M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

24 Forsooth Abraham was eld, and of many days, and the Lord had blessed him in all things.

² And he said to the elder servant of his house, that was sovereign on all things that he had, Put thou thine hand under mine hip, (And he said to the oldest servant of his household, who was the ruler over all the things that he had, Put thy hand under my hip,)

³ that I conjure thee by the Lord God of heaven and of earth, that thou take not a wife to my son of the daughters of Canaan, among which I dwell; (and I want thee to swear by the Lord God of heaven and earth, that thou shalt not get a wife for my son from the daughters of Canaan, among whom I live;)

⁴ but that thou go to my land and kindred, and thereof take a wife to my son Isaac. (but that thou shalt go to my land and family, and get a wife from there for my son Isaac.)

⁵ The servant answered, If the woman will not come with me into this land, whether I ought to lead again thy son to the place, from which thou wentest out? (And the servant answered, If the woman will not come back with me to this land, should I lead thy son back to the place from which thou wentest out?)

⁶ Abraham said, Beware, lest any time thou lead again thither my son; (And Abraham said, Nay! Beware, lest any time thou lead my son back there;)

⁷ the Lord God of heaven that took me from the house of my father, and from the land of my birth, which spake to me, and swore (to me), and said, I shall give this land to thy seed, (yea,) he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife to my son (and thou shalt get a wife from there for my son);

⁸ forsooth if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be holden by the oath; nevertheless lead not again my son thither (but do not lead my son back there).

⁹ Therefore the servant putted his hand under the hip of Abraham, his lord, and swore to him on this word (and swore to him on this matter).

¹⁰ And he took ten camels of the flock of his lord, and went forth, and bare with him of all the goods of his lord (And then he took ten camels from his lord’s herd, and went forth, and took with him many good things from his lord); and he went forth, and came to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

¹¹ And when he had made the camels to rest without the city (And when he had made the camels to rest outside the city), beside a well of water, in the eventide, in that time in which women be wont to go out to draw water,

¹² he said, Lord God of my lord Abraham, I beseech, meet with me today, and do mercy with my lord Abraham (and do mercy to my lord Abraham).

¹³ Lo! I stand nigh the well of water, and the daughters of the dwellers of this city shall go out to draw water; (Lo! I stand near to the water well, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city shall go out to draw water;)

¹⁴ therefore the damsel to which I shall say, Bow down thy water pot (so) that I (may) drink, and (she) shall answer, Drink thou, but also I shall give drink to thy camels, that it is which thou hast made ready to thy servant Isaac (she it is whom thou hast prepared for thy servant Isaac); and by this I shall understand that thou hast done mercy to my lord Abraham.

¹⁵ And he had not yet [ful-]filled the words within himself, and lo! Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, went out, having a water pot in her shoulder (having a water pot on her shoulder);

¹⁶ a damsel full comely/full shapely, and fairest virgin, and unknown of man. Soothly she came down to the well, and filled the water pot, and turned again. (a very shapely young woman, and the most beautiful virgin, yea, unknown by man. And she went down to the well, and filled the water pot, and then came up again.)

¹⁷ And the servant met her, and said, Give thou to me a little of the water of thy pot to drink (Give thou to me a little water to drink from thy water pot).

¹⁸ Which answered, Drink thou, my lord. And anon she did down the water pot on her shoulder, and gave drink to him (And at once she did down the water pot from off her shoulder, and gave him a drink).

¹⁹ And when he had drunk, she said, But also I shall draw water to thy camels, till all have drunk. (And when he had drunk, she said, I shall also draw some water for thy camels, until all of them have had something to drink as well.)

²⁰ And she poured out the water pot in(to) (the) troughs, and ran (down) again to the well, to draw (some more) water, and she gave (the) water drawn to all the camels (and so she gave water to all the camels).

²¹ Soothly he beheld her privily, and would wit whether the Lord had sped his way, or nay. (And he secretly watched her, and wanted to know if the Lord had sped his way, or not.)

