.
4 “They[ep] do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For (PL)the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the Lord.
5 The (PM)pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.
6 “With their flocks and herds
(PN)They shall go to seek the Lord,
But they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have (PO)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have begotten [eq]pagan children.
Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.
8 “Blow(PP) the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
(PQ)Cry aloud at (PR)Beth Aven,
‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.
10 “The princes of Judah are like those who (PS)remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is (PT)oppressed and broken in judgment,
Because he willingly walked by (PU)human precept.
12 Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,
And to the house of Judah (PV)like rottenness.
13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his (PW)wound,
Then Ephraim went (PX)to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.
14 For (PY)I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(PZ)I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to My place
Till they [er]acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
A Call to Repentance
6 Come,(QA) and let us return to the Lord;
For (QB)He has torn, but (QC)He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will [es]bind us up.
2 (QD)After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
3 (QE)Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established (QF)as the morning;
(QG)He will come to us (QH)like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
Impenitence of Israel and Judah
4 “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?
O Judah, what shall I do to you?
For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,
And like the early dew it goes away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by (QI)the words of My mouth;
And [et]your judgments are like light that goes forth.
6 For I desire (QJ)mercy[eu] and (QK)not sacrifice,
And the (QL)knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7 “But like [ev]men they transgressed the covenant;
There they dealt treacherously with Me.
8 (QM)Gilead is a city of evildoers
And [ew]defiled with blood.
9 As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,
So the company of (QN)priests (QO)murder on the way to Shechem;
Surely they commit (QP)lewdness.
10 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:
There is the [ex]harlotry of Ephraim;
Israel is defiled.
11 Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,
When I return the captives of My people.
Israel Has Rebelled Against God
7 “When I would have healed Israel,
Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered,
And the wickedness of Samaria.
For (QQ)they have committed fraud;
A thief comes in;
A band of robbers [ey]takes spoil outside.
2 They [ez]do not consider in their hearts
That (QR)I remember all their wickedness;
Now their own deeds have surrounded them;
They are before My face.
3 They make a (QS)king glad with their wickedness,
And princes (QT)with their lies.
4 “They(QU) are all adulterers.
Like an oven heated by a baker—
He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough,
Until it is leavened.
5 In the day of our king
Princes have made him sick, [fa]inflamed with (QV)wine;
He stretched out his hand with scoffers.
6 They prepare their heart like an oven,
While they lie in wait;
[fb]Their baker sleeps all night;
In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot, like an oven,
And have devoured their judges;
All their kings have fallen.
(QW)None among them calls upon Me.
8 “Ephraim (QX)has mixed himself among the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake unturned.
9 (QY)Aliens have devoured his strength,
But he does not know it;
Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him,
Yet he does not know it.
10 And the (QZ)pride of Israel testifies to his face,
But (RA)they do not return to the Lord their God,
Nor seek Him for all this.
Futile Reliance on the Nations
11 “Ephraim(RB) also is like a silly dove, without [fc]sense—
(RC)They call to Egypt,
They go to (RD)Assyria.
12 Wherever they go, I will (RE)spread My net on them;
I will bring them down like birds of the air;
I will chastise them
(RF)According to what their congregation has heard.
13 “Woe to them, for they have fled from Me!
Destruction to them,
Because they have transgressed against Me!
Though (RG)I redeemed them,
Yet they have spoken lies against Me.
14 (RH)They did not cry out to Me with their heart
When they wailed upon their beds.
“They [fd]assemble together for grain and new (RI)wine,
[fe]They rebel against Me;
15 Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms,
Yet they devise evil against Me;
16 They return, but not [ff]to the Most High;
(RJ)They are like a treacherous bow.
Their princes shall fall by the sword
For the (RK)cursings of their tongue.
This shall be their derision (RL)in the land of Egypt.
The Apostasy of Israel
8 “Set the [fg]trumpet to your mouth!
He shall come (RM)like an eagle against the house of the Lord,
Because they have transgressed My covenant
And rebelled against My law.
2 (RN)Israel will cry to Me,
‘My God, (RO)we know You!’
3 Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy will pursue him.
4 “They(RP) set up kings, but not by Me;
They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.
From their silver and gold
They made idols for themselves—
That they might be cut off.
5 Your [fh]calf [fi]is rejected, O Samaria!
My anger is aroused against them—
(RQ)How long until they attain to innocence?
6 For from Israel is even this:
A (RR)workman made it, and it is not God;
But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
7 “They(RS) sow the wind,
And reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no bud;
It shall never produce meal.
If it should produce,
(RT)Aliens would swallow it up.
8 (RU)Israel is swallowed up;
Now they are among the Gentiles
(RV)Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria,
Like (RW)a wild donkey alone by itself;
Ephraim (RX)has hired lovers.
10 Yes, though they have hired among the nations,
Now (RY)I will gather them;
And they shall [fj]sorrow a little,
Because of the [fk]burden of (RZ)the king of princes.
11 “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin,
They have become for him altars for sinning.
12 I have written for him (SA)the great things of My law,
But they were considered a strange thing.
13 For the sacrifices of My offerings (SB)they sacrifice flesh and eat it,
(SC)But the Lord does not accept them.
(SD)Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.
They shall return to Egypt.
14 “For(SE) Israel has forgotten (SF)his Maker,
And has built [fl]temples;
Judah also has multiplied (SG)fortified cities;
But (SH)I will send fire upon his cities,
And it shall devour his [fm]palaces.”
Judgment of Israel’s Sin
9 Do(SI) not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples,
For you have played the harlot against your God.
You have made love for (SJ)hire on every threshing floor.
2 The threshing floor and the winepress
Shall not feed them,
And the new wine shall fail in her.
3 They shall not dwell in (SK)the Lord’s land,
(SL)But Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
And (SM)shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord,
Nor (SN)shall their (SO)sacrifices be pleasing to Him.
It shall be like bread of mourners to them;
All who eat it shall be defiled.
For their bread shall be for their own life;
It shall not come into the house of the Lord.
5 What will you do in the appointed day,
And in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6 For indeed they are gone because of destruction.
Egypt shall gather them up;
Memphis shall bury them.
(SP)Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver;
Thorns shall be in their tents.
7 The (SQ)days of punishment have come;
The days of recompense have come.
Israel knows!
The prophet is a (SR)fool,
(SS)The spiritual man is insane,
Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.
8 The (ST)watchman of Ephraim is with my God;
But the prophet is a [fn]fowler’s snare in all his ways—
Enmity in the house of his God.
9 (SU)They are deeply corrupted,
As in the days of (SV)Gibeah.
He will remember their iniquity;
He will punish their sins.
10 “I found Israel
Like grapes in the (SW)wilderness;
I saw your fathers
As the (SX)firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.
But they went to (SY)Baal Peor,
And [fo]separated themselves to that shame;
(SZ)They became an abomination like the thing they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird—
No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!
12 Though they bring up their children,
Yet I will bereave them to the last man.
Yes, (TA)woe to them when I depart from them!
13 Just (TB)as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place,
So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.”
14 Give them, O Lord—
What will You give?
Give them (TC)a miscarrying womb
And dry breasts!
15 “All their wickedness is in (TD)Gilgal,
For there I hated them.
Because of the evil of their deeds
I will drive them from My house;
I will love them no more.
(TE)All their princes are rebellious.
16 Ephraim is (TF)stricken,
Their root is dried up;
They shall bear no fruit.
Yes, were they to bear children,
I would kill the darlings of their womb.”
17 My God will (TG)cast them away,
Because they did not obey Him;
And they shall be (TH)wanderers among the nations.
Israel’s Sin and Captivity
10 Israel (TI)empties his vine;
He brings forth fruit for himself.
According to the multitude of his fruit
(TJ)He has increased the altars;
According to the bounty of his land
They have embellished his sacred pillars.
2 Their heart is (TK)divided;[fp]
Now they are held guilty.
He will break down their altars;
He will ruin their sacred pillars.
3 For now they say,
“We have no king,
Because we did not fear the Lord.
And as for a king, what would he do for us?”
4 They have spoken words,
Swearing falsely in making a covenant.
Thus judgment springs up (TL)like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria fear
Because of the (TM)calf[fq] of Beth Aven.
For its people mourn for it,
And [fr]its priests shriek for it—
Because its (TN)glory has departed from it.
6 The idol also shall be carried to Assyria
As a present for King (TO)Jareb.
Ephraim shall receive shame,
And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off
Like a twig on the water.
8 Also the (TP)high places of [fs]Aven, (TQ)the sin of Israel,
Shall be destroyed.
The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars;
(TR)They shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 “O Israel, you have sinned from the days of (TS)Gibeah;
There they stood.
The (TT)battle in Gibeah against the children of [ft]iniquity
Did not [fu]overtake them.
10 When it is My desire, I will chasten them.
(TU)Peoples shall be gathered against them
When I bind them [fv]for their two transgressions.
11 Ephraim is (TV)a trained heifer
That loves to thresh grain;
But I harnessed her fair neck,
I will make Ephraim [fw]pull a plow.
Judah shall plow;
Jacob shall break his clods.”
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
(TW)Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He (TX)comes and rains righteousness on you.
13 (TY)You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.
14 Therefore tumult shall arise among your people,
And all your fortresses shall be plundered
As Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle—
A mother dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
Because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel
Shall be cut off utterly.
God’s Continuing Love for Israel
11 “When Israel was a [fx]child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt (TZ)I called My (UA)son.
2 [fy]As they called them,
So they (UB)went [fz]from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.
3 “I(UC) taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by [ga]their arms;
But they did not know that (UD)I healed them.
4 I drew them with [gb]gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And (UE)I was to them as those who take the yoke from their [gc]neck.
(UF)I stooped and fed them.
5 “He shall not return to the land of Egypt;
But the Assyrian shall be his king,
Because they refused to repent.
6 And the sword shall slash in his cities,
Devour his districts,
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on (UG)backsliding from Me.
Though [gd]they call [ge]to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him.
8 “How(UH) can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like (UI)Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart [gf]churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim.
(UJ)For I am God, and not man,
The Holy One in your midst;
And I will not [gg]come with terror.
10 “They shall walk after the Lord.
(UK)He will roar like a lion.
When He roars,
Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;
11 They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt,
(UL)Like a dove from the land of Assyria.
(UM)And I will let them dwell in their houses,”
Says the Lord.
God’s Charge Against Ephraim
12 “Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,
And the house of Israel with deceit;
But Judah still walks with God,
Even with the [gh]Holy One who is faithful.
Ephraim’s Sins Rebuked by God
12 “Ephraim (UN)feeds on the wind,
And pursues the east wind;
He daily increases lies and [gi]desolation.
(UO)Also they make a [gj]covenant with the Assyrians,
And (UP)oil is carried to Egypt.
2 “The(UQ) Lord also brings a [gk]charge against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
3 He took his brother (UR)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he (US)struggled with God.
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in (UT)Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
5 That is, the Lord God of hosts.
The Lord is His (UU)memorable name.
6 (UV)So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.
7 “A cunning [gl]Canaanite!
(UW)Deceitful scales are in his hand;
He loves to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said,
(UX)‘Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors
They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’
9 “But I am the Lord your God,
Ever since the land of Egypt;
(UY)I will again make you dwell in tents,
As in the days of the appointed feast.
10 (UZ)I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions;
I have given [gm]symbols [gn]through the witness of the prophets.”
11 Though (VA)Gilead has idols—
Surely they are [go]vanity—
Though they sacrifice bulls in (VB)Gilgal,
Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.
12 Jacob (VC)fled to the country of Syria;
(VD)Israel served for a spouse,
And for a wife he tended sheep.
13 (VE)By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet he was preserved.
14 Ephraim (VF)provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
(VG)And return his reproach upon him.
Relentless Judgment on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, trembling,
He exalted himself in Israel;
But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.
2 Now they sin more and more,
And have made for themselves molded images,
Idols of their silver, according to their skill;
All of it is the work of craftsmen.
They say of them,
“Let [gp]the men who sacrifice [gq]kiss the calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud
And like the early dew that passes away,
(VH)Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor
And like smoke from a chimney.
4 “Yet (VI)I am the Lord your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For (VJ)there is no savior besides Me.
5 (VK)I [gr]knew you in the wilderness,
(VL)In the land of [gs]great drought.
6 (VM)When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore they forgot Me.
7 “So (VN)I will be to them like a lion;
Like (VO)a leopard by the road I will lurk;
8 I will meet them (VP)like a bear deprived of her cubs;
I will tear open their rib cage,
And there I will devour them like a lion.
