9:1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, 9:2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 9:3And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 9:4And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 9:5And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 9:6And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
9:7And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 9:8The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. 9:9But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 9:10And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 9:11But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 9:12And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 9:13And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 9:14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 9:15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 9:16Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands 9:17(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 9:18and ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother); 9:19if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 9:20but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 9:21And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
9:22And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. 9:23And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 9:24that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. 9:25And the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
9:26And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 9:27And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 9:28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? 9:29And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
9:30And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 9:31And he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee. 9:32Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 9:33and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city; and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
9:34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 9:35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment. 9:36And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 9:37And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company cometh by the way of the oak of Meonenim. 9:38Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them. 9:39And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 9:40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.
9:41And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 9:42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 9:43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; And he rose up against them, and smote them. 9:44And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them. 9:45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
9:46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith. 9:47And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 9:48And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. 9:49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
9:50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 9:51But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower. 9:52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 9:53And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and brake his skull. 9:54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 9:55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 9:56Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; 9:57and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
13:1Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 13:2And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 13:3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 13:4So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 13:5And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant. 13:6And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus; 13:7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. 13:8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. 13:9But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, 13:10and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 13:11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 13:12Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 13:13Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 13:14But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 13:15And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 13:16And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken: 13:17The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm led he them forth out of it. 13:18And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness. 13:19And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years: 13:20and after these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 13:21And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. 13:22And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who shall do all My will. 13:23Of this man's seed hath God according to promise brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; 13:24when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 13:25And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there cometh one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose. 13:26Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. 13:27For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 13:28And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. 13:29And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 13:30But God raised him from the dead: 13:31and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. 13:32And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers, 13:33that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 13:34And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David. 13:35Because he saith also in another psalm, Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption. 13:36For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 13:37but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. 13:38Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: 13:39and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 13:40Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets:
13:41Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish;
For I work a work in your days,
A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you.
13:42And as they went out, they besought that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath. 13:43Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 13:44And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. 13:45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. 13:46And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 13:47For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,
I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles,
That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.
13:48And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 13:49And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region. 13:50But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders. 13:51But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 13:52And the disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.
22:1Thus said Jehovah: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, 22:2And say, Hear the word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates. 22:3Thus saith Jehovah: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the sojourner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place. 22:4For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 22:5But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith Jehovah, that this house shall become a desolation. 22:6For thus saith Jehovah concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. 22:7And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. 22:8And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this great city? 22:9Then they shall answer, Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them. 22:10Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away; for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. 22:11For thus saith Jehovah touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went forth out of this place: He shall not return thither any more. 22:12But in the place whither they have led him captive, there shall he die, and he shall see this land no more. 22:13Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not his hire; 22:14that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. 22:15Shalt thou reign, because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. 22:16He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this to know me? saith Jehovah. 22:17But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. 22:18Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! They shall not lament for him, saying Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! 22:19He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem. 22:20Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all thy lovers are destroyed. 22:21I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. 22:22The wind shall feed all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness. 22:23O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail! 22:24As I live, saith Jehovah, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; 22:25and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them of whom thou art afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 22:26And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. 22:27But to the land whereunto their soul longeth to return, thither shall they not return. 22:28Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? is he a vessel wherein none delighteth? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not? 22:29O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah. 22:30Thus saith Jehovah, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.
8:1In those days, when there was again a great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, 8:2I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: 8:3and if I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way; and some of them are come from far. 8:4And his disciples answered him, Whence shall one be able to fill these men with bread here in a desert place? 8:5And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 8:6And he commandeth the multitude to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 8:7And they had a few small fishes: and having blessed them, he commanded to set these also before them. 8:8And they ate, and were filled: and they took up, of broken pieces that remained over, seven baskets. 8:9And they were about four thousand: and he sent them away. 8:10And straightway he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 8:11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, trying him. 8:12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. 8:13And he left them, and again entering into the boat departed to the other side. 8:14And they forgot to take bread; and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. 8:15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. 8:16And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread. 8:17And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? 8:18Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 8:19When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 8:20And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces took ye up? And they say unto him, Seven. 8:21And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand? 8:22And they come unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. 8:23And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught? 8:24And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking. 8:25Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. 8:26And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village. 8:27And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi: and on the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am? 8:28And they told him, saying, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but others, One of the prophets. 8:29And he asked them, But who say ye that I am? Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. 8:30And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. 8:31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 8:32And he spake the saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 8:33But he turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and saith, Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. 8:34And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 8:35For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it. 8:36For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? 8:37For what should a man give in exchange for his life? 8:38For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.