²² Therefore after that the camels had drunk, the man brought forth golden earrings, weighing two shekels, and as many bands of the arm (and two arm bands), in the weight of ten shekels.

²³ And he said to her, Whose daughter art thou? show thou to me (and tell me), is [there] any place in the house of thy father (for us) to dwell in?

²⁴ Which answered, I am the daughter of Bethuel, (the) son of Nahor, whom Milcah childed to him.

²⁵ And she added, saying, Also full much of provender and of hay is at us (And we have much provender and hay), and a large place to dwell in.

²⁶ (And) The man bowed himself (down), and worshipped the Lord,

²⁷ and said, Blessed be the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which took not away his mercy and truth from my lord, and led me by the right way, into the house of the brother of my lord. (and said, Blessed be the Lord God of my lord Abraham, who took not away his mercy and truth from my lord, but led me by the right way to the house of my lord’s brother.)

²⁸ And so the damsel ran, and told in the house of her mother all (the) things which she had heard.

²⁹ Soothly Rebecca had a brother, Laban by name, which went out hastily to the man, where he was withoutforth.

³⁰ And when he had seen the earrings, and bands of the arm in the hands of his sister, and had heard all the words of her, telling, The man spake to me these things, he came to the man that stood beside the camels, and nigh the well of water, (For when he had seen the earrings, and the bands on his sister’s wrists, and had heard all of her words, saying, The man spoke these and these things to me, he went out hastily to the man who was standing beside the camels, and near the water well,)

³¹ and said to him, Enter thou, the blessed of the Lord; why standest thou withoutforth? I have made ready the house, and a place to thy camels. (and said to him, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; why standest thou outside? I have prepared the house, and there is a place for thy camels.)

³² And he brought him into the inn, and unsaddled the camels, and gave provender, and hay, and water to wash the feet of the camels, and (the feet) of (the) men that came with him. (And he brought him into the house, and unsaddled the camels, and gave provender and hay to them, and then brought water to the man, and to the men who came with him, so that they could wash their feet.)

³³ And bread was set forth in his sight, the which said, I shall not eat till I speak my words. He answered to the man, Speak thou. (And bread was set before the man, but he said, I shall not eat until I speak my words. And Laban said to the man, Speak thou.)

³⁴ And the man said, I am the servant of Abraham,

³⁵ and the Lord hath blessed my lord greatly, and he is made great; and God gave to him sheep, and oxen, silver, and gold, servants, and handmaids, and camels, and asses. (and the Lord hath greatly blessed my lord, and he is a great man; and God hath given him sheep, and oxen, silver, and gold, male and female slaves, and camels, and donkeys.)

³⁶ And Sarah, my lord’s wife, childed a son to my lord in his eld (age), and Abraham, my lord, hath given all things that he had to that son. (And Sarah, my lord’s wife, bare a son for my lord in her old age, and Abraham, my lord, hath given all the things that he hath to his son.)

³⁷ And my lord charged me greatly, and said, Thou shalt not take to my son a wife of the daughters of Canaan, in whose land I dwell, (And my lord greatly charged me, and said, Thou shalt not get a wife for my son from among the daughters of Canaan, in whose land I live,)

³⁸ but thou shalt go to the house of my father, and of my kindred thou shalt take a wife to my son. (but thou shalt go to my father’s house, and thou shalt get a wife from my family for my son.)

³⁹ Forsooth I answered to my lord, What if the woman will not come with me?

⁴⁰ (And) He said, The Lord, in whose sight I go, shall send his angel with thee, and shall direct thy way; and thou shalt take a wife to my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house (and thou shalt get a wife for my son from my family, yea, from my father’s house).

⁴¹ Thou shalt be innocent from my curse, when thou comest to my kinsmen, and they give not her to thee. (But thou shalt be released from this oath, if, when thou comest to my family, they will not give her to thee.)