The [gt]wild beast shall tear them.
9 “O Israel, [gu]you are destroyed,
But [gv]your help is from Me.
10 [gw]I will be your King;
(VQ)Where is any other,
That he may save you in all your cities?
And your judges to whom (VR)you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 (VS)I gave you a king in My anger,
And took him away in My wrath.
12 “The(VT) iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is stored up.
13 (VU)The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him.
He is an unwise son,
For he should not stay long where children are born.
14 “I will ransom them from the [gx]power of [gy]the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
(VV)O Death, [gz]I will be your plagues!
O [ha]Grave, [hb]I will be your destruction!
(VW)Pity is hidden from My eyes.”
15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren,
(VX)An east wind shall come;
The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness.
Then his spring shall become dry,
And his fountain shall be dried up.
He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
16 Samaria [hc]is held guilty,
For she has (VY)rebelled against her God.
They shall fall by the sword,
Their infants shall be dashed in pieces,
And their women with child (VZ)ripped open.
Israel Restored at Last
14 O Israel, (WA)return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
2 Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the (WB)sacrifices[hd] of our lips.
3 Assyria shall (WC)not save us,
(WD)We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’
(WE)For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”
4 “I will heal their (WF)backsliding,
I will (WG)love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
5 I will be like the (WH)dew to Israel;
He shall [he]grow like the lily,
And [hf]lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
6 His branches shall [hg]spread;
(WI)His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And (WJ)his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 (WK)Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And [hh]grow like a vine.
Their [hi]scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
(WL)Your fruit is found in Me.”
9 Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For (WM)the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.
The Locust Plague in Judah
1 The word of the Lord that came to (WN)Joel the son of Pethuel.
The Land Laid Waste(WO)
2 Hear this, you elders,
And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!
(WP)Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
3 (WQ)Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation.
4 (WR)What the chewing [hj]locust left, the (WS)swarming locust has eaten;
What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten;
And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.
5 Awake, you (WT)drunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you drinkers of wine,
Because of the new wine,
(WU)For it has been cut off from your mouth.
6 For (WV)a nation has come up against My land,
Strong, and without number;
(WW)His teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And he has the fangs of a [hk]fierce lion.
7 He has (WX)laid waste My vine,
And [hl]ruined My fig tree;
He has stripped it bare and thrown it away;
Its branches are made white.
8 (WY)Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth
For (WZ)the husband of her youth.
9 (XA)The grain offering and the drink offering
Have been cut off from the house of the Lord;
The priests (XB)mourn, who minister to the Lord.
10 The field is wasted,
(XC)The land mourns;
For the grain is ruined,
(XD)The new wine is dried up,
The oil fails.
11 (XE)Be ashamed, you farmers,
Wail, you vinedressers,
For the wheat and the barley;
Because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 (XF)The vine has dried up,
And the fig tree has withered;
The pomegranate tree,
The palm tree also,
And the apple tree—
All the trees of the field are withered;
Surely (XG)joy has withered away from the sons of men.
Mourning for the Land
13 (XH)Gird yourselves and lament, you priests;
Wail, you who minister before the altar;
Come, lie all night in sackcloth,
You who minister to my God;
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
14 (XI)Consecrate a fast,
Call (XJ)a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And (XK)all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.
15 (XL)Alas for the day!
For (XM)the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
16 Is not the food (XN)cut off before our eyes,
(XO)Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 The seed shrivels under the clods,
Storehouses are in shambles;
Barns are broken down,
For the grain has withered.
18 How (XP)the animals groan!
The herds of cattle are restless,
Because they have no pasture;
Even the flocks of sheep [hm]suffer punishment.
19 O Lord, (XQ)to You I cry out;
For (XR)fire has devoured the [hn]open pastures,
And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.
20 The beasts of the field also (XS)cry out to You,
For (XT)the water brooks are dried up,
And fire has devoured the [ho]open pastures.
The Day of the Lord
2 Blow (XU)the [hp]trumpet in Zion,
And (XV)sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For (XW)the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
2 (XX)A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
(XY)A people come, great and strong,
(XZ)The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
3 A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like (YA)the Garden of Eden before them,
(YB)And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
4 (YC)Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like [hq]swift steeds, so they run.
5 (YD)With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before them the people writhe in pain;
(YE)All faces [hr]are drained of color.
7 They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break (YF)ranks.
8 They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own [hs]column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not [ht]cut down.
9 They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They (YG)enter at the windows (YH)like a thief.
10 (YI)The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
(YJ)The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
11 (YK)The Lord gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
(YL)For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the (YM)day of the Lord is great and very terrible;
(YN)Who can endure it?
A Call to Repentance
12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
(YO)“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So (YP)rend your heart, and not (YQ)your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is (YR)gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
14 (YS)Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave (YT)a blessing behind Him—
(YU)A grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?
15 (YV)Blow the [hu]trumpet in Zion,
(YW)Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people,
(YX)Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
(YY)Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep (YZ)between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, (ZA)“Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should [hv]rule over them.
(ZB)Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
The Land Refreshed(ZC)
18 Then the Lord will (ZD)be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I will send you (ZE)grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
20 “But (ZF)I will remove far from you (ZG)the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back (ZH)toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done [hw]monstrous things.”
21 Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the Lord has done [hx]marvelous things!
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For (ZI)the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And (ZJ)rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has given you the [hy]former rain faithfully,
And He (ZK)will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “So I will restore to you the years (ZL)that the swarming [hz]locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall (ZM)eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to (ZN)shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am (ZO)in the midst of Israel:
(ZP)I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.
God’s Spirit Poured Out
28 “And(ZQ) it shall come to pass afterward
That (ZR)I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
(ZS)Your sons and your (ZT)daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My (ZU)menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 “And (ZV)I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 (ZW)The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
(ZX)Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 And it shall come to pass
That (ZY)whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be [ia]saved.
For (ZZ)in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be [ib]deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among (AAA)the remnant whom the Lord calls.
God Judges the Nations
3 “For behold, (AAB)in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 (AAC)I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I (AAD)will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land.
3 They have (AAE)cast lots for My people,
Have given a boy as payment for a harlot,
And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
4 “Indeed, what have you to do with Me,
(AAF)O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia?
Will you [ic]retaliate against Me?
But if you [id]retaliate against Me,
Swiftly and speedily I will return your [ie]retaliation upon your own head;
5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold,
And have carried into your temples My [if]prized possessions.
6 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem
You have sold to the Greeks,
That you may remove them far from their borders.
7 “Behold, (AAG)I will raise them
Out of the place to which you have sold them,
And will return your [ig]retaliation upon your own head.
8 I will sell your sons and your daughters
Into the hand of the people of Judah,
And they will sell them to the (AAH)Sabeans,[ih]
To a people (AAI)far off;
For the Lord has spoken.”
9 (AAJ)Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war!
Wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.
10 (AAK)Beat your plowshares into swords
And your [ii]pruning hooks into spears;
(AAL)Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ”
11 Assemble and come, all you nations,
And gather together all around.
Cause (AAM)Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.
12 “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to (AAN)judge all the surrounding nations.
13 (AAO)Put in the sickle, for (AAP)the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the (AAQ)winepress is full,
The vats overflow—
For their wickedness is great.”
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For (AAR)the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark,
And the stars will diminish their brightness.
16 The Lord also will roar from Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
(AAS)But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.
17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
Dwelling in Zion My (AAT)holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy,
And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
God Blesses His People
18 And it will come to pass in that day
That the mountains shall drip with new wine,
The hills shall flow with milk,
And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water;
A (AAU)fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord
And water the Valley of [ij]Acacias.
19 “Egypt shall be a desolation,
And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah,
For they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 For I will (AAV)acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
For the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Judgments on Israel’s Neighbors
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (AAW)sheepbreeders of (AAX)Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of (AAY)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (AAZ)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (ABA)earthquake.
2 And he said:
“The Lord (ABB)roars from Zion,
And utters His voice from Jerusalem;
The pastures of the shepherds mourn,
And the top of (ABC)Carmel withers.”
Judgment on the Nations
3 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ABD)Damascus, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have (ABE)threshed Gilead with implements of iron.
4 (ABF)But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael,
Which shall devour the palaces of (ABG)Ben-Hadad.
5 I will also break the gate (ABH)bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
And the one who [ik]holds the scepter from [il]Beth Eden.
The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ABI)Gaza, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they took captive the whole captivity
To deliver them up to Edom.
7 (ABJ)But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
Which shall devour its palaces.
8 I will cut off the inhabitant (ABK)from Ashdod,
And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
I will (ABL)turn My hand against Ekron,
And (ABM)the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”
Says the Lord God.
9 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ABN)Tyre, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom,
And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
Which shall devour its palaces.”
11 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ABO)Edom, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because he pursued his (ABP)brother with the sword,
And cast off all pity;
His anger tore perpetually,
And he kept his wrath forever.
12 But (ABQ)I will send a fire upon Teman,
Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ABR)the people of Ammon, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead,
That they might enlarge their territory.
14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of (ABS)Rabbah,
And it shall devour its palaces,
(ABT)Amid shouting in the day of battle,
And a tempest in the day of the whirlwind.
15 (ABU)Their king shall go into captivity,
He and his princes together,”
Says the Lord.
Judgment on Israel
2 Thus says the Lord:
(ABV)“For three transgressions of Moab, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because he (ABW)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 But I will send a fire upon Moab,
And it shall devour the palaces of (ABX)Kerioth;
Moab shall die with tumult,
With shouting and trumpet sound.
3 And I will cut off (ABY)the judge from its midst,
And slay all its princes with him,”
Says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah
4 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ABZ)Judah, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
(ACA)Because they have despised the law of the Lord,
And have not kept His commandments.
(ACB)Their lies lead them astray,
Lies (ACC)which their fathers followed.
5 (ACD)But I will send a fire upon Judah,
And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (ACE)Israel, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because (ACF)they sell the righteous for silver,
And the (ACG)poor for a pair of sandals.
7 They [im]pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor,
And (ACH)pervert the way of the humble.
(ACI)A man and his father go in to the same girl,
(ACJ)To defile My holy name.
8 They lie down (ACK)by every altar on clothes (ACL)taken in pledge,
And drink the wine of [in]the condemned in the house of their god.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the (ACM)Amorite before them,
Whose height was like the (ACN)height of the cedars,
And he was as strong as the oaks;
Yet I (ACO)destroyed his fruit above
And his roots beneath.
10 Also it was (ACP)I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And (ACQ)led you forty years through the wilderness,
To possess the land of the Amorite.
11 I raised up some of your sons as (ACR)prophets,
And some of your young men as (ACS)Nazirites.
Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”
Says the Lord.
12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink,
And commanded the prophets (ACT)saying,
‘Do not prophesy!’
13 “Behold,(ACU) I am [io]weighed down by you,
As a cart full of sheaves [ip]is weighed down.
14 (ACV)Therefore [iq]flight shall perish from the swift,
The strong shall not strengthen his power,
(ACW)Nor shall the mighty [ir]deliver himself;
15 He shall not stand who handles the bow,
The swift of foot shall not [is]escape,
Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.
16 The most [it]courageous men of might
Shall flee naked in that day,”
Says the Lord.
Authority of the Prophet’s Message
3 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “You(ACX) only have I known of all the families of the earth;
(ACY)Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion [iu]cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no [iv]trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a [iw]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
(ACZ)If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless (ADA)He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
(ADB)Who can but prophesy?
Punishment of Israel’s Sins
9 “Proclaim in the palaces at [ix]Ashdod,
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say:
‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst,
And the [iy]oppressed within her.
10 For they (ADC)do not know to do right,’
Says the Lord,
‘Who store up violence and [iz]robbery in their palaces.’ ”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“An adversary shall be all around the land;
He shall sap your strength from you,
And your palaces shall be plundered.”
12 Thus says the Lord:
“As a shepherd [ja]takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear,
So shall the children of Israel be taken out
Who dwell in Samaria—
In the corner of a bed and [jb]on the edge of a couch!
13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 “That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,
I will also visit destruction on the altars of (ADD)Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
15 I will [jc]destroy (ADE)the winter house along with (ADF)the summer house;
The (ADG)houses of ivory shall perish,
And the great houses shall have an end,”
Says the Lord.
God’s Punishments Have Not Reformed Israel
4 Hear this word, you (ADH)cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the (ADI)poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to [jd]your husbands, “Bring wine, let us (ADJ)drink!”