⁴² Therefore I came today to the well of water, and (I) said, Lord God of my lord Abraham, if thou hast directed my way in which I go now,

⁴³ lo! I stand beside the well of water, and the maid[en] that shall go out to draw water, (who) heareth me (say to her), Give thou to me a little of water to drink (out) of thy pot, (lo! now I stand beside the water well, and the young woman who shall go out to draw water, and when I say to her, Give thou to me a little water to drink from thy water pot,)

⁴⁴ and she say to me, And thou drink, and I shall draw water to thy camels, that is the woman which the Lord hath made ready to the son of my lord. (and she say to me, Drink thou, and I shall also draw some water for thy camels, that is the woman whom the Lord hath prepared for my lord’s son.)

⁴⁵ While I turned in thought these things with(in) me, Rebecca appeared, coming with a pot which she bare in her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew water. And I said to her, Give thou a little to me to drink; (And while I turned these things about in thought within me, Rebecca appeared, coming with a pot which she carried on her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew some water. And I said to her, Give thou to me a little water to drink;)

⁴⁶ and she hasted, and did down the pot (from) off the shoulder, and said to me, And thou drink, and I shall give drink to thy camels (and said to me, Drink, and I shall also give drink to thy camels); (and so) I drank, and she watered the camels.

⁴⁷ And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? Which answered, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah childed to him. And so I hanged earrings to adorn her face, and I put bands of the arm in her hands (and I put bands on her wrists),

⁴⁸ and low-like I worshipped the Lord, and I blessed the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God led me by the right way, that I should take the daughter of the brother of my lord to his son. (and I bowed low before the Lord, and I blessed the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God led me by the right way, so that I should find the daughter of the brother of my lord for his son.)

⁴⁹ Wherefore if ye do mercy and truth with my lord (So if ye shall do mercy and truth to my lord), show ye to me; else if (an)other thing pleaseth (thee), also say ye this, (so) that I (know to) go to the right side, or to the left side.

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel answered, The word is gone out of the Lord; we may not speak any other thing with thee without his pleasance. (And Laban and Bethuel answered, This thing is from the Lord; we shall not say anything to thee other than what pleaseth him.)

⁵¹ Lo! Rebecca is before thee; take thou her, and go forth, and be she [the] wife of the son of thy lord, as the Lord spake.

⁵² And when the servant of Abraham had heard this, he felled down, and worshipped the Lord in (the) earth. (And when Abraham’s servant had heard this, he fell down, and worshipped the Lord on the ground.)

⁵³ And when vessels of silver, and of gold, and clothes were brought forth, he gave those to Rebecca for (a) gift, and he (also) gave gifts to her brethren, and (to her) mother.

⁵⁴ And when a feast was made, they ate and drank together, and dwelled there. Forsooth the servant rose (up) early, and said, Deliver ye me, (so) that I (may) go (now) to my lord.

⁵⁵ Her brethren and mother answered, The damsel dwell namely ten days at us, and afterward she shall go forth. (And her brothers and her mother answered, Let the young woman stay with us ten more days, and then she shall go with thee.)

⁵⁶ (But) The servant said, Do not ye hold me, for the Lord hath directed my way; deliver ye me, (so) that I (may) go (now) to my lord.

⁵⁷ And they said, Call we the damsel, and ask we her will.

⁵⁸ And when she was called, and came, they asked her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I shall go.

⁵⁹ Therefore they delivered her (And so they let her go), and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham, and his fellows,

⁶⁰ and wished prosperities to their sister (and wished their sister well), and said, Thou art our sister, increase thou into a thousand thousands, and thy seed wield the gates of his enemies.

⁶¹ Therefore Rebecca and her damsels ascended on the camels, and followed the man, which turned again hastily to his lord.

⁶² In that time Isaac walked by the way that leadeth to the well, whose name is of him that liveth and seeth; for he dwelled in the south land. (Now at that time Isaac walked by the way that leadeth to The Well of Lahairoi, or Beerlahairoi; for he lived then in the south land.)

⁶³ And he went out to think in the field, for the day was bowed [down] then; and when he had raised [up] his eyes, he saw camels coming (from) afar.

⁶⁴ And when Isaac was seen, Rebecca lighted down off the camel,

⁶⁵ and said to the servant, Who is that man that cometh by the field into the meeting of us? And the servant said to her, It is my lord. And she took soon a mantle, and covered her (And she quickly took a mantle, and covered herself).

⁶⁶ Forsooth the servant told to his lord Isaac all (the) things which he had done;

⁶⁷ Isaac led her into the tabernacle of Sarah, his mother, and took her to wife; and so much he loved her, that he assuaged the sorrow which befell to him of the death of his mother. (and Isaac led her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and took her as his wife; and he loved her so much, that he assuaged the sorrow which befell to him upon his mother’s death.)

23 Then Jesus spake to the people, and to his disciples, [Then Jesus spake to the companies, and to his disciples,]

² and said, On the chair of Moses, scribes and Pharisees have sat. [saying, Scribes and Pharisees sat on the chair of Moses.]

³ Therefore keep ye, and do ye all things, whatever things they say to you [whatever they shall say to you]. But do not ye do after their works; for they say, and do not.

⁴ And they bind grievous charges, and that be not able to be borne [Soothly they bind grievous charges, and unportable, or that may not be borne], and put on [the] shoulders of men; but with their finger they will not move them.

⁵ Therefore [Forsooth] they do all their works to be seen of men; for they draw abroad their phylacteries, and magnify [their] hems.

⁶ And they love the first sitting places in suppers [Soothly they love the first sitting places at suppers], and the first chairs in synagogues;

⁷ and salutations in [the] market, and to be called of men, master [and to be called of men, masters].

⁸ But do not ye be called master; for one is your master, and all ye be brethren.

⁹ And do not ye call to you a father on earth [And do not ye call to you a father upon earth], for one is your Father, that is in heavens.

¹⁰ Neither be ye called masters, for one is your master, Christ.

¹¹ He that is greatest among you, shall be your minister.

¹² For he that higheth himself, shall be meeked; and he that meeketh himself, shall be enhanced. [Forsooth he that shall high himself, shall be meeked; and he that shall meek himself, shall be enhanced.]

¹³ But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that close the kingdom of heavens before men; and ye enter not, neither suffer other men entering to enter^[a].

¹⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that eat the houses of widows, and pray by long prayer; for this thing ye shall take the more doom.

¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that go about the sea and the land, to make one proselyte [that compass the sea and the land, to make one proselyte, that is, converted to your order]; and when he is made, ye make him a son of hell, double more than ye be [double more than you].

¹⁶ Woe to you, blind leaders, that say, Whoever sweareth by the temple of God, it is nothing; but he that sweareth in the gold of the temple, is debtor.^[b]

¹⁷ Ye fools and blind, for what is greater, the gold, or the temple that halloweth the gold?

¹⁸ And whoever sweareth in the altar [And whoever shall swear in the altar], it is nothing; but he that sweareth in the gift that is on the altar, oweth [is debtor].

¹⁹ Blind men, for what is more, the gift, or the altar that halloweth the gift?

²⁰ Therefore he that sweareth in the altar, sweareth in it, and in all things that be thereon.

²¹ And he that sweareth in the temple, sweareth in it, and in him that dwelleth in the temple.

²² And he that sweareth in heaven, sweareth in the throne of God, and in him that sitteth thereon.

²³ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that tithe mint, anise, and cummin, and have left those things that be of more charge of the law, doom, and mercy, and faith. And it behooved to do these things [And these things it behooved, or needed, to do], and not to leave those.

²⁴ Blind leaders, cleansing a gnat, but swallowing a camel.

²⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that cleanse the cup and the platter withoutforth [that make clean that thing of the cup and of the platter, that is withoutforth]; but within ye be full of raven and uncleanness.

²⁶ Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the cup and the platter withinforth, that that that is withoutforth be made clean.^[c]

²⁷ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that be like to sepulchres whited [that be like to sepulchres made white], which withoutforth seem fair to men; but within they be full of bones of dead men, and of all filth.

²⁸ So [and] ye withoutforth seem just to men [So and ye forsooth withoutforth appear rightful to men]; but within ye be full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that build [the] sepulchres of prophets, and make fair the burials of just men,

³⁰ and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been their fellows in the blood of prophets.

³¹ And so ye be in witnessing to yourselves [And so ye be into witnessing to yourselves], that ye be the sons of them that slew the prophets.

³² And full-fill ye the measure of your fathers. [And fill ye the measure of your fathers.]

³³ Ye adders, and adders' brood [Ye serpents, fruits of adders], how shall ye flee from the doom of hell?

³⁴ Therefore lo! I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes [Therefore lo! I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, or writers]; and of them ye shall slay and crucify, and of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and shall pursue from city into city;

³⁵ that all the just blood come on [upon] you, that was shed on the earth, from the blood of just Abel [till] to the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom ye slew betwixt the temple and the altar [whom ye slew between the temple and the altar].

³⁶ Truly I say to you, all these things shall come on [upon] this generation.

³⁷ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that slayest prophets, and stonest them that be sent to thee, how oft would I gather together thy children, as an hen gathereth together her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not.

³⁸ Lo! your house shall be left to you desert.

³⁹ And I say to you, ye shall not see me from henceforth, till ye say, Blessed is he, that cometh in the name of the Lord.

13 Forsooth in that day it was read in the book of Moses, in (the) hearing of the people; and it was found written therein, that Ammonites and Moabites ought not to enter into the church of God till into without end; (And on that day they read from The Book of Moses, in the hearing of the people; and it was found written in it, that Ammonites and Moabites should never enter into the congregation of God, that is, should never become part of their community;)

² for they met not the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired against the sons of Israel Balaam, for to curse them; and our God turned the cursing into blessing. (for they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but instead they hired Balaam against the Israelites, to curse them; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

³ And it was done, when the people had heard the law, they separated each alien from Israel (they set apart, or excluded, all foreigners from the Israelite community).

⁴ And upon these things was Eliashib, the priest, that was sovereign in the chamber of the house of our God, and was the neighbour of Tobiah^[a]. (And upon these things was the High Priest Eliashib, who was the ruler, or the overseer, of the storerooms of the House of our God, and was the neighbour, or the friend, of Tobiah.)

⁵ Therefore he made to him a great chamber in the house of God; and there before him were men that kept the gifts that were offered, and incense, and diverse vessels, and the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, and the parts of deacons, and of singers, and of porters, and the first fruits of priests. (And so Eliashib gave Tobiah a large room at the House of God, that was used to store the grain offerings, and the incense, and the Temple vessels, and the tithes of corn, and of wine, and of oil, that is, the portions, or the contributions, for the Levites, and the singers, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, and the first fruits for the priests.)

⁶ And in all these things I was not in Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I came to the king, and in the end of days I prayed the king. (And at this time I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went and reported to the king, but after some number of days, I was granted leave to return to Jerusalem.)

⁷ And I came into Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done to Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the porches of God’s house; (And so I came back to Jerusalem, and I learned of the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah’s sake, by giving him a room in one of the courtyards of the House of God;)

⁸ and to me it seemed full evil. And I casted forth the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber; (and I was greatly angered by that. And I threw all of Tobiah’s things out of the room;)

⁹ and I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought again there the vessels of God’s house, and the sacrifice thereof, and the incense. (and I commanded, that they purify the room, and that all the vessels of the House of God, and the offerings, and the incense, should be put back into it.)