2 (ADK)The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away (ADL)with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
3 (ADM)You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will [je]be cast into Harmon,”
Says the Lord.
4 “Come(ADN) to Bethel and transgress,
At (ADO)Gilgal multiply transgression;
(ADP)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
(ADQ)Your tithes every three [jf]days.
5 (ADR)Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
Proclaim and announce (ADS)the freewill offerings;
For this you love,
You children of Israel!”
Says the Lord God.
Israel Did Not Accept Correction
6 “Also I gave you [jg]cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
And lack of bread in all your places;
(ADT)Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
7 “I also withheld rain from you,
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
9 “I(ADU) blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
(ADV)The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
10 “I sent among you a plague (ADW)after the manner of Egypt;
Your young men I killed with a sword,
Along with your captive horses;
I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
11 “I overthrew some of you,
As God overthrew (ADX)Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
(ADY)Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13 For behold,
He who forms mountains,
And creates the [jh]wind,
(ADZ)Who declares to man what [ji]his thought is,
And makes the morning darkness,
(AEA)Who treads the high places of the earth—
(AEB)The Lord God of hosts is His name.
A Lament for Israel
5 Hear this word which I (AEC)take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel:
2 The virgin of Israel has fallen;
She will rise no more.
She lies forsaken on her land;
There is no one to raise her up.
3 For thus says the Lord God:
“The city that goes out by a thousand
Shall have a hundred left,
And that which goes out by a hundred
Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
A Call to Repentance
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
(AED)“Seek Me (AEE)and live;
5 But do not seek (AEF)Bethel,
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to (AEG)Beersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And (AEH)Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 (AEI)Seek the Lord and live,
Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it,
With no one to quench it in Bethel—
7 You who (AEJ)turn justice to wormwood,
And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”
8 He made the (AEK)Pleiades and Orion;
He turns the shadow of death into morning
(AEL)And makes the day dark as night;
He (AEM)calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the face of the earth;
(AEN)The Lord is His name.
9 He [jj]rains ruin upon the strong,
So that fury comes upon the fortress.
10 (AEO)They hate the one who rebukes in the gate,
And they (AEP)abhor the one who speaks uprightly.
11 (AEQ)Therefore, because you [jk]tread down the poor
And take grain [jl]taxes from him,
Though (AER)you have built houses of hewn stone,
Yet you shall not dwell in them;
You have planted [jm]pleasant vineyards,
But you shall not drink wine from them.
12 For I (AES)know your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
(AET)Afflicting the just and taking bribes;
(AEU)Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.
13 Therefore (AEV)the prudent keep silent at that time,
For it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,
(AEW)As you have spoken.
15 (AEX)Hate evil, love good;
Establish justice in the gate.
(AEY)It may be that the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
The Day of the Lord
16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts, the Lord, says this:
“There shall be wailing in all streets,
And they shall say in all the highways,
‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmer to mourning,
(AEZ)And skillful lamenters to wailing.
17 In all vineyards there shall be wailing,
For (AFA)I will pass through you,”
Says the Lord.
18 (AFB)Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
For what good is (AFC)the day of the Lord to you?
It will be darkness, and not light.
19 It will be (AFD)as though a man fled from a lion,
And a bear met him!
Or as though he went into the house,
Leaned his hand on the wall,
And a serpent bit him!
20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light?
Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?
21 “I(AFE) hate, I despise your feast days,
And (AFF)I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
22 (AFG)Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
24 (AFH)But let justice run down like water,
And righteousness like a mighty stream.
25 “Did(AFI) you offer Me sacrifices and offerings
In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 You also carried [jn]Sikkuth[jo] (AFJ)your king
And Chiun, your idols,
The star of your gods,
Which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into captivity (AFK)beyond Damascus,”
Says the Lord, (AFL)whose name is the God of hosts.
Warnings to Zion and Samaria
6 Woe (AFM)to you who are at (AFN)ease in Zion,
And (AFO)trust in Mount Samaria,
Notable persons in the (AFP)chief nation,
To whom the house of Israel comes!
2 (AFQ)Go over to (AFR)Calneh and see;
And from there go to (AFS)Hamath the great;
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
(AFT)Are you better than these kingdoms?
Or is their territory greater than your territory?
3 Woe to you who (AFU)put far off the day of (AFV)doom,
(AFW)Who cause (AFX)the seat of violence to come near;
4 Who lie on beds of ivory,
Stretch out on your couches,
Eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall;
5 (AFY)Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments,
And invent for yourselves (AFZ)musical instruments (AGA)like David;
6 Who (AGB)drink wine from bowls,
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments,
(AGC)But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore they shall now go (AGD)captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.
8 (AGE)The Lord God has sworn by Himself,
The Lord God of hosts says:
“I abhor (AGF)the pride of Jacob,
And hate his palaces;
Therefore I will deliver up the city
And all that is in it.”
9 Then it shall come to pass, that if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. 10 And when [jp]a relative of the dead, with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the [jq]bodies to take them out of the house, he will say to one inside the house, “Are there any more with you?”
Then someone will say, “None.”
And he will say, (AGG)“Hold your tongue! (AGH)For we dare not mention the name of the Lord.”
11 For behold, (AGI)the Lord gives a command:
(AGJ)He will break the great house into bits,
And the little house into pieces.
12 Do horses run on rocks?
Does one plow there with oxen?
Yet (AGK)you have turned justice into gall,
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,
13 You who rejoice over [jr]Lo Debar,
Who say, “Have we not taken [js]Karnaim for ourselves
By our own strength?”
14 “But, behold, (AGL)I will raise up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,”
Says the Lord God of hosts;
“And they will afflict you from the (AGM)entrance of Hamath
To the Valley of the Arabah.”
Vision of the Locusts
7 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the [jt]beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings. 2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said:
“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!
(AGN)Oh,[ju] that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
3 So (AGO)the Lord relented concerning this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
Vision of the Fire
4 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called [jv]for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the [jw]territory. 5 Then I said:
“O Lord God, cease, I pray!
(AGP)Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
6 So the Lord relented concerning this.
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
Vision of the Plumb Line
7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
And I said, “A plumb line.”
Then the Lord said:
“Behold, (AGQ)I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
(AGR)I will not pass by them anymore.
9 (AGS)The [jx]high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the [jy]sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
(AGT)I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.”
Amaziah’s Complaint
10 Then Amaziah the (AGU)priest of (AGV)Bethel sent to (AGW)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to [jz]bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said:
‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
And Israel shall surely be led away (AGX)captive
From their own land.’ ”
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos:
“Go, you seer!
Flee to the land of Judah.
There eat bread,
And there prophesy.
13 But (AGY)never again prophesy at Bethel,
(AGZ)For it is the king’s [ka]sanctuary,
And it is the royal [kb]residence.”
14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:
“I was no prophet,
Nor was I (AHA)a son of a prophet,
But I was a (AHB)sheepbreeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15 Then the Lord took me [kc]as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, (AHC)prophesy to My people Israel.’
16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
And (AHD)do not [kd]spout against the house of Isaac.’
17 “Therefore(AHE) thus says the Lord:
(AHF)‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city;
Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by survey line;
You shall die in a (AHG)defiled land;
And Israel shall surely be led away captive
From his own land.’ ”
Vision of the Summer Fruit
8 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2 And He said, “Amos, what do you see?”
So I said, “A basket of summer fruit.”
Then the Lord said to me:
(AHH)“The end has come upon My people Israel;
(AHI)I will not pass by them anymore.
3 And (AHJ)the songs of the temple
Shall be wailing in that day,”
Says the Lord God—
“Many dead bodies everywhere,
(AHK)They shall be thrown out in silence.”
4 Hear this, you who [ke]swallow up the needy,
And make the poor of the land fail,
5 Saying:
“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain?
And (AHL)the Sabbath,
That we may [kf]trade wheat?
(AHM)Making the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by (AHN)deceit,
6 That we may buy the poor for (AHO)silver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?”
7 The Lord has sworn by (AHP)the pride of Jacob:
“Surely (AHQ)I will never forget any of their works.
8 (AHR)Shall the land not tremble for this,
And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like [kg]the River,
Heave and subside
(AHS)Like the River of Egypt.
9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord God,
(AHT)“That I will make the sun go down at noon,
And I will darken the earth in [kh]broad daylight;
10 I will turn your feasts into (AHU)mourning,
(AHV)And all your songs into lamentation;
(AHW)I will bring sackcloth on every waist,
And baldness on every head;
I will make it like mourning for an only son,
And its end like a bitter day.
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But (AHX)of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall (AHY)not find it.
13 “In that day the fair virgins
And strong young men
Shall faint from thirst.
14 Those who (AHZ)swear by (AIA)the [ki]sin of Samaria,
Who say,
‘As your god lives, O Dan!’
And, ‘As the way of (AIB)Beersheba lives!’
They shall fall and never rise again.”
The Destruction of Israel
9 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said:
“Strike the [kj]doorposts, that the thresholds may shake,
And (AIC)break them on the heads of them all.
I will slay the last of them with the sword.
(AID)He who flees from them shall not get away,
And he who escapes from them shall not be delivered.
2 “Though(AIE) they dig into [kk]hell,
From there My hand shall take them;
(AIF)Though they climb up to heaven,
From there I will bring them down;
3 And though they (AIG)hide themselves on top of Carmel,
From there I will search and take them;
Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea,
From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them;
4 Though they go into captivity before their enemies,
From there (AIH)I will command the sword,
And it shall slay them.
(AII)I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good.”
5 The Lord God of hosts,
He who touches the earth and it (AIJ)melts,
(AIK)And all who dwell there mourn;
All of it shall swell like [kl]the River,
And subside like the River of Egypt.
6 He who builds His (AIL)layers[km] in the sky,
And has founded His strata in the earth;
Who (AIM)calls for the waters of the sea,
And pours them out on the face of the earth—
(AIN)The Lord is His name.
7 “Are you not like the [kn]people of Ethiopia to Me,
O children of Israel?” says the Lord.
“Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,
The (AIO)Philistines from (AIP)Caphtor,[ko]
And the Syrians from (AIQ)Kir?
8 “Behold, (AIR)the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I (AIS)will destroy it from the face of the earth;
Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord.
9 “For surely I will command,
And will [kp]sift the house of Israel among all nations,
As grain is sifted in a sieve;
(AIT)Yet not the smallest [kq]grain shall fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,
(AIU)Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’
Israel Will Be Restored
11 “On(AIV) that day I will raise up
The [kr]tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And [ks]repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 (AIW)That they may possess the remnant of (AIX)Edom,[kt]
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
Says the Lord who does this thing.
13 “Behold, (AIY)the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
(AIZ)The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
14 (AJA)I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
(AJB)They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
15 I will plant them in their land,
(AJC)And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.
The Coming Judgment on Edom
1 The vision of Obadiah.
Thus says the Lord God (AJD)concerning Edom
(AJE)(We have heard a report from the Lord,
And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”):
2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You shall be greatly despised.
3 The (AJF)pride of your heart has deceived you,
You who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Whose habitation is high;
(AJG)You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
4 (AJH)Though you ascend as high as the eagle,
And though you (AJI)set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.
5 “If (AJJ)thieves had come to you,
If robbers by night—
Oh, how you will be cut off!—
Would they not have stolen till they had enough?
If grape-gatherers had come to you,
(AJK)Would they not have left some gleanings?
6 “Oh, how Esau shall be searched out!
How his hidden treasures shall be sought after!
7 All the men in your confederacy
Shall force you to the border;
(AJL)The men at peace with you
Shall deceive you and prevail against you.
Those who eat your bread shall lay a [ku]trap for you.
(AJM)No[kv] one is aware of it.
8 “Will(AJN) I not in that day,” says the Lord,
“Even destroy the wise men from Edom,
And understanding from the mountains of Esau?
9 Then your (AJO)mighty men, O (AJP)Teman, shall be dismayed,
To the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau
May be cut off by slaughter.
Edom Mistreated His Brother
10 “For (AJQ)violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And (AJR)you shall be cut off forever.
11 In the day that you (AJS)stood on the other side—
In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,
When foreigners entered his gates
And (AJT)cast lots for Jerusalem—
Even you were as one of them.
12 “But you should not have (AJU)gazed[kw] on the day of your brother
[kx]In the day of his captivity;
Nor should you have (AJV)rejoiced over the children of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.
13 You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have [ky]gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.
14 You should not have stood at the crossroads
To cut off those among them who escaped;
Nor should you have [kz]delivered up those among them who remained
In the day of distress.
15 “For(AJW) the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;
(AJX)As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your [la]reprisal shall return upon your own head.
16 (AJY)For as you drank on My holy mountain,
So shall all the nations drink continually;
Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,
And they shall be as though they had never been.
Israel’s Final Triumph
17 “But on Mount Zion there (AJZ)shall be [lb]deliverance,
And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And the house of Joseph (AKA)a flame;
But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
They shall kindle them and devour them,
And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.
19 The [lc]South (AKB)shall possess the mountains of Esau,
(AKC)And the Lowland shall possess Philistia.
They shall possess the fields of Ephraim
And the fields of Samaria.
Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 And the captives of this host of the children of Israel
Shall possess the land of the Canaanites
As (AKD)far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
(AKE)Shall possess the cities of the [ld]South.
21 Then (AKF)saviors[le] shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the (AKG)kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
Jonah’s Disobedience
1 Now the word of the Lord came to (AKH)Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to (AKI)Nineveh, that (AKJ)great city, and cry out against it; for (AKK)their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to (AKL)Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to (AKM)Tarshish (AKN)from the presence of the Lord.
The Storm at Sea
4 But (AKO)the Lord [lf]sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten [lg]the load. But Jonah had gone down (AKP)into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, (AKQ)call on your God; (AKR)perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us (AKS)cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, (AKT)“Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear [lh]the Lord, the God of heaven, (AKU)who made the sea and the dry land.”
Jonah Thrown into the Sea
10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12 And he said to them, (AKV)“Pick me up and [li]throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, (AKW)but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and (AKX)do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, (AKY)have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, (AKZ)and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men (ALA)feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance
17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And (ALB)Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah’s Prayer and God’s Answer
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said:
“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
3 (ALE)For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
(ALF)All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 (ALG)Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again (ALH)toward Your holy temple.’
5 The (ALI)waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the [lj]moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my (ALJ)life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
7 “When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
(ALK)And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regard (ALL)worthless idols
Forsake their own [lk]Mercy.
9 But I will (ALM)sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have (ALN)vowed.
(ALO)Salvation is of the (ALP)Lord.”
10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah Preaches at Nineveh
3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, [ll]a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then (ALQ)he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
The People of Nineveh Believe
5 So the (ALR)people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth (ALS)and sat in ashes. 7 (ALT)And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his [lm]nobles, saying,
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, (ALU)let every one turn from his evil way and from (ALV)the violence that is in his hands. 9 (ALW)Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 (ALX)Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness
4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I (ALY)fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a (ALZ)gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 (AMA)Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for (AMB)it is better for me to die than to live!”
4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a [ln]plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah [lo]was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, (AMC)“It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which [lp]came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, (AMD)that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons (AME)who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
Judgment on Israel and Judah
1 The word of the Lord that came to (AMF)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (AMG)Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
The Coming Judgment on Israel
2 Hear, all you peoples!
Listen, O earth, and all that is in it!
Let the Lord God be a witness against you,
The Lord from (AMH)His holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth.
4 (AMI)The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will split
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob
And for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria?
And what are the (AMJ)high places of Judah?
Are they not Jerusalem?
6 “Therefore I will make Samaria (AMK)a heap of ruins in the field,
Places for planting a vineyard;
I will pour down her stones into the valley,
And I will (AML)uncover her foundations.
7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
And all her (AMM)pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire;
All her idols I will lay desolate,
For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot,
And they shall return to the (AMN)pay of a harlot.”
Mourning for Israel and Judah
8 Therefore I will wail and howl,
I will go stripped and naked;
(AMO)I will make a wailing like the jackals
And a mourning like the ostriches,
9 For her wounds are incurable.
For (AMP)it has come to Judah;
It has come to the gate of My people—
To Jerusalem.
10 (AMQ)Tell it not in Gath,
Weep not at all;
In [lq]Beth Aphrah
Roll yourself in the dust.
11 Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of [lr]Shaphir;
The inhabitant of [ls]Zaanan does not go out.
Beth Ezel mourns;
Its place to stand is taken away from you.
12 For the inhabitant of [lt]Maroth [lu]pined for good,
But (AMR)disaster came down from the Lord
To the gate of Jerusalem.
13 O inhabitant of (AMS)Lachish,
Harness the chariot to the swift steeds
(She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion),
For the transgressions of Israel were (AMT)found in you.
14 Therefore you shall (AMU)give presents to [lv]Moresheth Gath;
The houses of (AMV)Achzib[lw] shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15 I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of (AMW)Mareshah;[lx]
The glory of Israel shall come to (AMX)Adullam.[ly]
16 Make yourself (AMY)bald and cut off your hair,
Because of your (AMZ)precious children;
Enlarge your baldness like an eagle,
For they shall go from you into (ANA)captivity.
Woe to Evildoers
2 Woe to those who devise iniquity,
And [lz]work out evil on their beds!
At (ANB)morning light they practice it,
Because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They (ANC)covet fields and take them by violence,
Also houses, and seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the Lord:
“Behold, against this (AND)family I am devising (ANE)disaster,
From which you cannot remove your necks;
Nor shall you walk haughtily,
For this is an evil time.
4 In that day one shall take up a proverb against you,
And (ANF)lament with a bitter lamentation, saying:
‘We are utterly destroyed!
He has changed the [ma]heritage of my people;
How He has removed it from me!
To [mb]a turncoat He has divided our fields.’ ”
5 Therefore you will have no [mc]one to determine boundaries by lot
In the assembly of the Lord.
Lying Prophets
6 “Do not prattle,” you say to those who [md]prophesy.
So they shall not prophesy [me]to you;
[mf]They shall not return insult for insult.
7 You who are named the house of Jacob:
“Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted?
Are these His doings?
Do not My words do good
To him who walks uprightly?
8 “Lately My people have risen up as an enemy—
You pull off the robe with the garment
From those who trust you, as they pass by,
Like men returned from war.
9 The women of My people you cast out
From their pleasant houses;
From their children
You have taken away My glory forever.
10 “Arise and depart,
For this is not your (ANG)rest;
Because it is (ANH)defiled, it shall destroy,
Yes, with utter destruction.
11 If a man should walk in a false spirit
And speak a lie, saying,
‘I will [mg]prophesy to you [mh]of wine and drink,’
Even he would be the (ANI)prattler of this people.
Israel Restored
12 “I(ANJ) will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel;
I will put them together (ANK)like sheep of [mi]the fold,
Like a flock in the midst of their pasture;
(ANL)They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.
13 The one who breaks open will come up before them;
They will break out,
Pass through the gate,
And go out by it;
(ANM)Their king will pass before them,
(ANN)With the Lord at their head.”
Wicked Rulers and Prophets
3 And I said:
“Hear now, O heads of Jacob,
And you (ANO)rulers of the house of Israel:
(ANP)Is it not for you to know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil;
Who strip the skin from [mj]My people,
And the flesh from their bones;
3 Who also (ANQ)eat the flesh of My people,
Flay their skin from them,
Break their bones,
And chop them in pieces
Like meat for the pot,
(ANR)Like flesh in the caldron.”
4 Then (ANS)they will cry to the Lord,
But He will not hear them;
He will even hide His face from them at that time,
Because they have been evil in their deeds.
5 Thus says the Lord (ANT)concerning the prophets
Who make my people stray;
Who chant [mk]“Peace”
[ml]While they (ANU)chew with their teeth,
But who prepare war against him
(ANV)Who puts nothing into their mouths:
6 “Therefore(ANW) you shall have night without [mm]vision,
And you shall have darkness without divination;
The sun shall go down on the prophets,
And the day shall be dark for (ANX)them.
7 So the seers shall be ashamed,
And the diviners abashed;
Indeed they shall all cover their lips;
(ANY)For there is no answer from God.”
8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord,
And of justice and might,
(ANZ)To declare to Jacob his transgression
And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this,
You heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who abhor justice
And [mn]pervert all equity,
10 (AOA)Who build up Zion with (AOB)bloodshed
And Jerusalem with iniquity:
11 (AOC)Her heads judge for a bribe,
(AOD)Her priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for [mo]money.
(AOE)Yet they lean on the Lord, and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No harm can come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you
Zion shall be (AOF)plowed like a field,
(AOG)Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And (AOH)the mountain of the [mp]temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.
The Lord’s Reign in Zion(AOI)
4 Now (AOJ)it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it.
2 Many nations shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion the law shall go forth,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
And rebuke strong nations afar off;
They shall beat their swords into (AOK)plowshares,
And their spears into [mq]pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
(AOL)Neither shall they learn war anymore.
4 (AOM)But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all people walk each in the name of his god,
But (AON)we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
Forever and ever.
Zion’s Future Triumph
6 “In that day,” says the Lord,
(AOO)“I will assemble the lame,
(AOP)I will gather the outcast
And those whom I have afflicted;
7 I will make the lame (AOQ)a remnant,
And the outcast a strong nation;
So the Lord (AOR)will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on, even forever.
8 And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come,
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
9 Now why do you cry aloud?
(AOS)Is there no king in your midst?
Has your counselor perished?
For (AOT)pangs have seized you like a woman in [mr]labor.
10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth,
O daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in birth pangs.
For now you shall go forth from the city,
You shall dwell in the field,
And to (AOU)Babylon you shall go.
There you shall be delivered;
There the (AOV)Lord will (AOW)redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 (AOX)Now also many nations have gathered against you,
Who say, “Let her be defiled,
And let our eye (AOY)look upon Zion.”
12 But they do not know (AOZ)the thoughts of the Lord,
Nor do they understand His counsel;
For He will gather them (APA)like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Arise(APB) and (APC)thresh, O daughter of Zion;
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hooves bronze;
You shall (APD)beat in pieces many peoples;
(APE)I will consecrate their gain to the Lord,
And their substance to (APF)the Lord of the whole earth.”
The Messiah Will Be Born at Bethlehem
5 Now gather yourself in troops,
O daughter of troops;
He has laid siege against us;
They will (APG)strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
The Coming Messiah
2 “But you, (APH)Bethlehem (API)Ephrathah,
Though you are little (APJ)among the (APK)thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be (APL)Ruler in Israel,
(APM)Whose goings forth are from of old,
From [ms]everlasting.”
3 Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that (APN)she who is in labor has given birth;
Then (APO)the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
4 And He shall stand and (APP)feed[mt] His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He (APQ)shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
5 And this One (APR)shall be peace.
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
When the Assyrian comes into our land,
And when he treads in our palaces,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight princely men.
6 They shall [mu]waste with the sword the land of Assyria,
And the land of (APS)Nimrod at its entrances;
Thus He shall (APT)deliver us from the Assyrian,
When he comes into our land
And when he treads within our borders.
7 Then (APU)the remnant of Jacob
Shall be in the midst of many peoples,
(APV)Like dew from the Lord,
Like showers on the grass,
That [mv]tarry for no man
Nor [mw]wait for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob
Shall be among the Gentiles,
In the midst of many peoples,
Like a (APW)lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Who, if he passes through,
Both treads down and tears in pieces,
And none can deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries,
And all your enemies shall be [mx]cut off.
10 “And it shall be in that day,” says the Lord,
“That I will (APX)cut[my] off your (APY)horses from your midst
And destroy your (APZ)chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land
And throw down all your strongholds.
12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
And you shall have no (AQA)soothsayers.
13 (AQB)Your carved images I will also cut off,
And your sacred pillars from your midst;
You shall (AQC)no more worship the work of your hands;
14 I will pluck your [mz]wooden images from your midst;
Thus I will destroy your cities.
15 And I will (AQD)execute vengeance in anger and fury
On the nations that have not [na]heard.”
God Pleads with Israel
6 Hear now what the Lord says:
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 (AQE)Hear, O you mountains, (AQF)the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For (AQG)the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will [nb]contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what (AQH)have I done to you?
And how have I (AQI)wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 (AQJ)For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now
What (AQK)Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From [nc]Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know (AQL)the righteousness of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
7 (AQM)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand (AQN)rivers of oil?
(AQO)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
[nd]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (AQP)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But (AQQ)to do justly,
To love [ne]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Punishment of Israel’s Injustice
9 The Lord’s voice cries to the city—
Wisdom shall see Your name:
“Hear the rod!
Who has appointed it?