¹⁰ And I knew that the parts of the deacons were not given to them, and that each man of the deacons and of the singers, and of them that ministered in the temple, had gone away into his country(side); (And I also learned that the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, and so all of the Levites and the singers, those who ministered in the Temple, had gone back to their fields;)

¹¹ and I did the cause against (the) magistrates, and I said, Why have ye forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, that is, (the) deacons and the ministers, that had gone away, and I made them to stand in their standings. (and I brought this case against the magistrates, and I said, Why is the House of God deserted? And so I brought back the Levites, and the singers who had gone away, and I put them in their places again.)

¹² And all Judah brought the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, into the barns. (And so all Judah brought their tithes of corn, and wine, and oil, into the storehouses.)

¹³ And we ordained on the barns, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer, and Pedaiah, one of the deacons, and besides them we ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were proved faithful men, and the parts of their brethren were betaken to them. (And I put in charge of the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer/a teacher of the Law, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, and besides them I ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they had proved to be faithful men, and so it was their duty to distribute their kinsmen’s portions.)

¹⁴ My God, have mind of me for this thing, and do thou not away my merciful doings, which I have done in the house of my God, and in his ceremonies. (My God, remember me for this, and do not thou forget the good things which I have done for the House of my God, and in its service.)

¹⁵ In those days I saw in Judah men treading pressers in the sabbath, men bringing (in) heaps, and charging on asses wine, and grapes, and figs, and all (other) burden(s), and bringing (them) into Jerusalem in the day of sabbath; and I witnessed to them, that they should sell in the day in which it was leaveful to sell. (And in those days I saw in Judah men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and people bringing in heaps of produce, yea, loading up wine, and grapes, and figs, and all other loads onto donkeys, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I witnessed to them, that they should only sell on the days in which it were lawful to sell.)

¹⁶ And men of Tyre dwelled in it, and brought in fishes, and all things set to sale, and they sold in the sabbaths to the sons of Judah, and of Jerusalem. (And some men of Tyre lived in Jerusalem, and brought in fish, and all kinds of other things to sell, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, and of Jerusalem.)

¹⁷ And I rebuked the principal men of Judah, and I said to them, What is this evil thing that ye do, and make unholy the day of the sabbath? (And I rebuked the leaders of Judah, and I said to them, What is this evil thing that ye do, and make the Sabbath day unholy!)

¹⁸ Whether our fathers did not these things, and (then) our God brought on us all this evil, and on this city? and ye increase wrathfulness on Israel, in defouling the sabbath. (Did not our forefathers do all these things, and then our God brought down all this evil upon us, and upon this city? and now ye shall bring more of God’s anger upon Israel by defiling the Sabbath!)

¹⁹ And it was done, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested in the day of sabbath, I said, Shut ye the gates; and they shutted the gates; and I commanded, that they should not open the gates till after the sabbath. And of my children, or servants, I ordained numbers on the gates to keep (them) shut, that no man should bring in a burden in the day of sabbath. (And so it was done, when the gates of Jerusalem were empty, early on the Sabbath day, that I said, Shut ye the gates; and so they shut the gates; and I commanded, that they should not open the gates until after the Sabbath. And I ordained a number of my servants there at the gates, to keep them shut, so that no one could bring in a load on the Sabbath day.)

²⁰ And merchants, and men selling all things set to sale, dwelled without Jerusalem once or twice. (And once or twice, some merchants, and people selling all kinds of things, set up shop outside the wall of Jerusalem.)

²¹ And I areasoned (with) them, and I said to them, Why dwell ye there even against, or on the other side of, the wall? If ye do this thing the second time, I shall set hand on you. Therefore from that time forth they came not thither in the sabbath. (And I warned them, and I said to them, Why do ye stay there on the other side of the wall? If ye do this thing another time, I shall put my hands on you. And from that time forth they did not come back there on the Sabbath.)