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with (AQR)the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of (AQS)violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And (AQT)their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 “Therefore I will also (AQU)make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 (AQV)You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
[nf]Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away,[ng] but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 “You shall (AQW)sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of (AQX)Omri are (AQY)kept;
All the works of Ahab’s house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a [nh]desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the (AQZ)reproach of [ni]My people.”
Sorrow for Israel’s Sins
7 Woe is me!
For I am like those who gather summer fruits,
Like those who (ARA)glean vintage grapes;
There is no cluster to eat
Of the first-ripe fruit which (ARB)my soul desires.
2 The (ARC)faithful[nj] man has perished from the earth,
And there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
(ARD)Every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands—
The prince asks for gifts,
The judge seeks a (ARE)bribe,
And the great man utters his evil desire;
So they scheme together.
4 The best of them is (ARF)like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.
5 (ARG)Do not trust in a friend;
Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth
From her who lies in your (ARH)bosom.
6 For (ARI)son dishonors father,
Daughter rises against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
7 Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will (ARJ)wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.
Israel’s Confession and Comfort
8 (ARK)Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
(ARL)When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.
9 (ARM)I will bear the indignation of the Lord,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my (ARN)case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.
10 Then she who is my enemy will see,
And (ARO)shame will cover her who said to me,
(ARP)“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her;
Now she will be trampled down
Like mud in the streets.
11 In the day when your (ARQ)walls are to be built,
In that day [nk]the decree shall go far and wide.
12 In that day (ARR)they[nl] shall come to you
From Assyria and the [nm]fortified cities,
From the [nn]fortress to [no]the River,
From sea to sea,
And mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land shall be desolate
Because of those who dwell in it,
And (ARS)for the fruit of their deeds.
God Will Forgive Israel
14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock of Your heritage,
Who dwell [np]solitarily in a (ART)woodland,
In the midst of Carmel;
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
As in days of old.
16 The nations (ARW)shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
(ARX)They shall put their hand over their mouth;
Their ears shall be deaf.
17 They shall lick the (ARY)dust like a serpent;
(ARZ)They shall crawl from their holes like [nr]snakes of the earth.
(ASA)They shall be afraid of the Lord our God,
And shall fear because of You.
18 (ASB)Who is a God like You,
(ASC)Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of (ASD)the remnant of His heritage?
(ASE)He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in (ASF)mercy.[ns]
19 He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all [nt]our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 (ASG)You will give truth to Jacob
And [nu]mercy to Abraham,
(ASH)Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.
God’s Mercy and Judgment
1 The [nv]burden (ASI)against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God’s Wrath on His Enemies
2 God is (ASJ)jealous, and the Lord avenges;
The Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
3 The Lord is (ASK)slow to anger and (ASL)great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.
(ASM)The Lord has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
4 (ASN)He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,
And dries up all the rivers.
(ASO)Bashan and Carmel wither,
And the flower of Lebanon wilts.
5 The mountains quake before Him,
The hills melt,
And the earth [nw]heaves at His presence,
Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
And (ASP)who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire,
And the rocks are thrown down by Him.
7 (ASQ)The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And (ASR)He knows those who trust in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make an utter end of its place,
And darkness will pursue His enemies.
9 (ASS)What do you [nx]conspire against the Lord?
(AST)He will make an utter end of it.
Affliction will not rise up a second time.
10 For while tangled (ASU)like thorns,
(ASV)And while drunken like drunkards,
(ASW)They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.
11 From you comes forth one
Who plots evil against the Lord,
A [ny]wicked counselor.
12 Thus says the Lord:
“Though they are [nz]safe, and likewise many,
Yet in this manner they will be (ASX)cut down
When he passes through.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more;
13 For now I will break off his yoke from you,
And burst your bonds apart.”
14 The Lord has given a command concerning you:
[oa]“Your name shall be perpetuated no longer.
Out of the house of your gods
I will cut off the carved image and the molded image.
I will dig your (ASY)grave,
For you are (ASZ)vile.”[ob]
15 Behold, on the mountains
The (ATA)feet of him who brings good tidings,
Who proclaims peace!
O Judah, keep your appointed feasts,
Perform your vows.
For the [oc]wicked one shall no more pass through you;
He is (ATB)utterly cut off.
The Destruction of Nineveh
2 He[od] who scatters has come up before your face.
Man the fort!
Watch the road!
Strengthen your flanks!
Fortify your power mightily.
2 For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob
Like the excellence of Israel,
For the emptiers have emptied them out
And ruined their vine branches.
3 The shields of his mighty men are made red,
The valiant men are in scarlet.
The chariots come with flaming torches
In the day of his preparation,
And [oe]the spears are brandished.
4 The chariots rage in the streets,
They jostle one another in the broad roads;
They seem like torches,
They run like lightning.
5 He remembers his nobles;
They stumble in their walk;
They make haste to her walls,
And the defense is prepared.
6 The gates of the rivers are opened,
And the palace is dissolved.
7 [of]It is decreed:
She shall be led away captive,
She shall be brought up;
And her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves,
Beating their breasts.
8 Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water,
Now they flee away.
[og]“Halt! Halt!” they cry;
But no one turns back.
9 [oh]Take spoil of silver!
Take spoil of (ATC)gold!
There is no end of treasure,
Or wealth of every desirable prize.
10 She is empty, desolate, and waste!
The heart melts, and the knees shake;
Much pain is in every side,
And all their faces [oi]are drained of color.
11 Where is the dwelling of the (ATD)lions,
And the feeding place of the young lions,
Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub,
And no one made them afraid?
12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs,
[oj]Killed for his lionesses,
(ATE)Filled his caves with prey,
And his dens with [ok]flesh.
13 “Behold, (ATF)I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts, “I will burn [ol]your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your (ATG)messengers shall be heard no more.”
The Woe of Nineveh
3 Woe to the (ATH)bloody city!
It is all full of lies and robbery.
Its [om]victim never departs.
2 The noise of a whip
And the noise of rattling wheels,
Of galloping horses,
Of [on]clattering chariots!
3 Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear.
There is a multitude of slain,
A great number of bodies,
Countless corpses—
They stumble over the corpses—
4 Because of the multitude of [oo]harlotries of the [op]seductive harlot,
(ATI)The mistress of sorceries,
Who sells nations through her harlotries,
And families through her sorceries.
5 “Behold, I am (ATJ)against you,” says the Lord of hosts;
(ATK)“I will lift your skirts over your face,
I will show the nations your nakedness,
And the kingdoms your shame.
6 I will cast abominable filth upon you,
Make you (ATL)vile,[oq]
And make you (ATM)a spectacle.
7 It shall come to pass that all who look upon you
(ATN)Will flee from you, and say,
(ATO)‘Nineveh is laid waste!
(ATP)Who will bemoan her?’
Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
8 (ATQ)Are you better than (ATR)No[or] Amon
That was situated by the [os]River,
That had the waters around her,
Whose rampart was the sea,
Whose wall was the sea?
9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength,
And it was boundless;
(ATS)Put and Lubim were [ot]your helpers.
10 Yet she was carried away,
She went into captivity;
(ATT)Her young children also were dashed to pieces
(ATU)At the head of every street;
They (ATV)cast lots for her honorable men,
And all her great men were bound in chains.
11 You also will be (ATW)drunk;
You will be hidden;
You also will seek refuge from the enemy.
12 All your strongholds are (ATX)fig trees with ripened figs:
If they are shaken,
They fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Surely, (ATY)your people in your midst are women!
The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies;
Fire shall devour the (ATZ)bars of your gates.
14 Draw your water for the siege!
(AUA)Fortify your strongholds!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
Make strong the brick kiln!
15 There the fire will devour you,
The sword will cut you off;
It will eat you up like a (AUB)locust.
Make yourself many—like the locust!
Make yourself many—like the swarming locusts!
16 You have multiplied your (AUC)merchants more than the stars of heaven.
The locust plunders and flies away.
17 (AUD)Your commanders are like swarming locusts,
And your generals like great grasshoppers,
Which camp in the hedges on a cold day;
When the sun rises they flee away,
And the place where they are is not known.
18 (AUE)Your shepherds slumber, O (AUF)king of Assyria;
Your nobles rest in the dust.
Your people are (AUG)scattered on the mountains,
And no one gathers them.
19 Your injury has no healing,
(AUH)Your wound is severe.
(AUI)All who hear news of you
Will clap their hands over you,
For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?
The Prophet Questions God’s Judgments
1 The [ou]burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
The Prophet’s Question
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry,
(AUJ)And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, (AUK)“Violence!”
And You will (AUL)not save.
3 Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see [ov]trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the (AUM)wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
The Lord’s Reply
5 “Look(AUN) among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
6 For indeed I am (AUO)raising up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty (AUP)nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful;
Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
8 Their horses also are (AUQ)swifter than leopards,
And more fierce than evening wolves.
Their [ow]chargers [ox]charge ahead;
Their cavalry comes from afar;
They fly as the (AUR)eagle that hastens to eat.
9 “They all come for violence;
Their faces are set like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.
10 They scoff at kings,
And princes are scorned by them.
They deride every stronghold,
For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
11 Then his [oy]mind changes, and he transgresses;
He commits offense,
(AUS)Ascribing this power to his god.”
The Prophet’s Second Question
12 Are You not (AUT)from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, (AUU)You have appointed them for judgment;
O Rock, You have marked them for (AUV)correction.
13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?
14 Why do You make men like fish of the sea,
Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?
15 They take up all of them with a hook,
They catch them in their net,
And gather them in their dragnet.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore (AUW)they sacrifice to their net,
And burn incense to their dragnet;
Because by them their share is [oz]sumptuous
And their food plentiful.
17 Shall they therefore empty their net,
And continue to slay nations without pity?
The Just Shall Live by Faith
2 I will (AUX)stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.
The Just Live by Faith
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
(AUY)“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
3 For (AUZ)the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will (AVA)not lie.
Though it tarries, (AVB)wait for it;
Because it will (AVC)surely come,
It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the (AVD)just shall live by his faith.
Woe to the Wicked
5 “Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,
He is a proud man,
And he does not stay at home.
Because he (AVE)enlarges his desire as [pa]hell,
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 “Will not all these (AVF)take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with [pb]many pledges’?
7 Will not [pc]your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 (AVG)Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s [pd]blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
9 “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may (AVH)set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the [pe]power of disaster!
10 You give shameful counsel to your house,
Cutting off many peoples,
And sin against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
And the beam from the timbers will answer it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts
That the peoples labor [pf]to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?
14 For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor,
[pg]Pressing him to your (AVI)bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on [ph]his nakedness!
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also—drink!
And [pi]be exposed as uncircumcised!
The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
18 “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
20 “But(AVJ) the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
The Prophet’s Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on [pj]Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
And the earth was full of His praise.
4 His brightness was like the light;
He had rays flashing from His hand,
And there His power was hidden.
5 Before Him went pestilence,
And fever followed at His feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
(AVK)And the everlasting mountains were scattered,
The perpetual hills bowed.
His ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
The curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers,
Was Your anger against the rivers,
Was Your wrath against the sea,
That You rode on Your horses,
Your chariots of salvation?
9 Your bow was made quite ready;
Oaths were sworn over Your [pk]arrows. Selah
You divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and trembled;
The overflowing of the water passed by.
The deep uttered its voice,
And (AVL)lifted its hands on high.
11 The (AVM)sun and moon stood still in their habitation;
At the light of Your arrows they went,
At the shining of Your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the land in indignation;
You [pl]trampled the nations in anger.
13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
For salvation with Your Anointed.
You struck the head from the house of the wicked,
By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah
14 You thrust through with his own arrows
The head of his villages.
They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me;
Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret.
15 (AVN)You walked through the sea with Your horses,
Through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, (AVO)my body trembled;
My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entered my bones;
And I trembled in myself,
That I might rest in the day of trouble.
When he comes up to the people,
He will invade them with his troops.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will (AVP)rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 [pm]The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like (AVQ)deer’s feet,
And He will make me (AVR)walk on my high hills.
To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.
The Great Day of the Lord(AVS)
1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of (AVT)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Great Day of the Lord
2 “I will [pn]utterly consume everything
From the face of the land,”
Says the Lord;
3 “I(AVU) will consume man and beast;
I will consume the birds of the heavens,
The fish of the sea,
And the [po]stumbling blocks along with the wicked.
I will cut off man from the face of the [pp]land,”
Says the Lord.
4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah,
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[pq]I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place,
The names of the (AVV)idolatrous[pr] priests with the pagan priests—
5 Those (AVW)who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;
Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord,
But who also swear (AVX)by [ps]Milcom;
6 (AVY)Those who have turned back from following the Lord,
And (AVZ)have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.”
7 (AWA)Be silent in the presence of the Lord God;
(AWB)For the day of the Lord is at hand,
For (AWC)the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
He has [pt]invited His guests.
8 “And it shall be,
In the day of the Lord’s sacrifice,
That I will punish (AWD)the princes and the king’s children,
And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
9 In the same day I will punish
All those who (AWE)leap over the threshold,
Who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 “And there shall be on that day,” says the Lord,
“The sound of a mournful cry from (AWF)the Fish Gate,
A wailing from the Second Quarter,
And a loud crashing from the hills.
11 (AWG)Wail, you inhabitants of [pu]Maktesh!
For all the merchant people are cut down;
All those who handle money are cut off.
12 “And it shall come to pass at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And punish the men
Who are (AWH)settled[pv] in complacency,
(AWI)Who say in their heart,
‘The Lord will not do good,
Nor will He do evil.’
13 Therefore their goods shall become booty,
And their houses a desolation;
They shall build houses, but not inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards, but (AWJ)not drink their wine.”
14 (AWK)The great day of the Lord is near;
It is near and hastens quickly.
The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;
There the mighty men shall cry out.
15 (AWL)That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of (AWM)trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.
17 “I will bring distress upon men,
And they shall (AWN)walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse.”
18 (AWO)Neither their silver nor their gold
Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the Lord’s wrath;
But the whole land shall be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make speedy riddance
Of all those who dwell in the land.
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather(AWP) yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O [pw]undesirable nation,
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:1 About 90 feet
- Daniel 3:4 Lit. with strength
- Daniel 3:22 Or harsh
- Daniel 3:24 High officials
- Daniel 3:25 Or a son of the gods
- Daniel 3:26 Lit. door
- Daniel 3:28 Or angel
- Daniel 3:30 Lit. caused to prosper
- Daniel 4:14 Lit. with strength
- Daniel 4:16 Possibly years
- Daniel 4:19 be for
- Daniel 4:19 for
- Daniel 4:23 Possibly years
- Daniel 4:25 Possibly years
- Daniel 4:26 God
- Daniel 4:27 prolonging
- Daniel 4:29 Or upon
- Daniel 4:32 Possibly years
- Daniel 4:34 Lit. days
- Daniel 5:2 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:7 Lit. with strength
- Daniel 5:9 perplexed
- Daniel 5:11 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:11 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:12 Lit. untying knots
- Daniel 5:13 Lit. who is of the sons of the captivity
- Daniel 5:13 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:14 Or spirit of the gods
- Daniel 5:16 Lit. untie knots
- Daniel 5:18 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:21 Recognized
- Daniel 5:23 Exalted
- Daniel 5:23 The temple
- Daniel 5:24 Lit. palm
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. a mina (50 shekels) from the verb “to number”
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. a shekel from the verb “to weigh”
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. and half-shekels from the verb “to divide”; pl. of Peres, v. 28
- Daniel 5:28 Aram. Paras, consonant with Peres
- Daniel 6:8 Lit. does not pass away
- Daniel 6:12 Lit. does not pass away
- Daniel 6:13 Lit. of the sons of the captivity
- Daniel 6:14 strove
- Daniel 6:15 Lit. thronged before
- Daniel 6:18 Exact meaning unknown
- Daniel 6:18 Or fled
- Daniel 6:20 Or grieved
- Daniel 6:27 Lit. hand
- Daniel 7:1 Lit. saw
- Daniel 7:1 Lit. the head or chief of the words
- Daniel 7:8 Lit. great things
- Daniel 7:9 Or set up
- Daniel 7:10 Or judgment
- Daniel 7:11 Lit. great
- Daniel 7:15 Lit. in the midst of its sheath
- Daniel 7:17 Representing their kingdoms, v. 23
- Daniel 7:20 Lit. great things
- Daniel 7:25 Lit. wear out
- Daniel 7:28 Lit. word
- Daniel 8:1 The Hebrew language resumes in Dan. 8:1.
- Daniel 8:2 Or Susa
- Daniel 8:2 Or fortified palace
- Daniel 8:4 Lit. stand before him
- Daniel 8:7 Lit. struck
- Daniel 8:11 The temple
- Daniel 8:13 Or making desolate
- Daniel 8:14 Lit. evening-mornings
- Daniel 8:21 shaggy male
- Daniel 8:21 Lit. king, representing his kingdom, Dan. 7:17, 23
- Daniel 8:23 Lit. countenance
- Daniel 8:24 Or extraordinarily
- Daniel 8:25 Lit. hand
- Daniel 8:25 Lit. hand
- Daniel 8:27 amazed
- Daniel 9:17 Be gracious
- Daniel 9:17 The temple
- Daniel 9:21 Or being weary with weariness
- Daniel 9:23 Lit. word
- Daniel 9:24 Lit. sevens, and so throughout the chapter
- Daniel 9:24 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Vg.; Kt., Theodotion To seal up
- Daniel 9:24 The Most Holy Place
- Daniel 9:25 Or open square
- Daniel 9:25 Or moat
- Daniel 9:26 Suffer the death penalty
- Daniel 9:27 Or treaty
- Daniel 9:27 Or desolator
- Daniel 10:1 Or and of great conflict;
- Daniel 10:3 desirable
- Daniel 10:4 Heb. Hiddekel
- Daniel 10:8 Lit. splendor
- Daniel 10:8 Lit. ruin
- Daniel 10:15 Lit. set
- Daniel 10:16 Theodotion, Vg. the son; LXX a hand
- Daniel 10:16 Or turned upon
- Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
- Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
- Daniel 11:8 Or molded images
- Daniel 11:12 Proud
- Daniel 11:14 Or robbers, lit. sons of breakage
- Daniel 11:14 Lit. to establish
- Daniel 11:15 Lit. arms
- Daniel 11:16 Lit. hand
- Daniel 11:17 Or bring equitable terms
- Daniel 11:22 Lit. arms
- Daniel 11:24 booty
- Daniel 11:26 Or overflow
- Daniel 11:30 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
- Daniel 11:31 Lit. arms
- Daniel 11:32 pollute
- Daniel 11:34 Or slipperiness, flattery
- Daniel 11:37 Or gods
- Daniel 11:39 profit
- Daniel 11:41 Lit. chief of the sons of Ammon
- Daniel 12:2 Lit. abhorrence
- Hosea 1:2 Spiritual adultery
- Hosea 1:6 Lit. No-Mercy
- Hosea 1:6 Or That I may forgive them at all
- Hosea 1:9 Lit. Not-My-People
- Hosea 1:10 Heb. lo-ammi, v. 9
- Hosea 2:1 Heb. Ammi, Hos. 1:9, 10
- Hosea 2:1 Heb. Ruhamah, Hos. 1:6
- Hosea 2:2 Or Contend with
- Hosea 2:2 Or contend
- Hosea 2:6 Lit. wall up her wall
- Hosea 2:7 Or pursue
- Hosea 2:14 Lit. to her heart
- Hosea 2:16 Heb. Ishi
- Hosea 2:16 Heb. Baali
- Hosea 2:22 Lit. God Will Sow
- Hosea 2:23 Heb. lo-ruhamah
- Hosea 2:23 Heb. lo-ammi
- Hosea 2:23 Heb. ammi
- Hosea 3:1 Lit. friend or husband
- Hosea 4:1 A legal complaint
- Hosea 4:2 Lit. touching
- Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; scribal tradition, Syr., Tg. They will change
- Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; scribal tradition My glory
- Hosea 4:8 Desires
- Hosea 4:9 repay
- Hosea 4:12 Diviner’s rod
- Hosea 4:15 Lit. House of Idolatry or Wickedness
- Hosea 4:16 Lit. a large place
- Hosea 4:18 Or has turned aside
- Hosea 4:18 Lit. shields
- Hosea 4:18 Heb. difficult; a Jewish tradition shamefully love, ‘Give!’
- Hosea 5:1 Or to you
- Hosea 5:4 Or Their deeds will not allow them to turn
- Hosea 5:7 Lit. strange
- Hosea 5:15 Lit. become guilty or bear punishment
- Hosea 6:1 Bandage
- Hosea 6:5 Or the judgments on you
- Hosea 6:6 Or faithfulness or loyalty
- Hosea 6:7 Or Adam
- Hosea 6:8 Lit. foot-tracked
- Hosea 6:10 Spiritual adultery
- Hosea 7:1 plunders
- Hosea 7:2 Lit. do not say to
- Hosea 7:5 Lit. with the heat of
- Hosea 7:6 So with MT, Vg.; Syr., Tg. Their anger; LXX Ephraim
- Hosea 7:11 Lit. heart
- Hosea 7:14 So with MT, Tg.; Vg. thought upon; LXX slashed themselves for (cf. 1 Kin. 18:28)
- Hosea 7:14 So with MT, Syr., Tg.; LXX omits They rebel against Me; Vg. They departed from Me
- Hosea 7:16 Or upward
- Hosea 8:1 ram’s horn, Heb. shophar
- Hosea 8:5 Golden calf image
- Hosea 8:5 Or has rejected you
- Hosea 8:10 Or begin to diminish
- Hosea 8:10 Or oracle or proclamation
- Hosea 8:14 Or palaces
- Hosea 8:14 Or citadels
- Hosea 9:8 One who catches birds in a trap or snare
- Hosea 9:10 Or dedicated
- Hosea 10:2 Divided in loyalty
- Hosea 10:5 Lit. calves, images
- Hosea 10:5 idolatrous priests
- Hosea 10:8 Lit. Idolatry or Wickedness
- Hosea 10:9 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Vg.; MT unruliness
- Hosea 10:9 Or overcome
- Hosea 10:10 Or in their two habitations
- Hosea 10:11 Lit. to ride
- Hosea 11:1 Or youth
- Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Just as I called them; Tg. interprets as I sent prophets to a thousand of them.
- Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX from My face
- Hosea 11:3 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. My arms
- Hosea 11:4 Lit. cords of a man
- Hosea 11:4 Lit. jaws
- Hosea 11:7 The prophets
- Hosea 11:7 Or upward
- Hosea 11:8 Lit. turns over
- Hosea 11:9 Or enter a city
- Hosea 11:12 Or holy ones
- Hosea 12:1 ruin
- Hosea 12:1 Or treaty
- Hosea 12:2 A legal complaint
- Hosea 12:7 Or merchant
- Hosea 12:10 Or parables
- Hosea 12:10 Lit. by the hand
- Hosea 12:11 worthless
- Hosea 13:2 Or those who offer human sacrifice
- Hosea 13:2 Worship with kisses
- Hosea 13:5 Cared for you
- Hosea 13:5 Lit. droughts
- Hosea 13:8 Lit. beast of the field
- Hosea 13:9 Lit. it or he destroyed you
- Hosea 13:9 Lit. in your help
- Hosea 13:10 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Where is your king?
- Hosea 13:14 Lit. hand
- Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
- Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your punishment?
- Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
- Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your sting?