²² Also I said to the deacons, that they should be cleansed, and that they should come to keep the gates, and to hallow the day of sabbath. And therefore for this thing, my God, have mind of me, and spare me by the muchliness of thy merciful doings. (And I said to the Levites, that they should be purified, and then that they should go and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. And so for this thing, my God, remember me, and spare me by the greatness of thy mercy.)

²³ But also in those days I saw Jews wedding wives, women of Ashdod, and women of Ammonites, and women of Moabites.

²⁴ And their children spake half part by the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak by the speech of Jews (and could not speak the Jewish language, or Hebrew), and they spake by the language of (this) people, and of (that) people.

²⁵ And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat the men of them, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they should not give their daughters to the sons of those aliens, and that they should not take of the daughters of those aliens to their sons, and to themselves; (And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat these men, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they would not give their daughters as wives to the sons of those foreigners, and that they would not take the daughters of those foreigners as wives for their sons, or for themselves;)

²⁶ and I said, Whether Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned not in such things? And certainly in many folks there was no king like him, and he was loved of his God, and God setted him king upon all Israel, and alien women brought him to sin. (and I said, Did not King Solomon of Israel sin by doing such things? And certainly in many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king upon all Israel, but then foreign women led him to sin.)

²⁷ Whether also we unobedient, should do all this great evil, that we trespass against our Lord God, and wed alien wives? (And shall we then follow your example, and do all this great evil, and trespass against the Lord our God, and wed foreign wives?)

²⁸ Forsooth Sanballat (the) Horonite had wedded a daughter of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib, the great priest, which Sanballat I drove away from me. (And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of the High Priest Eliashib, had wedded a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, and so I drove Joiada away from me, and out of Jerusalem.)

²⁹ My Lord God, have mind against them, that defoul priesthood, and the right of priests, and of deacons. (My Lord God, remember them, for they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priests and of the Levites/and the covenant that you made with the priests and the Levites.)

³⁰ Therefore I cleansed them from all aliens, and I ordained the orders of priests and of deacons, each man in his service, (And so I purified them from all foreigners, and I ordained the orders of the priests and of the Levites, each man in his service,)

³¹ and in (the) offering, that is, (the) dressing, of trees, or of (the) wood, to burn with (the) offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and in the first fruits. My God, have mind of me into good. (and I also made provision for the wood offering, that is, for the wood to burn with the offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and for the first fruits. My God, remember me for the good things which I have done.)

23 And Paul beheld into the council, and said, Brethren [Paul forsooth beholding into the council, saith, Men brethren], I with all good conscience have lived before God, till into this day.

² And Ananias, prince of priests, commanded to men that stood nigh to him, that they should smite his mouth. [Soothly Ananias, prince of priests, commanded to men standing nigh, to smite his mouth.]

³ Then Paul said to him, Thou whited wall, God [shall] smite thee; thou sittest, and deemest me by the law, and against the law thou commandest me to be smitten. [Then Paul said to him, Thou wall made white, God shall smite thee; and thou sitting deemest me after the law, and against the law commandest me to be smitten.]

⁴ And they that stood nigh, said, Cursest thou the highest priest of God? [And they that stood nigh, said, Cursest thou the high priest of God?]

⁵ And Paul said, Brethren, I knew not, that he is [the] prince of priests; for it is written, Thou shalt not curse the prince of thy people.

⁶ But Paul knew, that one part was of Sadducees, and the other of Pharisees; and he cried in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am deemed of the hope and of the again-rising of dead men. [Forsooth Paul witting, for one part was of Sadducees, and the tother of Pharisees, he cried in the council, Men brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; of the hope and again-rising of dead I am deemed.]

⁷ And when he had said this thing, dissension was made betwixt [made between] the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was parted.

⁸ For Sadducees say, that no rising again of dead men is, neither angel, neither spirit; but Pharisees acknowledge ever either. [Forsooth Sadducees say, to be no rising again of dead, neither angel, neither spirit; forsooth Pharisees acknowledge both.]