- Hosea 13:16 LXX shall be disfigured
- Hosea 14:2 Lit. bull calves; LXX fruit
- Hosea 14:5 Lit. bud or sprout
- Hosea 14:5 Lit. strike
- Hosea 14:6 Lit. go
- Hosea 14:7 Lit. bud or sprout
- Hosea 14:7 Lit. remembrance
- Joel 1:4 Exact identity of these locusts unknown
- Joel 1:6 Or lioness
- Joel 1:7 Or splintered
- Joel 1:18 LXX, Vg. are made desolate
- Joel 1:19 Lit. pastures of the wilderness
- Joel 1:20 Lit. pastures of the wilderness
- Joel 2:1 ram’s horn
- Joel 2:4 Or horsemen
- Joel 2:6 LXX, Tg., Vg. gather blackness
- Joel 2:8 Lit. highway
- Joel 2:8 Halted by losses
- Joel 2:15 ram’s horn
- Joel 2:17 Or speak a proverb against them
- Joel 2:20 Lit. great
- Joel 2:21 Lit. great
- Joel 2:23 Or teacher of righteousness
- Joel 2:25 Exact identity of these locusts unknown
- Joel 2:32 Or delivered
- Joel 2:32 Or salvation
- Joel 3:4 Or render Me repayment
- Joel 3:4 Or repay Me
- Joel 3:4 Or repayment
- Joel 3:5 Lit. precious good things
- Joel 3:7 Or repayment
- Joel 3:8 Lit. Shebaites, Is. 60:6; Ezek. 27:22
- Joel 3:10 pruning knives
- Joel 3:18 Heb. Shittim
- Amos 1:5 Rules
- Amos 1:5 Lit. House of Eden
- Amos 2:7 Or trample on
- Amos 2:8 Or those punished by fines
- Amos 2:13 Or tottering under
- Amos 2:13 Or totters
- Amos 2:14 Or the place of refuge
- Amos 2:14 Lit. save his soul or life
- Amos 2:15 Or save
- Amos 2:16 Lit. strong of his heart among the mighty
- Amos 3:4 Lit. give his voice
- Amos 3:5 Or bait or lure
- Amos 3:6 ram’s horn
- Amos 3:9 So with MT; LXX Assyria
- Amos 3:9 Or oppression
- Amos 3:10 Or devastation
- Amos 3:12 Or snatches
- Amos 3:12 Heb. uncertain, possibly on the cover
- Amos 3:15 Lit. strike
- Amos 4:1 Lit. their masters or lords
- Amos 4:3 Or cast them
- Amos 4:4 Or years, Deut. 14:28
- Amos 4:6 Hunger
- Amos 4:13 Or spirit
- Amos 4:13 Or His
- Amos 5:9 Or flashes forth destruction
- Amos 5:11 trample
- Amos 5:11 Or tribute
- Amos 5:11 desirable
- Amos 5:26 LXX, Vg. tabernacle of Moloch
- Amos 5:26 A pagan deity
- Amos 6:10 Lit. his loved one or uncle
- Amos 6:10 Lit. bones
- Amos 6:13 Lit. Nothing
- Amos 6:13 Lit. Horns, a symbol of strength
- Amos 7:1 Lit. beginning of the sprouting of
- Amos 7:2 Or How shall Jacob stand
- Amos 7:4 to contend
- Amos 7:4 Lit. portion
- Amos 7:9 Places of pagan worship
- Amos 7:9 Or holy places
- Amos 7:10 Or endure
- Amos 7:13 Or holy place
- Amos 7:13 Lit. house
- Amos 7:15 Lit. from behind
- Amos 7:16 Lit. drip
- Amos 8:4 Or trample on, Amos 2:7
- Amos 8:5 Lit. open
- Amos 8:8 The Nile; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Syr., Vg. River (cf. 9:5); MT the light
- Amos 8:9 Lit. a day of light
- Amos 8:14 Or Ashima, a Syrian goddess
- Amos 9:1 Capitals of the pillars
- Amos 9:2 Or Sheol
- Amos 9:5 The Nile
- Amos 9:6 Or stairs
- Amos 9:7 Lit. sons of the Ethiopians
- Amos 9:7 Crete
- Amos 9:9 shake
- Amos 9:9 Lit. pebble
- Amos 9:11 Lit. booth; a figure of a deposed dynasty
- Amos 9:11 Lit. wall up its breaches
- Amos 9:12 LXX mankind
- Obadiah 1:7 Or wound or plot
- Obadiah 1:7 Or There is no understanding in him
- Obadiah 1:12 Gloated over
- Obadiah 1:12 Lit. On the day he became a foreigner
- Obadiah 1:13 Gloated over
- Obadiah 1:14 Handed over to the enemy
- Obadiah 1:15 Or reward
- Obadiah 1:17 Or salvation
- Obadiah 1:19 Heb. Negev
- Obadiah 1:20 Heb. Negev
- Obadiah 1:21 deliverers
- Jonah 1:4 Lit. hurled
- Jonah 1:5 Lit. from upon them
- Jonah 1:9 Heb. YHWH
- Jonah 1:12 Lit. hurl
- Jonah 2:6 foundations or bases
- Jonah 2:8 Or Lovingkindness
- Jonah 3:3 Exact meaning unknown
- Jonah 3:7 Lit. great ones
- Jonah 4:6 Heb. kikayon, exact identity unknown
- Jonah 4:6 Lit. rejoiced with great joy
- Jonah 4:10 Lit. was a son of a night
- Micah 1:10 Lit. House of Dust
- Micah 1:11 Lit. Beautiful
- Micah 1:11 Lit. Going Out
- Micah 1:12 Lit. Bitterness
- Micah 1:12 Lit. was sick
- Micah 1:14 Lit. Possession of Gath
- Micah 1:14 Lit. Lie
- Micah 1:15 Lit. Inheritance
- Micah 1:15 Lit. Refuge
- Micah 2:1 Plan
- Micah 2:4 Lit. portion
- Micah 2:4 Lit. one turning back, an apostate
- Micah 2:5 Lit. one casting a surveyor’s line
- Micah 2:6 Or preach, lit. drip words
- Micah 2:6 Lit. to these
- Micah 2:6 Vg. He shall not take shame
- Micah 2:11 Or preach, lit. drip
- Micah 2:11 concerning
- Micah 2:12 Heb. Bozrah
- Micah 3:2 Lit. them
- Micah 3:5 All is well
- Micah 3:5 For those who feed them
- Micah 3:6 Prophetic revelation
- Micah 3:9 Lit. twist
- Micah 3:11 Lit. silver
- Micah 3:12 Lit. house
- Micah 4:3 pruning knives
- Micah 4:9 childbirth
- Micah 5:2 Lit. the days of eternity
- Micah 5:4 shepherd
- Micah 5:6 devastate
- Micah 5:7 wait
- Micah 5:7 delay
- Micah 5:9 destroyed
- Micah 5:10 destroy
- Micah 5:14 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities
- Micah 5:15 obeyed
- Micah 6:2 bring charges against
- Micah 6:5 Heb. Shittim, Num. 25:1; Josh. 2:1; 3:1
- Micah 6:7 My own child
- Micah 6:8 Or lovingkindness
- Micah 6:14 Or Emptiness or Humiliation
- Micah 6:14 Tg., Vg. You shall take hold
- Micah 6:16 Or object of horror
- Micah 6:16 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX nations
- Micah 7:2 Or loyal
- Micah 7:11 Or the boundary shall be extended
- Micah 7:12 Lit. he, collective of the captives
- Micah 7:12 Heb. arey mazor, possibly cities of Egypt
- Micah 7:12 Heb. mazor, possibly Egypt
- Micah 7:12 The Euphrates
- Micah 7:14 Alone
- Micah 7:15 Lit. him, collective for the captives
- Micah 7:17 Lit. crawlers
- Micah 7:18 Or lovingkindness
- Micah 7:19 Lit. their
- Micah 7:20 Or lovingkindness
- Nahum 1:1 oracle, prophecy
- Nahum 1:5 Tg. burns
- Nahum 1:9 Or devise
- Nahum 1:11 Lit. counselor of Belial
- Nahum 1:12 Or at peace or complete
- Nahum 1:14 Lit. No more of your name shall be fruitful
- Nahum 1:14 Or contemptible
- Nahum 1:15 Lit. one of Belial
- Nahum 2:1 Vg. He who destroys
- Nahum 2:3 Lit. the cypresses are shaken; LXX, Syr. the horses rush about; Vg. the drivers are stupefied
- Nahum 2:7 Heb. Huzzab
- Nahum 2:8 Lit. Stand
- Nahum 2:9 Plunder
- Nahum 2:10 LXX, Tg., Vg. gather blackness; Joel 2:6
- Nahum 2:12 Lit. Strangled
- Nahum 2:12 Torn flesh
- Nahum 2:13 Lit. her
- Nahum 3:1 Lit. prey
- Nahum 3:2 bounding or jolting
- Nahum 3:4 Spiritual unfaithfulness
- Nahum 3:4 Lit. goodly charm, in a bad sense
- Nahum 3:6 despicable
- Nahum 3:8 Ancient Thebes; Tg., Vg. populous Alexandria
- Nahum 3:8 Lit. rivers, the Nile and the surrounding canals
- Nahum 3:9 LXX her
- Habakkuk 1:1 oracle, prophecy
- Habakkuk 1:3 Or toil
- Habakkuk 1:8 Lit. horsemen
- Habakkuk 1:8 Lit. spring about
- Habakkuk 1:11 Lit. spirit or wind
- Habakkuk 1:16 Lit. fat
- Habakkuk 2:5 Or Sheol
- Habakkuk 2:6 Syr., Vg. thick clay
- Habakkuk 2:7 Lit. those who bite you
- Habakkuk 2:8 Or bloodshed
- Habakkuk 2:9 Lit. hand of evil
- Habakkuk 2:13 Lit. for what satisfies fire, for what is of no lasting value
- Habakkuk 2:15 Lit. Attaching or Joining
- Habakkuk 2:15 Lit. their
- Habakkuk 2:16 DSS, LXX reel!; Syr., Vg. fall fast asleep!
- Habakkuk 3:1 Exact meaning unknown
- Habakkuk 3:9 Lit. tribes or rods, cf. v. 14
- Habakkuk 3:12 Or threshed
- Habakkuk 3:19 Heb. YHWH Adonai
- Zephaniah 1:2 Lit. make a complete end of, Jer. 8:13
- Zephaniah 1:3 Idols
- Zephaniah 1:3 ground
- Zephaniah 1:4 Fulfilled in 2 Kin. 23:4, 5
- Zephaniah 1:4 Heb. chemarim
- Zephaniah 1:5 Or Malcam, an Ammonite god, 1 Kin. 11:5; Jer. 49:1; Molech, Lev. 18:21
- Zephaniah 1:7 Lit. set apart, consecrated
- Zephaniah 1:11 A market district of Jerusalem, lit. Mortar
- Zephaniah 1:12 Lit. on their lees; like the dregs of wine
- Zephaniah 2:1 Or shameless
Daniel 3-11
New International Version
Daniel 3-11
New International Version
The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image(A) of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps,(B) prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials(C) to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language,(D) this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,(E) pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image(F) of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.(G) 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”(H)
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.(I)
8 At this time some astrologers[b](J) came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever!(K) 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree(L) that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold,(M) 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego(N)—who pay no attention(O) to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”(P)
13 Furious(Q) with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods(R) or worship the image(S) of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god(T) will be able to rescue(U) you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego(V) replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver(W) us from it, and he will deliver(X) us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.(Y)”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven(Z) times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego(AA) 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,(AB) 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,(AC) come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers(AD) crowded around them.(AE) They saw that the fire(AF) 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(AG) and rescued(AH) his servants! They trusted(AI) 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.(AJ) 29 Therefore I decree(AK) 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,(AL) for no other god can save(AM) in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.(AN)
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree
4 [d]King Nebuchadnezzar,
To the nations and peoples of every language,(AO) who live in all the earth:
May you prosper greatly!(AP)
2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs(AQ) and wonders that the Most High God(AR) has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!(AS)
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures(AT) from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented(AU) and prosperous. 5 I had a dream(AV) that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed,(AW) the images and visions that passed through my mind(AX) terrified me.(AY) 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret(AZ) the dream for me. 7 When the magicians,(BA) enchanters, astrologers[e] and diviners(BB) came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.(BC) 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar,(BD) after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods(BE) is in him.)
9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief(BF) of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods(BG) is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed:(BH) I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.(BI) 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.(BJ) 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches;(BK) from it every creature was fed.
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed,(BL) I looked, and there before me was a holy one,(BM) a messenger,[f] coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree(BN) and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.(BO) 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.
“‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times[g] pass by for him.(BP)
17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High(BQ) is sovereign(BR) over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest(BS) of people.’