⁹ And a great cry was made. And some of the Pharisees rose up [rised up], and fought, saying, We find nothing of evil in this man; what if a spirit, either an angel spake to him [what if a spirit spake to him, or angel]?

¹⁰ And when great dissension was made, the tribune dreaded, lest Paul should be drawn to pieces of them; and he commanded knights to go down, and to take him from the middle of them, and to lead him into the castles.^[a]

¹¹ And in the night following the Lord stood nigh to him, and said, Be thou steadfast; for as thou hast witnessed of me in Jerusalem, so it behooveth thee to witness also at Rome.

¹² And when the day was come, some of the Jews gathered them(selves), and made a vow, and said [saying], that they should neither eat, nor drink, till they slew Paul.

¹³ And there were more than forty men, that made this swearing together [that made this conjuration, or swearing together].

¹⁴ And they went to the princes of priests, and elder men, and said, With devotion we have avowed [us], that we shall not taste any thing, till we have slain Paul.

¹⁵ Now therefore make ye known to the tribune, with the council, that he bring him forth to you, as if ye should know something more certainly of him; and we be ready to slay him, before that he come [nigh].

¹⁶ And when the son of Paul's sister had heard the ambush, he came, and entered into the castles, and told to Paul. [Which thing when the son of Paul's sister had heard the ambush, or treason, he came, and entered into the castles, and told Paul.]

¹⁷ And Paul called to him one of the centurions, and said, Lead this young man to the tribune, for he hath something to show to him.

¹⁸ And he took him, and led to the tribune, and said, Paul, that is bound, prayed me to lead to thee this young man, that hath something to speak to thee.

¹⁹ And the tribune took his hand, and went with him asides half, and asked him, What thing is it, that thou hast to show to me?

²⁰ And he said, The Jews be accorded to pray thee, that to morrow thou bring forth Paul into the council, as if they should inquire something more certainly of him.

²¹ But believe thou not to them; for more than forty men of them ambush him, which have avowed, that they shall neither eat nor drink, till they slay him; and now they be ready, abiding thy promise.

²² Therefore the tribune let go the young man [Therefore the tribune left the young man], and commanded, that he should speak to no man, that he had made these things known to him.

²³ And he called together two centurions, and he said to them, Make ye ready two hundred knights, that they go to Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night.

²⁴ And make ye ready an horse, for Paul to ride on, to lead him safe to Felix, the president^[b]. For the tribune dreaded, lest the Jews would take him by the way, and slay him, and afterward he might be challenged, as he had taken money.

²⁵ [And] He wrote to him an epistle, containing these things.

²⁶ Claudius Lysias to the best Felix, president, health.

²⁷ This man that was taken of the Jews, and began to be slain, I came upon them with mine host, and delivered him from them, when I knew that he was a Roman.^[c]

²⁸ And I would know the cause, which they putted against him; and I led him to the council of them. [And I willing to know the cause, which they put against him, led him into the council of them.]

²⁹ And I found, that he was accused of questions of their law, but he had no crime worthy the death, either bonds. [Whom I found to be accused of questions of the law of them, forsooth having no crime worthy the death, or bonds.]

³⁰ And when it was told me of the ambush, that they arrayed for him, I sent him to thee, and I warned also the accusers, that they say at thee. Farewell.^[d]

³¹ And so the knights, as they were commanded [Soothly knights, after thing commanded to them], took Paul, and led him by night into Antipatris.

³² And in the day following, when the horsemen were left, that [they] should go with him, they turned again to the castles.

³³ And when they came to Caesarea, they took the epistle to the president, and they set also Paul before him. [Which when they came to Caesarea, and took the epistle to the president, they set before him also Paul.]

³⁴ And when he had read, and asked, of what province he was, and knew that he was of Cilicia,

³⁵ I shall hear thee, he said, when thine accusers [shall] come. And he commanded him to be kept in the moot hall of Herod.