18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me.(BT) But you can,(BU) because the spirit of the holy gods(BV) is in you.”(BW)
Daniel Interprets the Dream
19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified(BX) him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”(BY)
Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds(BZ)— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree!(CA) You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.(CB)
23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one,(CC) a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’(CD)
24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree(CE) the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched(CF) with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High(CG) is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.(CH) 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots(CI) means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.(CJ) 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed.(CK) It may be that then your prosperity(CL) will continue.(CM)”
The Dream Is Fulfilled
28 All this happened(CN) to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory(CO) of my majesty?”(CP)
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.(CQ) 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”(CR)
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched(CS) with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.(CT)
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity(CU) was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.(CV)
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom(CW) endures from generation to generation.(CX)
35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.(CY)
He does as he pleases(CZ)
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back(DA) his hand(DB)
or say to him: “What have you done?”(DC)
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom.(DD) My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt(DE) and glorify(DF) the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.(DG) And those who walk in pride(DH) he is able to humble.(DI)
The Writing on the Wall
5 King Belshazzar(DJ) gave a great banquet(DK) for a thousand of his nobles(DL) and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking(DM) his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets(DN) that Nebuchadnezzar his father[h] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines(DO) might drink from them.(DP) 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods(DQ) of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.(DR)
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale(DS) and he was so frightened(DT) that his legs became weak(DU) and his knees were knocking.(DV)
7 The king summoned the enchanters,(DW) astrologers[i](DX) and diviners.(DY) Then he said to these wise(DZ) men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck,(EA) and he will be made the third(EB) highest ruler in the kingdom.”(EC)
8 Then all the king’s wise men(ED) came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.(EE) 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified(EF) and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10 The queen,[j] hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!”(EG) she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods(EH) in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom(EI) like that of the gods.(EJ) Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.(EK) 12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar,(EL) was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles(EM) and solve difficult problems.(EN) Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.(EO)”
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?(EP) 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods(EQ) is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.(ER) 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.(ES) 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems.(ET) If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck,(EU) and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”(EV)
17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.(EW) Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar(EX) sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.(EY) 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;(EZ) those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.(FA) 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,(FB) he was deposed from his royal throne(FC) and stripped(FD) of his glory.(FE) 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign(FF) over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.(FG)
22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son,[k] have not humbled(FH) yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against(FI) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives(FJ) and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.(FK) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life(FL) and all your ways.(FM) 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 “This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 “Here is what these words mean:
Mene[l]: God has numbered the days(FN) of your reign and brought it to an end.(FO)
27 Tekel[m]: You have been weighed on the scales(FP) and found wanting.(FQ)
28 Peres[n]: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes(FR) and Persians.”(FS)
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,(FT) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.(FU)
30 That very night Belshazzar,(FV) king(FW) of the Babylonians,[o] was slain,(FX) 31 and Darius(FY) the Mede(FZ) took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.[p]
Daniel in the Den of Lions
6 [q]It pleased Darius(GA) to appoint 120 satraps(GB) to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.(GC) The satraps were made accountable(GD) to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.(GE) 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges(GF) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”(GG)
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!(GH) 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors(GI) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.(GJ) 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”(GK) 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward(GL) Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees(GM) and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.(GN) 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.(GO) 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”(GP)
13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,(GQ) pays no attention(GR) to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;(GS) he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”(GT)
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.(GU) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue(GV) you!”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed(GW) it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating(GX) and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.(GY)
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”(GZ)
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!(HA) 22 My God sent his angel,(HB) and he shut the mouths of the lions.(HC) They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.(HD) Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound(HE) was found on him, because he had trusted(HF) in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,(HG) along with their wives and children.(HH) And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.(HI)
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language(HJ) in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!(HK)
26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence(HL) the God of Daniel.(HM)
“For he is the living God(HN)
and he endures forever;(HO)
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.(HP)
27 He rescues and he saves;(HQ)
he performs signs and wonders(HR)
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”(HS)
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus[r](HT) the Persian.(HU)
Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts
7 In the first year of Belshazzar(HV) king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions(HW) passed through his mind(HX) as he was lying in bed.(HY) He wrote(HZ) down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven(IA) churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts,(IB) each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 “The first was like a lion,(IC) and it had the wings of an eagle.(ID) I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’(IE)
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.(IF) And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After that, in my vision(IG) at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron(IH) teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled(II) underfoot whatever was left.(IJ) It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.(IK)
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little(IL) one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being(IM) and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(IN)
9 “As I looked,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days(IO) took his seat.(IP)
His clothing was as white as snow;(IQ)
the hair of his head was white like wool.(IR)
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels(IS) were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire(IT) was flowing,
coming out from before him.(IU)
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books(IV) were opened.
11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking.(IW) I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.(IX) 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[s](IY) coming(IZ) with the clouds of heaven.(JA) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority,(JB) glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.(JC) His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom(JD) is one that will never be destroyed.(JE)
The Interpretation of the Dream
15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.(JF) 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.
“So he told me and gave me the interpretation(JG) of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people(JH) of the Most High will receive the kingdom(JI) and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’(JJ)
19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns(JK) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(JL) 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,(JM) 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.(JN)
23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.(JO) 24 The ten horns(JP) are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High(JQ) and oppress his holy people(JR) and try to change the set times(JS) and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.[t](JT)
26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed(JU) forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms(JV) under heaven will be handed over to the holy people(JW) of the Most High.(JX) His kingdom will be an everlasting(JY) kingdom, and all rulers will worship(JZ) and obey him.’
28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled(KA) by my thoughts,(KB) and my face turned pale,(KC) but I kept the matter to myself.”
Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat
8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s(KD) reign, I, Daniel, had a vision,(KE) after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa(KF) in the province of Elam;(KG) in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up,(KH) and there before me was a ram(KI) with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power.(KJ) It did as it pleased(KK) and became great.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it,(KL) and none could rescue the ram from its power.(KM) 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off,(KN) and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.(KO)
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small(KP) but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.(KQ) 10 It grew until it reached(KR) the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth(KS) and trampled(KT) on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander(KU) of the army of the Lord;(KV) it took away the daily sacrifice(KW) from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down.(KX) 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people[u] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.(KY)
13 Then I heard a holy one(KZ) speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled(LA)—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot(LB) of the Lord’s people?”
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”(LC)
The Interpretation of the Vision
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision(LD) and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.(LE) 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai(LF) calling, “Gabriel,(LG) tell this man the meaning of the vision.”(LH)
17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.(LI) “Son of man,”[v] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”(LJ)
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.(LK) Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.(LL)
19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,(LM) because the vision concerns the appointed time(LN) of the end.[w](LO) 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.(LP) 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece,(LQ) and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.(LR) 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.(LS) 25 He will cause deceit(LT) to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes.(LU) Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.(LV)
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true,(LW) but seal(LX) up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”(LY)
27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted(LZ) for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business.(MA) I was appalled(MB) by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
Daniel’s Prayer
9 In the first year of Darius(MC) son of Xerxes[x](MD) (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[y] kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy(ME) years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,(MF) and in sackcloth and ashes.(MG)
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:(MH)
“Lord, the great and awesome God,(MI) who keeps his covenant of love(MJ) with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned(MK) and done wrong.(ML) We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away(MM) from your commands and laws.(MN) 6 We have not listened(MO) to your servants the prophets,(MP) who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors,(MQ) and to all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are righteous,(MR) but this day we are covered with shame(MS)—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered(MT) us because of our unfaithfulness(MU) to you.(MV) 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.(MW) 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving,(MX) even though we have rebelled against him;(MY) 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.(MZ) 11 All Israel has transgressed(NA) your law(NB) and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses(NC) and sworn judgments(ND) written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned(NE) against you. 12 You have fulfilled(NF) the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster.(NG) Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like(NH) what has been done to Jerusalem.(NI) 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord(NJ) our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.(NK) 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster(NL) on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does;(NM) yet we have not obeyed him.(NN)
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand(NO) and who made for yourself a name(NP) that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,(NQ) turn away(NR) your anger and your wrath(NS) from Jerusalem,(NT) your city, your holy hill.(NU) Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn(NV) to all those around us.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor(NW) on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear,(NX) our God, and hear;(NY) open your eyes and see(NZ) the desolation of the city that bears your Name.(OA) We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.(OB) 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive!(OC) Lord, hear and act! For your sake,(OD) my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
The Seventy “Sevens”
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing(OE) my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill(OF)— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel,(OG) the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.(OH) 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.(OI) 23 As soon as you began to pray,(OJ) a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.(OK) Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:(OL)
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’[z] are decreed for your people and your holy city(OM) to finish[aa] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone(ON) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness,(OO) to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[ab]
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild(OP) Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[ac](OQ) the ruler,(OR) comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.(OS) 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death(OT) and will have nothing.[ad] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:(OU) War will continue until the end, and desolations(OV) have been decreed.(OW) 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’[ae] In the middle of the ‘seven’[af] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple[ag] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed(OX) is poured out on him.[ah]”[ai]
Daniel’s Vision of a Man
10 In the third year of Cyrus(OY) king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar).(OZ) Its message was true(PA) and it concerned a great war.[aj] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned(PB) for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;(PC) 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(PD) of the great river, the Tigris,(PE) 5 I looked up(PF) and there before me was a man dressed in linen,(PG) with a belt of fine gold(PH) from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz,(PI) his face like lightning,(PJ) his eyes like flaming torches,(PK) his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze,(PL) and his voice(PM) 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,(PN) but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone,(PO) gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left,(PP) my face turned deathly pale(PQ) and I was helpless.(PR) 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.(PS)
10 A hand touched me(PT) and set me trembling on my hands and knees.(PU) 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed,(PV) consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up,(PW) 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,(PX) Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble(PY) yourself before your God, your words(PZ) were heard, and I have come in response to them.(QA) 13 But the prince(QB) of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael,(QC) 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(QD) to you what will happen to your people in the future,(QE) for the vision concerns a time yet to come.(QF)”
15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.(QG) 16 Then one who looked like a man[ak] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak.(QH) I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish(QI) 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.”(QJ)
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched(QK) me and gave me strength.(QL) 19 “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,”(QM) he said. “Peace!(QN) Be strong now; be strong.”(QO)
When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”(QP)
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(QQ) will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth.(QR) (No one supports me against them except Michael,(QS) your prince. 11 1 And in the first year of Darius(QT) the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
The Kings of the South and the North
2 “Now then, I tell you the truth:(QU) Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.(QV) 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.(QW) 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven.(QX) It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted(QY) and given to others.
5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power[al] will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father[am] and the one who supported her.
7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North(QZ) and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods,(RA) their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt.(RB) For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood(RC) and carry the battle as far as his fortress.
11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated.(RD) 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps(RE) and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases;(RF) no one will be able to stand against him.(RG) He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.(RH) 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans[an] will not succeed(RI) or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands(RJ) and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him.(RK) 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall,(RL) to be seen no more.(RM)
20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor.(RN) In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.
21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible(RO) person who has not been given the honor of royalty.(RP) He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:1 That is, about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide or about 27 meters high and 2.7 meters wide
- Daniel 3:8 Or Chaldeans
- Daniel 3:17 Or If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and
- Daniel 4:1 In Aramaic texts 4:1-3 is numbered 3:31-33, and 4:4-37 is numbered 4:1-34.
- Daniel 4:7 Or Chaldeans
- Daniel 4:13 Or watchman; also in verses 17 and 23
- Daniel 4:16 Or years; also in verses 23, 25 and 32
- Daniel 5:2 Or ancestor; or predecessor; also in verses 11, 13 and 18
- Daniel 5:7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11
- Daniel 5:10 Or queen mother
- Daniel 5:22 Or descendant; or successor
- Daniel 5:26 Mene can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money).
- Daniel 5:27 Tekel can mean weighed or shekel.
- Daniel 5:28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.
- Daniel 5:30 Or Chaldeans
- Daniel 5:31 In Aramaic texts this verse (5:31) is numbered 6:1.
- Daniel 6:1 In Aramaic texts 6:1-28 is numbered 6:2-29.
- Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus
- Daniel 7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.
- Daniel 7:25 Or for a year, two years and half a year
- Daniel 8:12 Or rebellion, the armies
- Daniel 8:17 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.
- Daniel 8:19 Or because the end will be at the appointed time
- Daniel 9:1 Hebrew Ahasuerus
- Daniel 9:1 Or Chaldean
- Daniel 9:24 Or ‘weeks’; also in verses 25 and 26
- Daniel 9:24 Or restrain
- Daniel 9:24 Or the most holy One
- Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one; also in verse 26
- Daniel 9:26 Or death and will have no one; or death, but not for himself
- Daniel 9:27 Or ‘week’
- Daniel 9:27 Or ‘week’
- Daniel 9:27 Septuagint and Theodotion; Hebrew wing
- Daniel 9:27 Or it
- Daniel 9:27 Or And one who causes desolation will come upon the wing of the abominable temple, until the end that is decreed is poured out on the desolated city
- Daniel 10:1 Or true and burdensome
- Daniel 10:16 Most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; one manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint Then something that looked like a human hand
- Daniel 11:6 Or offspring
- Daniel 11:6 Or child (see Vulgate and Syriac)
- Daniel 11:17 Or but she
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